Haryana Anil Vij Plans Tourist Bus Service for Ambala Shaheed Smarak Ahead of November 5 Inauguration
Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij has planned a special tourist bus service in Ambala to help visitors reach the Shaheed Smarak easily, ahead of the memorial’s inauguration on 5 November. The memorial, dedicated to the First War of Independence of 1857, has been built at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 800 crore along the National Highway in Ambala Cantonment. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the memorial on 5 November, and it will open to the public from 6 November.
Vij, who holds the Energy, Transport and Labour portfolios, reviewed the preparations for the inauguration programme at Gandhi Ground in Ambala on Monday, along with Deputy Commissioner Sachin Gupta and other district officers. Speaking about the plan, he said the tourist bus service would run on the lines of the service in Chandigarh. The bus would first take tourists to the Martyrs’ Memorial, followed by the Science Centre, Bank Square and Subhash Park, and finally to Sadar Bazaar for shopping, giving visitors a full tour of the city’s attractions in one trip.
The minister said Ambala Cantonment is now set to emerge as a tourism hub, because cities progress when visitors from outside come to see them. He said the memorial would also boost the income of local businesses, as tourists visiting the site would spend time and money in the city’s markets and eateries. Vij has been raising the demand for a martyrs’ memorial in Ambala for nearly three decades, and he described the completed complex as among the largest such memorials in Asia, built to honour both well-known freedom fighters and the unsung martyrs whose contributions have received less recognition.
The memorial complex is designed to present the story of the 1857 uprising through modern technology, exhibitions and interactive displays. Its attractions include a 68-metre-high lotus-shaped tower equipped with two high-speed lifts and a museum inside, galleries dedicated to the martyrs, and an open-air theatre with seating for around 2,500 people. Visitors may need around six hours to explore the complex, with guides available to explain the exhibits, and a helipad has also been constructed at the site. The displays cover battles and events of the uprising in Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and other parts of the country.
The state government has also instructed schools and educational institutions across Haryana to organise visits to the memorial, so that students can learn about Ambala’s role in the freedom struggle and about the events of 1857. After the inauguration, Shah will address a public meeting at Gandhi Ground in Ambala Cantonment. With the memorial opening to the public on 6 November and the planned tourist bus service connecting it to the city’s other attractions, Ambala is preparing to welcome visitors from across Haryana and the rest of the country in the coming days.
