Mysuru/Mysuru: The Mysuru War Memorial, located at the NCC Parade Grounds near the old Deputy Commissioner’s Office along Mysuru-Hunsur Road, is progressing rapidly and is expected to be completed by September this year. This memorial aims to foster patriotism and inspire youth to join the defense forces.
The project is a result of the relentless efforts of ex-servicemen led by the late Air Veteran Mandetira N. Subramani, President of the Vekare Ex-Servicemen Trust. The groundwork for the memorial was initiated in July 2022 by then Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Bagadi Gautham and then Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra.
Renowned city-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, famous for his work on the Balak Ram idol at Ayodhya, is sculpting the black granite memorial. The project received a significant boost with a 33 cubic meter black granite stone, weighing 300 tonnes, supplied free of cost by Chamarajanagar quarry owner H.M. Puttamadaiah, and cut by A. Srinath, owner of SVG Granites in Chamarajanagar.
The Deputy Commissioner had previously requested the Army Southern Command for the dispatch of war tankers, guns, and other arms and ammunition to be displayed at the memorial. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved this request, and the military artifacts will be sent to Mysuru once the memorial is completed.
This memorial project has been in the making for 24 years. The initial request by ex-servicemen was made in 2000, but it wasn’t until 2012 that significant progress began with the help of then Mysuru Assistant Commissioner C.L. Anand. Now, after two decades, the War Memorial is set to be completed.
C.L. Anand, now the Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner, mentioned that the sculpture, overseen by Arun Yogiraj, is being funded by a donor at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh. Additionally, a park will be developed around the memorial with contributions of Rs. 1.5 crore each from the MCC and MUDA.