New Delhi: The Amar Jawan Jyoti flame at India Gate will be extinguished and merged with the National War Memorial flame in a ceremony at 3 pm on Friday and there will only be one flame at the National War Memorial to honour fallen Indian soldiers from this year onwards, Government sources said.
The merger will end the system of two separate flames to honour the country's fallen heroes.
The moment will mark a transition in the history of India Gate memorial where the Amar Jawan Jyoti flame has been burning since 1971. The approaching January 26 will be the first Republic Day when the three Service Chiefs and other distinguished guests won't go to the India Gate memorial.
On every important national day like the Republic Day, Kargil Vijay Diwas, Independence Day, the PM, President of India, CDS and the three Service Chiefs go to honour fallen Indian soldiers at the India Gate.
The names of fallen Indian soldiers mentioned at India gate are the ones who served in the British era Indian Army. While the soldiers who sacrifice their lives post 1947, in all India-Pakistan, India-China conflicts as well as in counter terrorism operations in the country have been mentioned at the National War Memorial.
"At National War Memorial, there are 29,000 tablets on which more than 25,942 names of fallen soldiers have been etched. These soldiers have sacrificed their lives for the preservation of national honour after 1947, including Kargil war and the ongoing proxy war," said a defence official. (UNI)