Air Marshall Balabadra Radha Krishna Chief of Integrated Defence Staff at 3:54 PM today will merge flames of Amar Jawan Jyoti with flame at National War Memorial in a ceremony.
Serving Chief of Defence Staff will be not present at the ceremony.
South Block Officials have told that ceremony will start today at 3;30 PM after arrival of CISC at India Gate. The flame will be transferred in a torch after which two flames will be merged at National War Memorial.
Amar Jawan Jyoti was first lit up in 1972 at India Gate after 1971 Indo-Pak war. India Gate is a memorial that was made to honor 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in First World War between years 1914-1921. British Indian Soldiers fought in France, Flanders, Persia, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli and East Africa.
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India Gate is a symbol of colonial India. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the gate evokes the architectural style of the triumphal arch such as the Arch of Constantine, in Rome, and is often compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and the Gateway of India in Mumbai.
National War Memorial was inaugurated on February 25, 2019 and it is made in honour of Indian military soldiers who fought for Independent India. The name of armed forces personnel killed during the armed conflicts with Pakistan and China as well as 1961 war in Goa, Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka and other operations including Rakshak in UT of Jammu and Kashmir are inscribed in the memorial in golden letters. This allows the near and dear ones of the fallen brave heart as well as the public to pay respects to the fallen warrior.
The decision to merge Amar Jawan Jyoti and National War Memorial Flame has been taken after long term discussion. There cannot be two war memorials in such a close proximity. National War Memorial represents eternal soldiers of Independent India.
