ANZAC Jawan CenotaphPrint Page 
It also remembers and recognises the Indian soldiers who have participated alongside the Australian soldiers in various military campaigns and peace missions.
Funding of $22513 was received in October 2018 through the Armistice Centenary Grants Program for the construction of the cenotaph.
Jawan. It is a word that means youth. It also means soldier – conjuring up an image of an upright, strong, silent fighter in the army. In recent days, the term has been used in Sydney’s Indian community in both its connotations, in remembrance of those brave youths who served their adopted home in World War 1 as part of the Australian Imperial Army. On the eve of the centenary of the Armistice, a memorial was dedicated to these Indian-origin soldiers, the first of its kind in Sydney.
On a sunny spring morning, over 200 people from the Indian-Australian community, the local RSL and Hornsby community gathered in suburban Cherrybrook to mark this special occasion. A simple but solemn ceremony with many Indian ex-servicemen resplendent in their uniforms and shining medals pinned proudly on their chest, it brought home the point of the sacrifices these men and women make to give both their countries, Australia and India, the privilege of being free.
The initiative taken by the Hindu Council of Australia led by its President Prakash Mehta in creating this landmark in NSW needs to be commended. It gives the Indian-Australian community a special place to gather to celebrate peace, be it India’s Independence Day, ANZAC Day or even Armistice Day when the guns fell silent at the end of World War 1 which left up to 13 million dead.
Speaking at the remembrance service and the unveiling of the cenotaph, the Federal Member for Berowra Julian Leeser summed up the importance of this milestone when he said that the ANZAC Jawan memorial will remind all Australians that the Indian community is not a new community but has been here a long time, and has made contributions to Australia in war and peace. He added, “It will be a reminder that Australia and India have marched together in the past to defend freedom in times of war and we will march together in the future to defend our freedoms.”
On the cenotaph itself, the Ashok chakra is prominent in its nod to an Indian heritage. Above it, the logo of the Australian Army, reminding us in this instance, of the ‘surya’ or the rising sun. The reference to both janmabhoomi (birth place) and karmabhoomi (adopted country), could not be clearer.
Rajeev Maini, the architect of the cenotaph and consulting engineer Vijay Badhwar, both had a unique concept for the design. Maini explained the cenotaph in detail, “The stone plinth represents the high esteem we have for our brave soldiers. The vertical stone represents our soldiers standing tall and firm in defending the nation. And the missing piece represents the lives cut short, the extreme sacrifice given by the soldiers. The floral decoration at the bottom of the tall stone is our offering of gratitude to the soldiers. A total of 12 flowers carved around the base represent the 12 brave souls. This number is also represented by the 12 plants planted around the memorial. Granite was chosen as a material for the memorial to represent their inner strength, commitment and valour, and Indian granite was chosen to represent a connection with their place of origin.”
IndianLinkNews, 21 November 2018.
Location
| Address: | Shepherds Lane, Greenway Park opposite Cherrybrook Aquatic Centre, Cherrybrook, 2126 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.720881 Long: 151.041051 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | Multiple |
| Designer: | ​Rajeev Maini(architect),Vijay Badhwar (consulting engineer) |
| Link: | http://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw… |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 10th November, 2018 |
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Plaque:
Armistice Centenary 2018
The 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1 (1914–1918)
This plaque commemorates the service and sacrifice made by Australian soldiers and military personnel of Indian heritage who served in the Australian Imperial Force in World War 1. It honours their contribution to the Allied success in war and the nation's progress in peace.
In Honour Of
Davy Singh Ganessa Singh Hazara Singh Juwan Singh Nain Singh Sailani Sarn Singh Desanda Singh Gurbachan Singh Johar Singh Linna Singh Nundag Singh Sirdar Singh
It also remembers and recognises up to 15,000 Indian soldiers who fought with Allied troops at Gallipoli where almost 1,400 Indian soldiers died and up to 3,500 were wounded. It also remembers and recognises the Indian soldiers who have participated alongside the Australian soldiers in various military campaigns and peace missions. It is an enduring sign of the strong alliance between both countries with the common bond of friendship and democracy.
Unveiled by
Mr. Julian Leeser MP
Federal Member for Berowra
This memorial is a result of joint efforts and support of
The Department of Veteran Affairs, Hornsby Shire Council, Hornsby RSL sub-Branch, Hindu Council of Australia and the local Indian community.
This cenotaph received major grant funding from the Australian Government.
Lest We Forget
11 November 2018 (sic)
