Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s memorial at Pei Karumbu, Rameswaram,today. The Prime Minister also hoisted the National flag at the memorial which has been designed and built by DRDO.
Later, the PM also flagged off ‘Kalam Sandesh Vahini’, an exhibition bus which would travel across various States of the country and reach Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 15th which marks the birth anniversary of the former President.
Photo caption: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurating Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam memorial, at Pei Karumbu, Rameswaram, in Tamil Nadu on July 27, 2017. The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri C. Vidyasagar Rao, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry (Independent Charge), Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri P. Radhakrishnan and other dignitaries are also seen.
Photo caption: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagging off ‘Kalam Sandesh Vahini’, an exhibition bus, at Pei Karumbu, Rameswaram, in Tamil Nadu on July 27, 2017. The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri C. Vidyasagar Rao, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami and other dignitaries are also seen.
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Background of the Kalam Memorial
The memorial has been constructed by DRDO in exactly one year. Architecturally, it has taken inspiration from several national landmarks. The front entrance looks similar to India Gate, while the two domes are on the lines of Rahstrapati Bhavan.
The Memorial has four main halls each depicting the life and times of Dr Kalam. Hall-1 focuses on his childhood and educational phase, Hall-2 the Presidential days, including address to Parliament and UN Council, Hall-3 his ISRO and DRDO days and Hall-4 his post-Presidential days, till he breathed his last at Shillong.
There is a separate section to exhibit some of the personal belongings of Dr Kalam, including his famous Rudra Veena, G-suit he wore during his Su-30 MKI flight and numerous awards he received. Twelve walls have been utilized for murals and paintings.
The entire area has been landscaped beautifully to reflect the peace and harmony aspect of Dr Kalam’s personality.
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The construction material and other accessories for the Memorial have been shipped to Rameswaram from many parts of India. The crafted front doors are from Thanjavur; stone claddings from Jaisalmer and Agra; stone pillars from Bengaluru; marbles from Karnataka and murals from Hyderabad, Shanti Niketan, Kolkata and Chennai to name a few.