Amar Jawan Jyoti, Burning At India Gate Since 1971, To Be Merged With National War Memorial Flame

After burning for 50 years, the eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate lawns will be extinguished forever.

New Delhi: The Amar Jawan Jyoti flame at India Gate will be extinguished after 50 years and merged with the flame at the National War Memorial. The Amar Jawan Jyoti was constructed as a memorial for Indian soldiers who were killed in action in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which India won, leading to the creation of Bangladesh. It was inaugurated by the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, on January 26, 1972.

The ceremony — scheduled to begin at 3.30 pm– will be presided over by the Integrated Defence Staff chief, Air Marshal Balabadhra Radha Krishna. According to reports, the decision was taken after it was found that the upkeep of two flames is becoming increasingly difficult.

It has also been argued that since the National War Memorial has already been built for the martyrs of the country, why a separate flame should be lit at the India Gate.

Military officials said that the flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti will be extinguished on Friday afternoon and merged with the flame at the National War Memorial, which is just 400 metres away on the other side of India Gate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on February 25, 2019, inaugurated the National War Memorial, where names of 25,942 soldiers have been inscribed in golden letters on granite tablets.

The National War Memorial — built over 40 acres at a cost of ₹ 176 crore — was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 2019. All military ceremonial events that took place at the India Gate were shifted there after the inauguration.

The eternal flame at the National War Memorial, which will continue to burn in memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation, is located at the heart of the Smarak Stambh, the main pillar of the memorial, inside the Amar Chakra.