The Chattri

The Chattri is a white marble memorial on the South Downs above Brighton, reached by a 2-mile walk from Patcham. It commemorates the Indian soldiers who died in Brighton's WWI military hospitals and were cremated here according to Hindu and Sikh tradition — the word "chattri" means umbrella or parasol in several Indian languages, describing the domed canopy over the memorial.

The location is stunning: the Downs roll away on all sides, Brighton and the sea visible to the south. A ceremony of remembrance is held here every year in spring, attended by descendants of the soldiers and representatives of the Indian High Commission. The walk up from Patcham, along a public footpath through sheep-grazed downland, takes about 45 minutes each way.

things to do sight memorial
A story
During World War I, the Royal Pavilion and other Brighton buildings were converted into a military hospital for Indian soldiers fighting with the British Empire. Those who died were cremated on the South Downs above the city according to Hindu and Sikh rites, and the Chattri was built in 1921 to mark the site. When it was briefly used for artillery target practice during World War II, a local MP raised the matter in Parliament. The damage was repaired, but the story of a memorial to one war being used for practice in the next is not one that appears in many guidebooks.