The memorial to India’s first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, will be inaugurated at the traffic island on K Dubash Marg, opposite Lion Gate on January 25.

Commodore Medioma Bhada (retd), an ex-pilot who served on the warship, took efforts to keep the memory of Vikrant alive.

“The memorial is a living testimony of deep gratitude to a majestic ship, which charted a glorious innings in the service of our nation,” said a defence official.

Bhada gets nostalgic when the talks about the time he spent on board the battleship during the 1971 war. “I was 31 years old when I served on INS Vikrant. She played a vital role in the victory of the war, representing India’s multi-dimensional sea power. We, her shipmates, offer the little monument to the iconic aircraft carrier as our tribute,” Bhada told TOI. Bhada also commended the role played by the civic body, the heritage committee, the Mazagon Dock Limited and the Indian Navy. The memorial is designed by sculptor Arzan Khambatta.

“I already have two of my sculptures at traffic islands in Juhu and Worli. Normally, a public sculpture as such takes 90-100 days once all the approvals are received. Considering that a commodore, who is fond of the battleship took the initiative, my responsibility to design it doubled. I wanted to design something that makes people feel proud,” he said.

A defence official said more than 60% of the ship’s artefacts had been moved to the Maritime History Society in Mumbai and the rest were shifted to Goa’s Naval Aviation Museum.