India Gate

A salute to all the brave martyrs. Jai Hind !!

Originally called as the “All India War Memorial”, India Gate lies on the Rajpath in the capital of New Delhi. This great monument was built by Edwin Lutyens to pay a tribute to the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died fighting brave heartedly in the World War I and the Afghan Wars. The monument is a majestic high arch which is about 42 metres in height and got completed in the year 1931. Beneath it burns an eternal flame , the flame which personifies the courageous and immortal souls of the Indian soldiers.

One can enjoy the lush green lawns of India Gate, which is the home to the popular boat club and a Children's park.

During the evening hours the captivating lawns come alive with picnicking families and couples enjoying the ambience to the fullest of their hearts. Apart from the main monument, there are umpteen sights around the place that are worth cherish. A number of vendors, using all their PR skills try selling their commodities to the visitors and children compel their parents to buy them rainbow coloured balloons and media all the time ready with their cameras in action to catch the best of moments for their masala section of the bulletin.
The Architecture
The design of India Gate is very much similar to its French counterpart war memorial, the Arc-de-Triomphe. The entire arch stands on a low base of red Bharatpur stone, and rises in stages into a huge moulding, beneath which are inscribed Imperial suns. Above on both sides is inscribed INDIA, flanked by MCM and to the right, XIX. Names of over 70,000 Indian soldiers are inscribed on the walls of the monument in whose memory it is built. At the base of the India gate there is another memorial, the Amar Jawan Jyoti that was added after independence. This eternal flame was lighted in commemoration of the unknown soldiers who laid their lives to serve this nation.

India Gate - Annual Events
Republic Day Parade
Every year on 26th January, the day is celebrated as the Republic Day of India, the Indian President places a wreath at the eternal flame Amar Jawan Jyoti under the arch of India Gate to pay his respects to the Indian armed forces who laid down their lives for the sake of the country. It is followed by a grand parade that moves along Rajpath, which comprise of marching contingents, tanks and weaponry, vibrant floats, folk dances and school children from different parts of India who participate in this colorful ceremony.

Swar Utsav
The Swar Utsav is a three-day musical extravaganza is organized by the Delhi Tourism every October on the luxuriant lawns of the India Gate. The music lovers are kept enthralled by the performance of the best Indian classical musicians during this event.
The De Facto
Location - New Delhi
Elevation - 42 m
Built In - 1931
Best Time To Visit - February to March
Timings - best, 7 pm to 9 pm

Access
By Air
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport is connected to all the important cities of the world with almost all the major international airlines operating out of here. Palam Domestic Airport connects
By Rail
The Indian Railway with their modern and organized network connects Delhi to all major and minor destinations in India. The city has three major railway stations at New Delhi, Old New Delhi, and Nizamuddin. Luxury trains like the Palace-on-Wheels, Fairy Queen, and Royal Orient Express can be taken from New Delhi Cantonment railway station.
By Road
Delhi is well connected to all the major cities of India by a network of highways and roads. Buses can be taken from the three Inter State Bus Terminuses (ISBT), at Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar, as well as many starting points in and around the city, from which various state-managed and privately run transport facilities like airconditioned, deluxe and ordinary coaches operate.

Did You Know?

• India Gate is also credited for being the first gate to be constructed in New Delhi.
• The foundation of India Gate was laid on 10th February, 1921 by the Duke of Connaught.