India Gate, an important monument of the city, is a memorial built in commemoration of more than 80,000 Indian soldiers who were killed during World War I. The monument is an imposing 42 meters high arch and was designed by the famous architect Edwin Lutyens.
India gate was earlier named All India War Memorial. The design of India gate is almost similar to its French counterpart war memorial, the Arc-de-Triomphe.
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.
The building is made of red stone that rises in stages into a huge moulding. On top of the arch, INDIA is written on both sides. Names of over 70,000 Indian soldiers are inscribed on the walls of the monument in whose memory it is built. There is a shallow domed bowl at the top, which was intended to be filled with burning oil at special occasions.
Today, the India Gate holds much significance not only as a tourist attraction but also a symbol of nationalism. Every year, on 26th January, the Republic Day parade commences from the gates of the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President’s residence) and progresses past the India Gate. Wreaths are placed at the Amar Jawan Jyoti by the Prime Minister of India on that day.
