Veer Soudha Udyan – Belgaum’s Very Own Gandhi Memorial
2nd October marks a national day for us Indians. The day when we commemorate the birth anniversary of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhiji. Veer Soudha was raised in the remembrance of Gandhiji and the historic 39th National Congress Session which was held in 1924 at Belgaum — a town with 30,000 population back in the days. This was the only session where Mahatma Gandhiji participated as the session’s President. The place today is a historic landmark at Belgaum. Around 70,000 people had attended the session from all over India including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Subhash Chandra Bose along with other renowned leaders and freedom fighters. As a fellow citizen and a Belgaumite, I took some time off to revisit Veer Soudha and reflect upon the life and times of the historic place. Here is a brief insight into Belgaum’s Veer Soudha.
The venue was named Vijayanagar. It was named after Hampi’s famous Vijayanagara Empire of the 14th century with Gopuram styled entrance (Gopuram, in South Indian architecture, means the entrance to a Hindu Temple). A well was constructed to ensure the water supply during the session and it was named Pampa Sarovar. The well continued to supply water even after the session ended. The Madras Southern Maratha (MSM) railway had arranged a temporary railway station called Flag Station close to the venue, for the convenience of delegates. Trains could halt at the temporary station which was between the 1st and 2nd railway gate to ensure proximity to the session’s venue.
Over the years the place had lost its charm. But in recent times, the government took the initiative to revive the place by turning it into a garden and a photo gallery as a memorial for Gandhiji and the historic event. On 29th April 2002, Veer Soudha Udyan was inaugurated by former Chief Minister of Karnataka S. M. Krishna.
The memorial has a photo gallery which showcases a walk-through of the 39th Congress Session and Gandhiji’s life during the freedom movement. Gandhiji’s statue against the west wall of the hall will not fail to attract one’s attention. The walls behind the statue inside the hall and one adjacent to the well outside, have carved murals of important people from the 1924 event. The architecture is simple but the amphitheatre-like look created by using colonnade and pergolas makes it look elegant and attractive. A torso-statue of Gandhiji is placed atop a hill-like natural landscape which also gives an overall view of the memorial-garden.
Today, the well is commonly known as Congress Well and is situated near First Railway Gate, Tilakwadi. Personally, I have witnessed the place transforming from it’s earlier not-so-good state to a new peaceful venue which beautifully embraces a part of Indian history. The venue is a must-go destination if you want a glimpse of the historic 39th National Congress Session headed by Gandhiji.
