[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Memorial to the late former President APJ Abdul Kalam was today inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home town of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. PM Modi inaugurated the memorial on Kalam’s second death anniversary in presence of Tamil Nadu chief minister and governor.
The dedication comes after initial delays and media reports saying that the place where the memorial of the former President was proposed to be built was lying neglected.
“It’s a happy moment for us. Although there was a delay in starting the project, DRDO completed this in record 9 months. Soon, there would be even a planetarium for kids,” said Sheikh Salim, Dr Kalam’s grand-nephew.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRURyLiUyMEthbGFtJTIwaW5zcGlyZWQlMjB0aGUlMjB5b3V0aCUyMG9mJTIwSW5kaWEuJTIwSSUyMGNhbiUyMHNlZSUyMHRoYXQlMjB0b2RheSUyNiUyMzM5JTNCcyUyMHlvdXRoJTIwd2FudHMlMjB0byUyMHNjYWxlJTIwaGVpZ2h0cyUyMG9mJTIwcHJvZ3Jlc3MlMjBhbmQlMjBiZWNvbWUlMjBqb2IlMjBjcmVhdG9ycyUzQSUyMFBNJTNDJTJGcCUzRSUyNm1kYXNoJTNCJTIwUE1PJTIwSW5kaWElMjAlMjglNDBQTU9JbmRpYSUyOSUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRlBNT0luZGlhJTJGc3RhdHVzJTJGODkwNDgxMzI0NjQ5MTM2MTI4JTIyJTNFSnVseSUyMDI3JTJDJTIwMjAxNyUzQyUyRmElM0UlM0MlMkZibG9ja3F1b3RlJTNFJTBBJTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwYXN5bmMlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjIlMkYlMkZwbGF0Zm9ybS50d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRndpZGdldHMuanMlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEElMEElM0NibG9ja3F1b3RlJTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJ0d2l0dGVyLXR3ZWV0JTIyJTIwZGF0YS1jYXJkcyUzRCUyMmhpZGRlbiUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRVRoZSUyMG1lbW9yaWFsJTIwZm9yJTIwRHIuJTIwS2FsYW0lMjBzaG93Y2FzZXMlMjBoaXMlMjBsaWZlJTIwYW5kJTIwdGltZXMlMjBpbiUyMGElMjByZW1hcmthYmxlJTIwbWFubmVyJTNBJTIwUE0lMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGdHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZuYXJlbmRyYW1vZGklMjIlM0UlNDBuYXJlbmRyYW1vZGklM0MlMkZhJTNFJTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnQuY28lMkZZYzF5WGNsMlQxJTIyJTNFcGljLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGWWMxeVhjbDJUMSUzQyUyRmElM0UlM0MlMkZwJTNFJTI2bWRhc2glM0IlMjBQTU8lMjBJbmRpYSUyMCUyOCU0MFBNT0luZGlhJTI5JTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGUE1PSW5kaWElMkZzdGF0dXMlMkY4OTA0NzY5NDc4ODQ1NjQ0ODAlMjIlM0VKdWx5JTIwMjclMkMlMjAyMDE3JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRmJsb2NrcXVvdGUlM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlMjBhc3luYyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMiUyRiUyRnBsYXRmb3JtLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGd2lkZ2V0cy5qcyUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRSUwQQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Narendra Modi had earlier announced on October 15, that a memorial would be built for the late former President and had requested the Tamil Nadu government to allocate the land for the purpose.
The work on the construction of a memorial was administered by a team of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials who visited the site at Peikarumbu last year. The entire Memorial is said to have cost about Rs 120 crores, featuring Mughal and Indian architecture. The structure is built on a 2.11-acre land, stylised and inspired by the outlines of India’s famous forts.
The interiors of the memorial boast the works of Dr Kalam, including the Pokhran nuclear test. “It is a symbol of national integration,” said PK Gupta, Director of the construction firm that built the memorial.
“Rameshwaram has a vital place in our history and it is also known as a place so closely associated with Dr Kalam,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi also flagged off a new express train from Rameshwaram to Ayodhya.
The second phase of the memorial will consist of knowledge centre – a library, a planetarium and auditorium and is expected to be complete in a year.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]