War memorials preserve the past in a material format, making it more accessible to future generations. However, the memorial designs have the potential to highlight specific aspects of the past socio-political dynamics at the expense of others. Using a range of war memorial examples in Europe and beyond, the current chapter explains how architectural designs help current and future generations remember their socio-political history from unique perspectives. Extending the scope of this enquiry, the current chapter spotlights the transformations associated with Indian memorial designs in the pre- and post-independence years. Over these years, the transformed Indian designs and architectural motifs have been crafted to symbolize nationalistic sentiments, sacrifice, bravery and sovereignty. In highlighting these relationships, the present chapter also undergirds the importance of corporeal experiences. Further, the chapter offers sensory ethnography as a suitable methodology to advance the scholarship on collective memory that is firmly anchored in materiality.