The Story Behind Amar Jyoti Jawan: The Eternal Flame of Sacrifice
Amar Jawan Jyoti
Amar Jawan Jyoti (translating to “Immortal Soldier Flame”) is an Indian memorial established to honor the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. It was inaugurated on 26 January 1972 and served as India’s national war memorial until February 2019, when the new National War Memorial, along with its own eternal flame, was inaugurated. On 21 January 2022, the flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate was merged with the flame at the National War Memorial.
The Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate featured a 15-square-foot base, standing 4 feet 3 inches high, with a black marble pedestal topped by a 3-foot-2-inch cenotaph. The cenotaph bore the words “Amar Jawan” inscribed in gold in Hindi on all four sides. At its apex was a reversed rifle crowned with a soldier’s war helmet. The pedestal was surrounded by four urns, and ceremonial flames were lit during observances. The structure was completed in a short timeframe, fulfilling the wishes of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The new flame at the National War Memorial was constructed to honor all known martyrs of the Indian Armed Forces post-independence. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 February 2019, marking the completion of the memorial. The merging of the original flame with the new one was carried out by Air Marshal Balabhadhra Radha Krishna, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff. This transition sparked debates surrounding the symbolism, historical significance, and politicization of the old and new monuments.
History
India Gate, designed by Edwin Lutyens, was unveiled in 1931. Originally, traffic and parades passed through the monument, but in the 1950s, vehicular movement under the arch was restricted. Amar Jawan Jyoti was added beneath India Gate following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The war, which lasted from 3 to 16 December 1971 and culminated in the Fall of Dhaka, was part of the liberation struggle in East Pakistan. On 26 January 1972, the twenty-third Republic Day of India, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi officially inaugurated the memorial. The quick establishment of the memorial, less than a month after the war, was by Indira Gandhi’s wishes. Author Vedica Kants, in her 2014 book India and the First World War, noted that positioning Amar Jawan Jyoti under the arch of India Gate redefined the symbolic significance of the monument.
For many years after India’s independence, there was no clear policy regarding war memorials. In 1973, the military leadership observed that memorials commemorating war events and martyrs were being built across the country without any coordination. These memorials were often neglected and lacked thoughtful design or maintenance. Over 150 war memorials exist across India, but the delay in creating a national war memorial meant that individual structures continued to be built. The construction of the National War Memorial began in 2017 and was completed in 2019.
Also read- India Gate- A Symbol of Sacrifice and National Unity
When the National War Memorial was inaugurated in 2019, it featured a new flame. Both the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff stated that the original Amar Jawan Jyoti would be preserved, though no specifics were provided.
After the ceremony on 21 January 2022, debates arose concerning the legacy, symbolism, and political implications of the flame’s relocation—whether it was merged with the new flame or extinguished, the temporary nature of the old memorial, the possibility of two “eternal” flames, and the colonial associations of the monument’s original location beneath India Gate.
Construction and Structure
The Amar Jawan Jyoti was conceived and built in less than a month, as per Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s instructions, to be ready for Republic Day on 26 January 1972. This tight timeline limited both the location and the design scope of the memorial.
The memorial’s base measured 15 square feet (2,200 square inches) and stood 4 feet 3 inches high. At the center of the base was a pedestal, 3 feet 2 inches tall, upon which a reversed rifle was placed, topped with a soldier’s war helmet. The words “Amar Jawan” were inscribed in Hindi on all four sides of the memorial. Each of the four corners of the main platform, which supported the pedestal, housed an urn containing the flame. The memorial was initially white in color.
From 1971 to 2006, the Amar Jawan Jyoti flame was fueled by Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders. The pedestal was surrounded by four urns, each controlled by a separate burner. A single LPG cylinder could fuel one urn for approximately 36 hours, with the cylinders stored in a dedicated room at the memorial.
In December 2005, a shift was made to Piped Natural Gas (PNG), a safer and more cost-effective alternative to LPG. A pipeline was laid from Kasturba Gandhi Marg to supply the gas. The personnel responsible for maintaining the flame resided in a room beneath the arch, adjacent to the memorial. The overall responsibility for the flame’s upkeep fell under the Military Engineer Services. Chander Singh Bisht, a retired military engineer, operated the flame for four decades. The monument was continuously guarded throughout this time.
