India Gate, Delhi

Facts of India Gate, Delhi

Location: It is located in the heart of New Delhi, a significant architecture marking the division of Old and New Delhi.
Height: 42 meters
Width: 9.1 meters
Architect of India Gate: India gate was built by Edwin Lutyens.
Best Time to Visit: Late evening

India Gate, is also known as All-India War Memorial and Delhi Memorial. It commemorates the 82,000 brave soldiers of the Undivided Indian Army who lost their lives fighting against British invaders in the World War I (1914-1918) and the third Anglo-Afghan war (1919).

India gate is considered as an Indian counterpart of Arc De Triomphe in Paris. Under the arch is the Amar Jawan Jyoti, also called Flame of the Immortal Soldier, which was established after Indian soldiers gave up their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation Wat of December, 1971. The flame keeps burning day and night to mourn these unknown heroes. Every year on Republic Day, the Prime Minister speaks in front of India gate to pay homage to the soldiers.

Engravings on India Gate

The top of India gate is a three-storey tower, with the words India engraved in the middle and the British Imperial suns on both sides. Under these patterns are words: To the dead of the Indian armies who fell and are honored in France and Flanders Mesopotamia and Persia east Africa Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the far-east and in sacred memory also of those whose names are here recorded and who fell in India or the north-west frontier and during the third Afghan war.

Best Time to Visit India Gate – Late Evening

The best time to visit India gate is in the evening because all the lights are lit and nearby fountains make a display of light show. Flocks of people will gather around the structure to admire this beautiful sight. Many vendors sell kinds of snacks and souvenirs; locals wander around the Raj Path or sit relaxing on the near green lawns. For tourist, India gate is a must-see spot for them even though there are lots of crowds.

Amazing Scene of India Gate at Night

India Gate History

In World War I, India did not involved into war. But as a British colony, more than 90,000 Indians were sent to the battlefield to fight for Britain, when the British offered to declare India's independence after the war. After the war, however, India, which had sacrificed so much, did not achieve its independence. In an effort to calm the discontent of the Indian people, in 1931 the British government built the Indian Gate imitating the style of the Arc de Triomphe in memory of the Indian soldiers who died in World War I. The cornerstone of India gate was laid in 1921 by the duke of Connaught and this great architecture was built in 1931.

How to get to India Gate	Take the subway and get off at Central Secretariat station (Exit 3), then walk east of 1.7km along Rajpath to it
Timing	All day
Entry fee	Free

Places to Visit Near India Gate

1. Qutab Minar
It is famed for one of the “seven wonders of India” and is a must-see tourist attraction in Delhi. The tower is engraved with Arabic Quran and various patterns. It is recommended to understand related history before visiting this brick minaret.

2. Parliament House
It is a modern building that blends traditional Indian style with Victorian characteristics. It can only be visited from the outside.