Chattri

The United Kingdom entered the First World War in August 1914 and began deploying troops to France and Belgium. At the time, India was part of the British Empire and the Indian Army was under British command. The British government quickly decided to deploy Indian soldiers to the Western Front, despite the fact that the Indian Army was generally only used in South Asia and had never previously fought in a European conflict. The deployment was intended to alleviate manpower shortages and simultaneously curb rising Indian nationalism by instilling imperial pride. The first Indian troops were dispatched in late August 1914, and arrived in France in October. Soldiers wounded on the battlefield…

The Chattri was built at the exact location where the funeral pyres were constructed for the cremation of the 53 soldiers. It is in an isolated position on the South Downs north of Brighton, 500 ft above sea level and offering views of the town, the surrounding area, and the sea. It is roughly a mile and a quarter north-northeast (two kilometres) of All Saints Church, Patcham. The only access to the memorial is from a path off a bridleway from the A27 Brighton Bypass at Patcham. The Chattri is roughly the shape of an umbrella. It is a domed pavilion rising to 30 ft to the finial at its apex. The dome is supported by eight columns, which start with square bases before becoming octagonal…