Guj to build memorial for freedom fighter Shyamji

Ahmedabad, Oct 5: 'Kranti Tirth,' a state-of-the art memorial will be built for freedom fighter 'kranti guru' Shyamji Krishna Verma (1857-1930) at his birthplace at Mandvi in Kutch.

This memorial would be dedicated to the nation in 2010 which is the golden jubilee year of the state's formation, Urban Development Minister I K Jadeja and Finance Minister Saurabhbhai Patel said yesterday.

In a release the duo said that on the occasion of Shyamji's anniversary yesterday Chief Minister Narendra Modi his Cabinet colleagues and others offered 'shraddhanjali' to an oil painted portrait of Shyamji at the podium of Vidhan Sabha in Gandhinagar.

It may be recalled that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had organised a 'Veeranjal yatra' to Geneva in 2003 bringing back Shyamji's ashes in 2003 to his native Mandvi.

The memorial to be built by the State government would be through the 'Shyamjikrishna Verma Memorial Society' and this society is being reconstituted, Mr Jadeja said.

Shyamji Krishna Verma, a well-known freedom fighter and a nationalist leader, had also attained remarkable proficiency in English and Sanskrit at an early age. He came in contact with Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj and learnt the Vedas and other scriptures under his tutelage. He also taught Sanskrit at Oxford University and assisted Monier Williams in producing his famous Sanskrit dictionary.

UNI