Mysuru: A grand War Memorial is taking shape at the NCC Parade Grounds adjacent to the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) Office, right in front of NCC Group Headquarters, as a mark of respect for the sacrifices made by the Defence Forces. The works on the Memorial is underway at a brisk pace and the civil works are likely to be completed by April 15 or by the end of April.

As of now, the steps of the 10-ft foundation in the form of a pedestal is being built on all the four sides of the Memorial and at the centre will be a 7-ft Sarnath Ashoka Emblem on all the four sides. The War Memorial will be 43-ft. tall, including the 10-ft. foundation.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Senior KAS Officer and former Mysuru Assistant Commissioner C.L. Ananda, an Ex-Serviceman, said that the civil works will be completed in April this year.

“The four-faced granite stones that have been procured from Patel Puttamadaiah’s quarry in Chamarajanagar will be polished and the contract has been awarded to city sculptor Arun Yogiraj,” C.L. Ananda said.

Sculptor Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru has good experience in such carving and polishing works. He shot to fame after he carved the statue of Adi Shankaracharya installed at Kedarnath and the statue of Subhas Chandra Bose installed in New Delhi — both inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi.

“After the stones are polished, the engraving work will be taken up where the insignias of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force will be carved and painted with the reliable American white paint. This paint is long-lasting and is used in well-known stone sculptures all over the world. The three other sides will have the insignia of the Armed Forces and the Armoury that include Army tanks, Fighter aircraft, Navy ships, Guns, Artillery and other weapons,” Ananda said.

“A donor has come forward to donate the 7-ft Sarnath Ashoka Emblem and he wants his name to be anonymous,” he added.

Plans are afoot to install decommissioned battle tanks and RCL guns (recoilless launcher or recoilless gun) at the War Memorial as an added attraction, the KAS Officer said.

“I would like to thank Annasaheb Shankar Jolle and Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha for their efforts in securing the decommissioned military equipment to the Mysuru War Memorial. The Defence Minister has responded positively to the request and has assured co-operation,” Ananda stated.