Chattri visit

The Chattri Memorial stands on the Sussex South Downs near Brighton, marking the exact cremation site of 53 Hindu and Sikh Indian soldiers who died in local hospitals during World War I. It is a crucial historical monument honouring the vital contributions and immense sacrifices of undivided India.

The word Chattri means "umbrella" in Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu - describing the dome-shaped pavilion design that symbolizes protection over the dead. It was built directly on the spot where the soldiers' funeral pyres burned.

During WWI, over 1.5 million Indian soldiers served across the globe. Those wounded on the Western Front were brought to Brighton where buildings like the Royal Pavilion were converted into military hospitals. The Chattri was established because the British made deliberate provisions to ensure these men received traditional Hindu and Sikh cremation rites, rather than burial.

Today, the monument acts as an important symbol of multicultural remembrance where Hounslow Gurdwara has paid respect to our ancestors by performing Ardas every year at 2:30pm on the 2nd Sunday of June when vehicles are allowed to drive and park near the memorial; otherwise it is a 2mile walk over the farmland.

The Chattri Memorial, Standean Lane, Brighton, BN1 8ZB.