Amar Jawan Jyoti extinguished after 50 years, here’s why!

According to military officials, the Amar Jawan Jyoti flame at India Gate was extinguished after 50 years and merged with the flame at the National War Memorial here on Friday.

The Amar Jawan Jyoti was built as a memorial for Indian soldiers lost in battle during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which India won and led to Bangladesh’s formation. It was inaugurated by the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, on January 26, 1972.

The Amar Jawan Jyoti’s flame was extinguished on Friday afternoon and merged with the flame at the National War Memorial, which is just 400 metres away on the other side of India Gate, according to military officials.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government is building new national monuments and adding glory to the existing ones. “After Independence, a new construction took place only for a few families from Delhi. We have brought the country out of this narrow thinking and are building new national monuments and adding glory to the existing ones,” PM Modi said.

For the uninitiated, The National War Memorial, where the names of 25,942 soldiers are etched in golden lettering on granite slabs, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25, 2019.