In the making for nearly five decades, the Martyrs Memorial at the Chandigarh Capitol Complex is finally on the road to completion.
The UT engineering department has floated tenders for installation of stone artwork, estimated to cost ₹3.5 crore and be completed by March next year.
The project, encapsulated in Chandigarh Master Plan-2031, was originally conceptualised by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier.
Work on the memorial, divided into two parts, was first taken up by sculptor Sanko Chaudhuri in 1973, but only the first part was completed. To complete the second and main component, the UT engineering department has floated a tender inviting firms to construct, conserve and maintain the memorial.
A one-of-its-kind project in the country, the memorial will be dedicated to the unknown martyrs of the 1947 Partition, and India’s emergence from nearly two centuries of British rule.
The memorial comprises a square enclosure inscribed with abstract Indian symbols, with one side elongated into a ramp. A walk up this ramp reveals new vistas of the Capitol Complex buildings from an elevated level.
The complete composition includes a figure of a martyr stretched out in final agony, two fragments of a broken column surrounded by debris, symbolising downfall of the British Empire, with a tiger and a serpent – associated in Corbusier’s mind with India – standing watchfully over the ruins.
{{/usCountry}}The complete composition includes a figure of a martyr stretched out in final agony, two fragments of a broken column surrounded by debris, symbolising downfall of the British Empire, with a tiger and a serpent – associated in Corbusier’s mind with India – standing watchfully over the ruins.
{{/usCountry}}In pursuit of the UNESCO heritage status for the Capitol Complex, the UT administration had committed to completing the Martyrs Memorial, following which the complex received the UNESCO tag in 2016. But seven years later, the project hangs in balance.
The Chandigarh Master Plan-2031 also lists the memorial as one of the incomplete heritage projects, which should be completed by the administration.
UT chief engineer CB Ojha said, “Tenders have been floated for the completion of the Martyrs Memorial’s stone artwork. This endeavour will also encompass restoration, preservation, conservation and management of the Capitol Complex. The work is expected to be completed by March next year.”
Chandigarh Capitol Complex is spread over 100 acres and comprises three buildings – Legislative Assembly, Secretariat, and the Punjab and Haryana high court, along with four monuments – the Open Hand symbol, Martyrs Memorial, Geometric Hill and Tower of Shadows.