National Military Memorial - Underrated Hidden Gem of Bengaluru

Located adjacent to Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park in Bangalore, is the National Military Memorial)NMM) which is a tribute to honor the brave martyrs of the Armed Forces who have sacrificed their lives in their service to our nation. 

We took a metro and got down at Cubbon Park metro station. From here we walked towards the memorial since google maps was showing 12 minutes by walk. While you walk towards the memorial, on Raj Bhavan road you will notice these interesting murals. 

It was a lovely walk on a Sunday morning along this stretch. And finally we reached National Military memorial. 

Entry Fee : There is no ticket counter here. You will need to pay an entry fee of Rs.10 per person to the Security guard.

Timings : 9 am to 6:30 pm

 

There is no defined trail here neither anybody to guide you around the Memorial. After entering through the gate, we saw the statue of a Soldier with a plaque thanking the brave soldiers for their remarkable sacrifice in the two world wars. So this was our starting point of this walk.

From here, one cannot miss the tall fluttering Indian flag. So we headed towards that area. Again there is no defined path. Unfortunately you need to walk on the green lawn to reach this area. One interesting fact - this museum is home to one of the tallest flags in India which is 213 feet long.

Next to the flag post, is the wall of remembrance with tall vertical granite columns on display having the names of brave martyrs of various regiments etched on these. Patriotic ardor builds in when you see the names of people who have sacrificed their lives in various wars.

There is also a poem written by a martyred soldier’s child which is heartbreaking.

After clicking pictures, we saw some Agni missiles and tankers on display on other side of the park. And we could see a walking path. As we were walking we noticed this Commemoration and foundation stone.

We next saw a hall with some Navy ship models but unfortunately it was locked.

Next in series we saw some models donated by DRDO and ISRO like Missiles, rockets etc. But no signboards about these to educate people. 

 

We also saw a hall below the wall of remembrance with some displays but unfortunately it was closed. Really not sure what was the purpose of building this hall.

 

On the outskirts you will see a MIG plane on display and a helicopter.

 

There are some tankers also on display. But no information about these. 

We were disheartened to see a great thought started with good intentions of inculcating patriotism amongst the citizens but not being maintained well for tourist value. Moreover these exhibits were not covered also to protect from rain or any climatic hazard. They might rust and wear out soon.  Also in order to educate people, there should be signboards about each of these exhibits just like in HAL museum (blog link). This will draw in curious visitors who will spread the word after their visit. 

We then took a stroll along this park and felt so peaceful in this vast green lung space. 

Also it’s a completely green place with lights working on Solar.

Security guard told us that this park has more visitors only in the evening to witness the musical fountain.

Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium is located right opposite to this memorial. Despite being located in the middle of 2 prominent landmarks of the city, its sad to see that this memorial fails to attract visitors.  I hope authorities will understand the urge for an urgent maintenance and restructuring of the memorial so that it stands out as another famous must-visit landmark in Bengaluru.   

 

So next time if you are planning to visit either the planetarium or the Indira Gandhi Musical fountain park, please come down to this memorial and pay your respects to these brave souls too. Jai Hind!