A museum dedicated to the “First Freedom Struggle of 1857” at Kurukshetra University (KU) is going to be opened soon for the Public.

Facts :

• Haryana has built a memorial to India's first War of Independence in 1857 to highlight the role of freedom fighters and particularly of the contribution of Ambala city in the country's freedom struggle.
• Funded by the central government, the foundation stone of the project was laid by the then chairperson of the UPA Sonia Gandhi on July 27, 2008, at the KU.
• The museum was conceptualised to mark the 150th anniversary of the revolt against the British rule in 1857. It is the first museum of Haryana dedicated to the theme.
• The war memorial would display events of the freedom struggle, from Ambala to Rangoon, and information about all known and unknown freedom fighters of Haryana would also be included.
• The stellar role played by leaders of that time like Bahadurshah Jafar, Jhansi ki Rani Laxmibai, Tantya Tope, Mangal Pandey and other freedom fighters would be highlighted for present and future generations to understand the importance of that struggle.
• The war memorial would have facilities like auditorium, library, tower museum, food court, reception, covered parking and a helipad.
• The university authorities said a sum of Rs 5 crore was granted to the KU for the museum. But the work was delayed for a long time.
• Though the building adjacent to the Department of Fine Arts was built earlier, the actual work of the museum was delayed.
• The museum was ready for public viewing and a mandatory nod from the KU was awaited before its opening.
• The museum had no artefacts or arms and ammunition. It has a special focus on Haryana’s contribution to the revolt of 1857 and later events till India’s freedom in 1947.
• It has been developed in the format of storytelling. A team of historians and artists have vetted books by eminent historians, officials records and media information to source information about various aspects of the period. The museum will also contain an audio-visual gallery to engage visitors.
• Haryana played an important role in the first freedom struggle. The Indian soldiers and their brave heroes like Rao Tula Ram and Nawab of Jhajjar fought bravely against injustice and tyranny of the Britishers in the battlefield of Nasibpur village near Narnaul during the 1857 War.