Ambala prepares to unveil memorial honouring 1857's freedom fighters
After nearly two decades of delays and political hurdles, the memorial dedicated to the 1857 First War of Independence is nearing completion along National Highway 44 in Ambala Cantonment. Sprawled across 22 acres and built at a cost of ₹600 crore, the grand structure has been named 'Azadi Ki Pehli Ladai Ka Shaheedi Samarak.'
Ambala's role in 1857 uprising
Backed by the research of the late Professor KC Yadav, a prominent historian who unearthed key British documents, the Haryana government asserts that the 1857 revolt actually began in Ambala Cantonment—not Meerut as widely believed. According to Yadav's work, regiments stationed in Ambala initiated the rebellion on the morning of May 10, hours before the uprising in Meerut. His findings are documented in his book The Revolt of 1857 in Haryana.
Vision becomes reality after years of delay
The idea for the memorial was first conceived in the early 2000s by senior BJP leader and local MLA Anil Vij, who persisted with the proposal through successive governments. Despite initial support from the then Congress government under Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the foundation stone ceremony was postponed twice. It was only after the BJP came to power in Haryana that progress was made. The foundation was finally laid by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in May 2015, and construction began in December 2018.
Some of the highlights of the memorial are the lotus-shaped tower, open-air theatre, a few of the total 22 galleries, audio-visual galleries and other highlights of the memorial.
The Samarak also houses a library, helipad for VVIP visitors, exhibition hall, children's park, a huge cafeteria and food court, and underground parking facility for 400 vehicles.
'The memorial will be a true homage to those who fought against the British rule and were punished, killed or even hanged to trees till dead,' Anil Vij, a seventh-term MLA, said.
Inauguration likely by PM Modi
Memorial director Kuldeep Saini said that a section is also dedicated to a collection of clay (mitti) from 20 places in India, where the revolution also broke out.
'The memorial is expected to be completed by August. We will also hire nearly 35 guides for the visitors and foreign delegates. A total of 100 short films of different durations are also being prepared. We will seek time from the prime minister's office for the inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' he added.
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