Ambala, May 30 -- After nearly two decades of delays and political hurdles, the memorial dedicated to the 1857 First War of Independence is nearing completion along National Highway 44 in Ambala Cantonment. Sprawled across 22 acres and built at a cost of Rs.600 crore, the grand structure has been named "Azadi Ki Pehli Ladai Ka Shaheedi Samarak."

Ambala's role in 1857 uprising

Backed by the research of the late Professor KC Yadav, a prominent historian who unearthed key British documents, the Haryana government asserts that the 1857 revolt actually began in Ambala Cantonment-not Meerut as widely believed. According to Yadav's work, regiments stationed in Ambala initiated the rebellion on the morning of May 10, hours before the uprising i...