Written by: JAGPREET SANDHU
4 min readChandigarhJan 23, 2026 11:33 AM IST
First published on: Jan 23, 2026 at 11:33 AM IST
When Chandigarh rolls out its first-ever tableau at Bharat Parv 2026, the city has chosen to place the Chandigarh War Memorial at its forefront, signalling that remembrance and sacrifice will lead its national narrative on Republic Day. The tableau, to be displayed at the Red Fort from January 26 to 31 as part of the Union government’s Republic Day celebrations, will open with a sculptural representation of the memorial, underscoring the city’s collective tribute to soldiers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh who laid down their lives for the nation after Independence.
Located in the Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3, adjacent to the Leisure Valley, the Chandigarh War Memorial is among the country’s largest post-Independence war memorials. It commemorates between 8,459 and 11,000 martyrs who died in conflicts such as the Indo-Pak and Indo-China wars, as well as later military operations, including Sri Lanka and Kargil. Conceived in 2003–04 by Lt Gen J F R Jacob (retd), hero of the 1971 war and then Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, the memorial was envisioned as a citizens’ project meant to instil pride in the armed forces. Jacob laid the foundation stone on April 28, 2004, describing it as a shandar yadgar, while Gen SF Rodrigues (retd), former Army chief and later Punjab Governor, performed the ground-breaking ceremony. The memorial was inaugurated and dedicated to the nation by President APJ Abdul Kalam on August 17, 2006.
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.
Located in the Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3, adjacent to the Leisure Valley, the Chandigarh War Memorial is among the country’s largest post-Independence war memorials.
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