Chandigarh War Memorial to anchor UT’s Republic Day tableau debut

A defining aspect of the memorial’s history is the role played by The Indian Express, which spearheaded a city-wide citizens’ initiative to raise funds for its construction. Built entirely without government funding, the project cost about Rs 78 lakh, mobilised through public donations driven by the newspaper group in partnership with the UT Administration. The effort turned the memorial into a community-owned space of remembrance rather than a conventional state-funded structure.

Architecturally, the memorial stands out for its subterranean design, sunk about six feet below ground to preserve views of the Shivalik hills and remain faithful to Le Corbusier’s planning principles for the city. The original concept emerged from a design competition won by two final-year students of the Chandigarh College of Architecture, Shivani Guglani and Nanaki Singh, in 2002–03. The Department of Urban Planning, under then chief architect Renu Saigal, refined the design, while architect Shams Shaikh prepared detailed drawings, supervised the site and created the iconic 22-foot-high central sculpture. The sculpture, made of powder-coated steel sheets on a tubular frame, features three converging posts symbolising the Army, Navy and Air Force. Black granite-clad concrete walls, engraved with the names of martyrs and illuminated at night, form the memorial’s core, along with built-in planters and stepped seating that also functions as an open-air space for tributes and public gatherings.

Beyond the war memorial, the tableau goes on to depict Chandigarh’s contemporary identity in motion. One section highlights the city’s sporting culture through a dynamic portrayal of kayaking at Sukhna Lake, with rippling water effects and stone textures capturing both adventure and calm. This segment reflects youth energy, fitness and the city’s close relationship with its natural water bodies.

Another segment celebrates Chandigarh’s creative and ecological legacy, featuring the Rock Garden waterfall and figurines inspired by Nek Chand’s recycled art, alongside lush greenery, birds in flight and people interacting in shared spaces. Together, these elements project the city as a balance of memory and modernity, where sacrifice, creativity, nature and people-centric planning coexist — a narrative Chandigarh will take, for the first time, to the national stage on Republic Day.