In the heart of the Indian capital sits India’s first National War Memorial to commemorate and rekindle the collective memory of those who fought and sacrificed their lives in wars and conflicts since the Indian Independence. Spread over 40 acres and constituting names of over 25,000 martyrs etched in stone, the Chakravyuh-inspired formation has been built in four concentric circles. Each chakra echoes different values of the armed forces – Immortality,Bravery, Sacrifice, and Protection – and constitutes a 15-metre-high obelisk along with the eternal flame at its centre. Granite and sandstone were the main elements used in its construction. Projected to drive high footfalls and tell the story of fallen soldiers for the generations to come, the National War Memorial needed to be backed by high performance materials with excellent durability. This is where MYK LATICRETE entered the scene with its expertise in tile and stone installations. The following products were selected and used in bringing the project to life:
• MYK LATICRETE StellarTM Grout, India’s first ready to use single component high performance grout was used for stone work in an exposed area spanning approximately four lakh sq. ft. Matching the material palette of the memorial with an excellent uniformity, the grout in Canyon red and Parchment colors were selected to lend a beautiful aesthetic. Given that it is UV Stable and temperature resistant to suit to the extremes of Delhi temperatures and easy to install and clean, the product reduced the need for hard labor and arduous maintenance while also aiding in completion of the Herculean task of building in a record time of eight months
• Across an area of about 25,000 sq. ft., the LATICRETE® 190 sealer was used to form an invisible layer of protection on the sand stone which is installed on walls. The easy-to-apply sealer is designed to shieldit from water absorption, staining, and reduce the effect of efflorescence without altering the look of the natural stone
• Seeing as the memorial is to usher in tons of visitors via the point of entry across a 150 sq.ft. area, stone along with the LATICRETE® 335 multipurpose thin-set adhesive were chosen to enhance its resiliency and accommodate heavy movement.With a non-sag property, unsurpassed strength and flexibility to handle structural movements, this product was well-suited for such a demanding application
MYK LATICRETE is immensely proud and grateful for being part of such an iconic landmark that seeks to ignite remembrance and pay homage to the martyrs. It aims to continue to be faithfully dedicated to designing innovative products that can support projects of such integrity.
