Vikrant Memorial to open soon

Located on traffic island, open-air memorial will provide glimpses of warship

The much-awaited Vikrant Memorial is finally ready and will be inaugurated by the Vikrant Memorial Forum (VKF) in a glittering ceremony on January 25.

The memorial, located on a traffic island on K. Dubhash Marg near the naval dockyard, is the result of the spirited efforts of a few retired navy men, who decided to revive parts of the iconic INS Vikrant, the country’s first aircraft carrier, in the form of a monument. They bought parts of the scrapped warship to create a memorial.

As part of the memorial, the remnants of the famous warship will be displayed as a monument, which will be installed at the traffic island. The open-air memorial, designed by sculptor Kaizan Khambatta, will provide glimpses of the warship to Mumbaikars.

“It will be an aesthetic monument, which gives a better idea of Vikrant being an aircraft carrier. Its parts have been maintained in pristine condition,” said Commodore Medioma Bhada (retd), who was instrumental in bringing Vikrant back to life. “We have made a concrete foundation at the island on which the monument will be installed in a couple of days. It will be illuminated at night for magnificent viewing. In addition to this, new railings and a lawn have also been put around the island.”

Originally built for the British Royal Navy as HMS Hercules in 1943, Vikrant was decommissioned after 35 years of service in 1997. The ship was preserved as a museum off Cuffe Parade between 1997 and 2012 until it was closed owing to safety concerns. The retired warship was sold through an online auction to a Mazagon Darukhana ship-breaker.

“I am a very happy and proud man today. The memorial has come into place due to the concerted efforts of BMC and support of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd and the Western Naval Command,” said Mr Bhada. “It was my love and affection for Vikrant, which made me venture into this. I have a sentimental attachment with this warship, as I had sailed and flew from it during the 1971 war,” he added.

We are planning to invite Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, the flag officer commanding-in-chief, Western Naval Command and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray for the unveiling of memorial, he said.