Telegraph Memorial (near British Magazine)

The Mutiny Memorial, now known as Ajitgarh, is a memorial situated in front of Old Telegraph Building, Kashmiri Gate, New Delhi. It was built in memory of all those who had fought in the Delhi Field Force, British and Indian, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.nnErected by the Public Works Department at government expense in 1863 the memorial was hastily designed and constructed. It received much public criticism on completion. In 1972, the 25th anniversary of India's Independence, the Indian Government renamed the monument 'Ajitgarh' ('Place of the Unvanquished') and erected a plaque stating that the 'enemy' mentioned on the memorials were 'immortal martyrs for Indian freedom'.nnThe memorial was built in the Gothic style in red sandstone, with four tiers rising from an octagonal base. The lowest tier consists of seven faces containing memorial plaques and one face holding the stairs to the upper tiers.nnThe memorial was built to be just taller than the Ashoka Pillar, which is situated 200 metres (660 ft) away.nnMutiny Memorial, situated in front of Old Telegraph Building, Kashmiri Gate, was erected by the Public Works Department at government expense in 1863, in memory of all those who had fought in the Delhi Field Force, British and Indian, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. In 1972, the 25th anniversary of India's Independence, the Indian Government renamed the monument Ajitgarh (Place of the Unvanquished) and erected a plaque stating that the 'enemy' mentioned on the memorials were 'immortal martyrs for Indian freedom.' The memorial was built in red sandstone in the Gothic style, with four tiers rising from an octagonal base. The lowest tier consists of seven faces containing memorial plaques and one face holding the stairs to the upper tiers.nnThe Telegraph Memorial commemorates the role this new technology played during the mutiny of 1857. The mutiny happened suddenly and there were not enough company loyalists remaining to protect the city of Delhi. Many of the soldiers also changed sides and joined the mutineers so the resistance broke quickly, and a lot of Europeans were massacred in this process. Whoever survived this onslaught had to beat a hasty retreat to safer places not yet touched by the mutiny.nnIn order to control the situation and retaliate, quick action was needed. But the only hope was to spread the news quickly and alert other settlements, and the telegraph was the most efficient means back then. But even the telegraph post was under attack and was not going to last long. However, before abandoning it, some of the British soldiers managed to send a telegram to Ambala with the pertinent details. This message was later relayed to Lahore and other stations as well.nnThe retaliation began soon afterwards, as the Company forces came from different directions to retake Delhi. It was still going to be a long war but eventually, the mutiny was crushed. A few years later, the British government decided to erect a memorial, not only as a celebration of the role this technology had played but also as a political tool to remind people of its triumph.nnSo this chiselled obelisk-like structure stands now in the midst of the road. It’s not very tall and often gets obscured by the trees and thick grass around it. The inscription on it celebrates the service of the telegraph department, however, there are doubts about the authenticity of the accounts provided. It’s speculated that some of the events might have been exaggerated by the British later on, to create a halo around the Empire. Other memorials and inscriptions scattered around the Kashmiri Gate area also probably served the same purpose.

Built in 1902, this granite 22 foot obelisk to commemorate the Delhi Telegraph Office, where officers Todd, Brendish & Pilkinton learnt of the mutiny of 1857 starting in Meerut, sent the last telegram to Ambala Cantonement, alerting British military authorities.nNo upkeep whatsoever of this monument, the patch of land next to the is filled with rubbish & debris of all sorts.nTook these photos early morning, can't expect anyone to access this monument during the day as it's located on a busy traffic island.

Historical place, those who love history information it's perfect place

Fantastic piece of history, easily missed because of it's location.

Located near the British Magazine on Netaji Subhash Marg in front of General Post Office, Delhi, Telegraph Memorial is a a 22 foot obelisk made of grey granite that was erected to commemorate the Delhi Telegraph Office stands at the apex of a long triangle formed by two merging roads. The actual wooden telegraph office stood near the old Flagstaff tower, however, the obelisk was erected near the Kashmere gate. This memorial was buit in 1902. The Telegraph Office was an important communication point, with a single telegraph line extending through Delhi to Ambala and Peshawar, with branches to Agra and Meerut. On 10 May 1857, Officer Charles Todd and his two subordinates, Brendish and Pilkington, were communicating in the telegraph office with their counterparts in Meerut about the uprising. From this Telegrapgh Office, British soldiers could manage to send the last telegram to Ambala cantt. This alerted the British command and thereby virtually saved British rule in India. The incident during the 1857 mutiny is recorded in an inscription of the memorial.