Veterans remember Indian soldiers

Hundreds of veterans gathered at the Chattri memorial

Hundreds of veterans gathered on Sunday for a ceremony to remember soldiers from the Indian Army who died in East Sussex during World War I.

Groups assembled at the Chattri memorial in Patcham, on the South Downs, to hear prayers and take part in a two-minute silence.

The memorial indicates where the Indian soldiers, who died while being treated in nearby Brighton, were cremated.

An inscription honouring the soldiers was written in Urdu, Hindi and English.

Sikh temple

About 12,000 soldiers from the Indian Army were treated at hospitals in the Brighton area.

Special provisions were also made so soldiers of different religions were able to worship.

The Royal Pavilion was one of several buildings converted into a military hospital.

A marquee erected on the grounds served as a Sikh temple, while Muslim soldiers were able to use the lawn in front of the Pavilion Dome, as this was facing east.

Nine kitchens were also erected in the grounds to cater for the various religious groups, which included Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims.