India Gate is one of the most famous monuments in the country and it goes without saying that it is the face of Delhi.
Originally called the ‘All India War Memorial’, India Gate is a war memorial which stands tall at 42 meters, thereby, making it among the largest war memorials in the world.
It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and it took 10 years for the monument to get completed. The foundation was laid in 1921 and was inaugurated in 1931.
The arch of India Gate houses a shrine, inside which is the ever-burning Amar Jawan Jyoti.
Interesting Facts
Being the National Monument of India, the India Gate is also among the biggest war memorials of the World.
India Gate also bears some resemblance to the ‘Arc de Triomphe’, situated in Paris.
The Republic Day parade takes place here every year on 26th January. This parade starts at Rashtrapati Bhavan and later passes by the India Gate.
The walls of India Gate have the names of soldiers who got martyred while fighting for the British in World War I and the Anglo-Afghan War.
There are 13,218 names inscribed on the India Gate, including some soldiers and officers from the United Kingdom.
The eternal flame, Amar Jawan Jyoti, pays homage to the thousands of Indian soldiers who fought during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. The flame was lighted on January 26, 1972 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
It is customary for the President, Prime Minister and visiting guests of the State to visit India Gate and pay homage to Amar Jawan Jyoti on occasions of State ceremonies.
You can refer to the video