During late Sheila Dikshit’s tenure as Delhi Chief Minister (1998-2013), the Delhi Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. floated an Invited Design Competition for the development of highways and transportation infrastructure within the National Capital Region. Architect Gurpreet Singh’s firm, Aakar Design Consultants, based in Gurgaon, bagged the project. For Singh, who has helmed King’s Educational Academy in Bhutan and designed tanneries in Russia, this was an unexpected opportunity to tap into his roots. “Sheila Dikshit’s idea,” he says, “was to celebrate entry points into Delhi because she was of the opinion that when you cross over from Haryana or Uttar Pradesh, you don’t realise that you are in the capital. So, we came up with the concept of designing it as a tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, whose significance is intrinsically linked to the history of Delhi.” The two historic Gurudwaras of Delhi, Sis Ganj where Guru Tegh Bahadur and his disciples were beheaded, and Rakab Ganj, his final resting place, are important places of pilgrimage.” Singh’s structure became a modern interpretation of the sacrifice—the sweeping arches symbolic of the gallows,  the 24-metre high central pylon in stainless steel, lit with LED lights, created to resemble the Nishan Sahib, a Sikh triangular flag made of cotton or silk.  His three disciples were represented by the three stainless steel arches 18 metres in diameter, placed surrounding the central pylon, as one enters the memorial. 

Architect Surinder Bahga