City’s World War I insignia needs facelift

City’s World War I insignia needs facelift
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: To take a turn from Doordarshan Kendra towards R T Nagar, one must go round a war memorial in the middle of a circle. It’s yet another one of those neglected memorials in the city, which stand quietly narrating the city’s glorious history.

It may lend itself to political banners, accommodate beggars who sleep there by day and by night and vagrants who loll around and smoke on it, but it’s not just any other monument in the city.

It deserves the highest regard and protection. A careful observation of the ‘post’ will unfold a history that connects Bangalore with World War I that occurred during 1914 -1918.

The war memorial, an exquisite monolithic stone pillar, was erected at this place in memory of the soldiers from the erstwhile Mysore state who laid down their lives in the war.

It was during the period of Nalawadi Krishnaraj Wodeyar, on 13th of October 1914 that the Mysore Imperial Service Lancer, under the command of Chamaraj Arus Bahadoor left Bangalore to take part in World War I in support of Britain.

A huge sum of Rs 2 crore was mobilised from the people and the Government of Mysore.

The regiment faced the enemy troops in the Suez Canal region in 1914 and later in 1915 at Gaza in West Asia.

In the war, many officers and soldiers from Bangalore and Mysore state laid their lives, following which the war memorial was set up.

It may be amazing to hear the city’s connection with the World War and that this pillar stands as a strong proof, perhaps the only memorabilia in this connection.

One of the four stones placed at the base of the pillar, states “Sacred to the memory of those officers and the non-commissioned officers and men of Mysore Imperial Service Troops, who gave their lives during the great war 1914-18.”

On one tablet are inscribed the names of the brave men, who died in the war. The other two contain the royal insignia of Wodeyar godly statues.

Arun Prasad, a researcher working on the historical monuments and the history of Bangalroe, told this website’s newspaper that the war memorial, which symbolises the city’s connection with the World War I, should be protected and preserved for the coming generations.

“This pillar stands as a strong proof, perhaps the only memorabilia in the city’s connection with the World War I,” he said.

“It is a stately pillar to be respected and saluted, it needs to be protected and maintained as well. It’s our request to the authorities concerned to give it a facelift.” he added.