‘Sadaiv Atal’, a memorial of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was dedicated to the nation on Tuesday, 25 December, Vajpayee’s 94th birth anniversary.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the dignitaries who paid floral tributes to the former statesman at the memorial built near the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, where his mortal remains were consigned to flames on 17 August.
Vajpayee passed away on 16 August after a prolonged illness. He was cremated with full state honours.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and family members of Vajpayee also offered flowers at the lotus-shaped memorial.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi had taken to Twitter to remember the former prime minister.
An official told news agency PTI that a vacant piece of land was made available for the memorial at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.
It was constructed by the Centre Public Works Department (CPWD) at a cost of Rs 10.51 crore. The project was funded by the Atal Smriti Nyas Society, he said.
“Atalji’s thoughts and vision are a source of inspiration to the people of the country. To enable people to pay their respects to the great soul, an initiative to develop his samadhi was taken up by society.”Official
He said the memorial reflects the former prime minister's personality as a poet, humanist, statesman and a great leader.
It is enclosed by nine bas-relief walls which have inscriptions of Vajpayee’s poetry, he added.
Malhotra said not a single tree was cut down in developing 'Sadaiv Atal' at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, which also houses samadhis (memorials) of former presidents, prime ministers among others.
The founding members of the society include Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Bihar Governor Lalji Tandon, Gujarat Governor O P Kohli, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, BJP leaders Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Ram Lal among others.
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