New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday attended a ceremony at the Teen Murti Memorial in New Delhi to mark the renaming of Teen Murti Chowk as Teen Murti Haifa Chowk.
The two leaders also laid a wreath and signed the visitor’s book at the memorial.
The idea of renaming the iconic landmark after Haifa was proposed in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) council during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel last year.
A large number of Indian soldiers of the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade died during the battle to free the city and nearly 900 were buried in Israel.
The Indian Brigade was a part of the Allied Forces sweeping northwards through Palestine and was seen as the last great cavalry campaign in history.
Captain Aman Singh Bahadur and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit and Captain Anop Singh and 2nd Lt. Sagat Singh were awarded the Military Cross in recognition of their bravery in this battle. Major Dalpat Singh Shekhawat was awarded a military cross for his bravery.
September 23 is celebrated as Haifa Day in India and Israel every year as a mark of respect for the soldiers who lost their lives in the battle and to mark the end of 400 years of Turkish control over the city.
Demands to rename Teen Murti road and chowk have been made over the past few years by various organizations.
The three bronze statues at Teen Murti represent the Hyderabad, Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers who were part of the 15 Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.
Every year, the municipality of Haifa also commemorates the role of the Indian army in liberating the city from Turks after almost 402 years.
