Lucknow, Nov. 17 -- Praising the role of countless heroes and women in India's freedom struggle as unforgettable, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said Lucknow holds a special place in this context and Uttar Pradesh was the epicentre of the First War of Independence in 1857.

Adityanath and defence minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the statue of Veerangna Uda Devi Pasi at Vrindavan Colony in the state capital on her martyrdom day.

Addressing the gathering, Adityanath said: "The revolt was sparked by Mangal Pandey in Barrackpore, carried forward by Dhan Singh Kotwal in Meerut, and led heroically in Jhansi by Maharani Lakshmibai. In Bithoor, Tatya Tope gave the uprising further strength."

He also recalled Begum Hazrat Mahal, describ...