Victory War Memorial in Madras

It was a promenade extended southwards from St. George Fort in Madras. And the pathway had a dead end at a roundabout. Nearby, the river Cooum met the Bay of Bengal. The poetic romance between the river and the ocean perhaps influenced the English officers to romance their sweethearts. It was not a secret, as everyone in the 1800s called this site "Cupid's Bow". Now, we have Victory War Memorial located here.

To commemorate the victory of the Allied Armies during World War I, the Victory War Memorial was constructed in Cupid's Bow. Earlier, the site housed a coastal belfry. The memorial was erected in October 1933, and after four years, on 27th February 1937, the Corporation of Madras took control of the same. 

The monument has a central memorial tower surrounded by four small pillars. The tower and the flag mast measuring 30.5 meters in height, proudly holding our National Flag is visible over a long distance. The vast site is surrounded by a circular wall. 

After the Second World War, the memorial tower became a common memorial for the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in both wars. The details of both wars are inscribed in four different languages, namely English, Tamil, Telugu and Arabic, on four sides of the main tower.

The four pillars surrounding the central tower were added later to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the 1948 Kashmir Aggression, the 1962 War with China, and the Indo-Pakistan Wars of 1966 and 1971. 

The interior canopies of the outer circular boundary wall have the names of various battlegrounds of both the World Wars, such as Gaza, Palestine, Sudan, Kilimanjaro, Mesopotamia, Persia, Arras, etc.

There is a platform where along with our National Flag, the flags of three armed forces of India are flying high with pride.

Although the pillars and the National Flag are visible outside, the public is not allowed beyond the circular-shaped entrance. When the golden jubilee of Vijay Diwas was celebrated in 2021, the memorial was kept open to the public for one week. It remained a rare and exciting opportunity for the Madras citizens to directly pay homage to our heroes. 

Happy travelling.