Aman Mehta at 02:22, 20 March 2026

2026-03-20T02:22:03Z

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{{further| Lascar}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Lascar War Memorial
| native_name =
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| image = Lascar War memorial.jpg
| image_alt =
| caption = Lascar War Memorial, Kolkata
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| altitude =
| building_type = [[Monument]]
| architectural_style = Indo – Mughal Style
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| owner = [[Indian Navy]]
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| location = Hastings, Kolkata
| address = Napier Road
| location_town = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]]
| location_country = [[India]]
| coordinates = {{coord|22.55|88.33|display=inline,title}}
| groundbreaking_date =
| construction_start_date = 1920
| completion_date = 6 February 1924
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| inauguration_date =
| renovation_date = 2011–present
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| height = {{convert|100|ft|m}} (approximately)
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| main_contractor =
| architect = William Ingram Keir
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The '''Lascar War Memorial''', located on Napier Road in the [[Hastings, Kolkata|Hastings]] area of [[Kolkata]], is a [[memorial]] dedicated to the memory of the 896 [[lascar]]s (sailors from the [[Indian subcontinent]]) who died serving on ships of the [[Royal Navy]] and [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|British Merchant Service]] during [[World War I]].<ref name = "das">{{cite news|last=Das|first=Soumitra|title=Tears of Subaltern|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090712/jsp/calcutta/story_11220903.jsp|accessdate=11 March 2013|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=Kolkata|date=12 July 2009|archive-date=22 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122162055/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090712/jsp/calcutta/story_11220903.jsp|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name = "Niyogi">{{cite news|last=Niyogi|first=Subhro|title=Forgotten War Memorial gets its place in history|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Forgotten-war-memorial-gets-its-place-in-history/articleshow/17082206.cms|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411034629/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-04/kolkata/34907878_1_kolkata-monument-seamen|url-status=live|archive-date=11 April 2013|access-date=11 March 2013|location=Kolkata|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=4 November 2012}}</ref><ref name = "basu">{{cite news|last=Basu|first=Soma|title=Oceans Apart|url=http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=390645&catid=44|accessdate=12 March 2013|newspaper=The Statesman|date=20 November 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130413205801/http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=390645&catid=44|archive-date=13 April 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Lascar==
{{main|Lascar}}

{{cquote|He had thought that the Lascars were a tribe or nation, like the [[Cherokee]] or [[Sioux]]: he discovered now that they came from places that were far apart, and had nothing in common, except the Indian Ocean; among them were Chinese and East Africans, Arabs and Malays, Bengalis and Goans, Tamils and Arakanese.|x|x|[[Sea of Poppies]] by [[Amitav Ghosh]]}}
A '''lascar''' (Lashkar, Laskar) ({{langx|fa|لشکر}}) and ([[Bengali language|Bengali:লস্কর]]) was a [[sailor]] or [[militiaman]] from the [[Indian subcontinent]] or other countries east of the [[Cape of Good Hope]], employed on [[Europe]]an ships from the 16th century until the beginning of the 20th century. The word comes from the [[Persian language|Persian]] ''Lashkar'', meaning military camp or army, and ''[[askar (disambiguation)|al-askar]]'', the Arabic word for a guard or soldier. The [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] adapted this term to ''lascarim'', meaning an [[Asian people|Asian]] militiaman or seaman, especially those from the Indian Subcontinent. Lascars served on [[Great Britain|British]] ships under 'lascar' agreements which gave shipowners more control than the usual agreement. The sailors could be transferred from one ship to another and retained in service for up to three years at one time. The name ''lascar'' was also used to refer to Indian servants, typically engaged by British military officers.<ref>{{citation|title=The evolution of the Artillery in India| first= Romesh C |last=Butalia|year=1999|publisher=Allied Publishers |isbn=81-7023-872-2|page =239}}</ref>

==History and architecture==
[[File:Inside Laskar.jpg|thumb|Inside the Lascar War Memorial]]
[[File:Plaques.jpg|thumb|left|Inside the Lascar War Memorial]]

[[File:Lascar War Memorial.jpg|thumb|Lascar War Memorial]]
The Lascar War Memorial was erected by shipping and mercantile companies, in the memory of the 896 Lascars of undivided [[Bengal]] and [[Assam]] who lost their lives during World War I.<ref>{{cite web|title=Death in Kolkata|url=http://gypsyscholar.com/30431dailydeatht.html|work=John Barry|accessdate=14 March 2013|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043946/http://gypsyscholar.com/30431dailydeatht.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The monument is situated at the southern end of the [[Maidan (Kolkata)|Maidan]], on Naiper Road, Hastings, near [[Prinsep Ghat]]. The 100 feet high monument was unveiled by [[Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton|Lord Lytton]], then [[Governor of Bengal]] on 6 February 1924. The monument, built in typical [[Oriental architecture|Oriental style]], is a four-sided column, having designs reflecting the [[prow]] of an ancient [[galley]] on each side of the column. The upper part of the monument consists of four small [[minaret]]s and a large gilt dome. A typical Indian look has been given by adding wavy lines beneath the projected balcony, which symbolises waves, along with ''[[chhajja]]s'' and [[Trellis (architecture)|trellises]].<ref name = "basu"/> The Lascar War Memorial has similarities with the victory tower of Chittor.<ref name = "das"/>
The memorial built in the [[Indo-Islamic architecture|Indo-Mughal style]] by William Ingram Keir, who also designed the Kidderpore Bridge, buildings at [[Bengal Engineering and Science University]] in [[Shibpur]], the [[Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur]], and [[Maulana Azad College|Islamia College]], and also replaced the 1934 earthquake affected spire of [[St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata]] with a tower. William Ingram Keir won a prize of Rupees 500 for designing the memorial.<ref name = "Niyogi"/>
The inside of the Memorial is approached through a huge doorway on the Northern wall. The interior contains three plaques below the inscription "Lascar Memorial." One plaque commemorates the unveiling of the memorial by Lytton. The second plaques says that the memorial was erected by shipping and mercantile community of India in memory of the 896 seamen of Bengal Assam and upper India (the term Lascar is not used) who lost their lives in service of the British Empire in the great war of 1914 – 18. The third smaller plaques tells about the renovation and lighting of the Lascar War Memorial.

==Renovation==
[[File:Renovation plaque.jpg|thumb|left|Renovation plaque Lascar War Memorial]]
In 1994, commodore B K Mohanti spotted the ruined and neglected Lascar War Memorial overgrown with vegetation during his morning walk. Recognising the importance of the monument,<ref name = "Niyogi"/> Mohanty arranged for funds for the renovation of the memorial. The renovation and lightning was completed in December 1994. A.L. Dias, then [[Governor of West Bengal]], switched on the illumination on 7 December 1994<ref name = "das"/> on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of INS Netaji Subhas.

==Events==
Lascar War memorial is the venue for several events:

===National Navy Day India===
National Navy Day of India is celebrated every year at the Lascar War Memorial every year on 4 December. On 4 December 2012, James Keir, son of William Ingram Keir, the architect of the Lascar War Memorial visited the memorial. Commodore B K Mohanti, who took the initiative to restore the memorial, was also present. The event was an initiative by [[Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage]] (INTACH), Kolkata Chapter, to popularise lesser known monuments in Kolkata.<ref name = "Niyogi"/>

===Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival===
[[File:Apeejay.jpg|thumb|Apeejay Kolkata Literary Fest]]
On 13 Jan. 2013 the Lascar War Memorial was the venue of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival. Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2013 on its closing day hosted an afternoon literary session at the compound of the Lascar War Memorial. The event consisted of several book reading sections, a debate on the topic "Is Kolkata still the cultural capital of India" and a music band session. Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival also featured the live performance of traditional baul singers and poto chitra artists.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kolkata Lit Fest|url=http://www.kolkatalitfest.in/images/K-for-Kulture.pdf|accessdate=11 March 2013|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202535/http://www.kolkatalitfest.in/images/K-for-Kulture.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Photo gallery==
<gallery class="center">
File:Balcony of Lascar.jpg|Balcony of the Lascar War Memorial
File:Outside Plaque.jpg|Plaque at the entrance of the Lascar War Memorial compound
File:Apeejay1.jpg|Book reading session, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Tourist attractions in Kolkata}}

[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Monumental columns in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1924]]
[[Category:1924 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:British colonial architecture in India]]
[[Category:Indian military memorials and cemeteries]]
[[Category:British military memorials and cemeteries]]
[[Category:20th-century architecture in India]]
[[Category:Military history of Kolkata]]

Lascar War Memorial - Revision history

Aman Mehta at 02:22, 20 March 2026