Haryana’s Energy, Transport and Labour Minister Anil Vij inspected the under-construction ‘Azadi ki Pehli Ladai ka Shaheed Smarak’ on GT Road in Ambala, dedicated to the country’s first freedom struggle of 1857, and wholeheartedly praised the efforts of the artists working on the artwork. On this occasion, he said that a meeting of senior officers will soon be held at the memorial site to complete the remaining work.
Vij said that the history of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the 1857 freedom struggle will come alive at the memorial. Paying homage to the statue of freedom fighter Rao Tula Ram installed at the memorial, he remembered his contributions. While inspecting the various art galleries of the memorial, Minister Anil Vij took detailed information about the historical displays and issued necessary instructions after reviewing the progress of both civil and art-related works. He said a hydraulic lift capable of carrying 40 people to the upper floors has been installed in the virtual theatre of the art museum, the first of its kind in India.
Vij appreciated the Sarkanda artwork
Vij viewed the gallery prepared using Sarkanda artwork in the museum and immediately praised the artists’ work wholeheartedly. The use of Sarkanda art to depict history offers a unique experience for viewers. He mentioned that other galleries are being prepared in a similar fashion and will be completed soon. He also directed the artisans to finish the construction work at the earliest.
*“Meeting of senior department officers will be held at the memorial soon” – Vij*
On this occasion, the Energy Minister also said that a meeting of senior officers related to the memorial will be held soon at the site to ensure the remaining works are completed in a coordinated manner. He informed that a 270-degree projector film will be shown in the memorial, which visitors will enjoy as they move to the second floor. Additionally, ramps and stairs have been arranged so that people can conveniently experience the grandeur of the memorial. Two high-speed lifts have been installed to reach the lotus-shaped platform, allowing visitors to reach the 12th floor within minutes.
*Minister Vij instructed to open a Sky Café on the 12th floor of the memorial tower*
He instructed officers to open a Sky Café on the 12th floor of the memorial tower so that visitors can sit and view the entire Ambala cantonment and surrounding areas. He also suggested installing binoculars to enable distant viewing. Sh. Vij said that five domes have been constructed at different points of the martyrdom memorial, which will serve as selfie points.
On this occasion, Vij seen the presentation of historical and artistic elements of the memorial through a video. He instructed the officers to add more elements to the history. He emphasized that details of all locations where struggles for independence took place should be included and that two boards displaying the names of historians and other contributors involved in the creation of this memorial should be installed. Vij also gave instructions to level the area in front of the memorial, install railings, add more lighting at various points, plant attractive greenery in vacant areas, and carry out other necessary improvements. He stated that he wants the map of India as it was in 1857 to be prepared and displayed, so future generations can see what the country looked like at that time.
Present on this occasion were Dr. Kuldeep Saini, Director of the Shaheed Smarak; Harpal Singh, Superintendent Engineer of the Public Works Department; Ritesh Aggarwal, Executive Engineer; Swarn Kaur, Municipal Council President; Lalta Prasad, Vice President; Ram Babu Yadav, Sanjeev Atri, Sanjeev Soni, Pravesh Sharma, Balit Nagpal, Jasbir Jassi, Gaurav Saini, Ashok Thakur and others.
