India Gate is the popular name of the war memorial located
off-centre in a large hexagonal space with roads radiating from it, designed by
Lutyens is similar to European Memorial arches. It is located at the heart of New Delhi and is easily accessible by DTC buses and Metro. The Nearest Metro station is Central Secretariat. While coming out of Metro station we can see the India Gate from the Raisina Hills. In the opposite direction of India Gate, we can see the residence of the President of India. Republic Day Parade follows the Rajpath and leads to India Gate.
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| Rajpath Leading to India Gate from Rashtrapati Bhawan |
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| India Gate |
The arch stands 42m high and is
made up of Red Bharatpur Stone. The foundation stone of India Gate was laid by
Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught in 1921. The arch commemorates the
70000 Indian Soldiers who had given the sacrifice of their lives in the First World
War for British Army. The memorial bears more than 13500 names of British and
Indian Army officers killed in North-Western Frontier in the Afghan war in
1919. After laying the foundation stone of the War memorial in 1921, the
rail-line was shifted to run along the Yamuna River and the New Delhi Railway
Station was opened in 1926. The arch is having a large stone with pine cones on both sides. As per Roman mythology, these pines are the symbols of death and regeneration. The cornice is inscribed with
the Imperial suns. The dates MCMXIV (1914 left) and MCMXIX (1919 right) are
inscribed on both sides of the arch. The shallow domed bowl at the top is
intended to be filled with burning oil on special occasions which is rarely performed nowadays.
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| Pine Cones at India Gate |
Below the word INDIA, message inscribed in capital letters at India Gate:
"TO THE DEAD OF THE INDIAN ARMIES WHO FELL HONOURED 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 RECORDED AND WHO FELL IN INDIA OR THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER AND DURING THE THIRD AFGHAN WAR"
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| The message inscribed on India Gate |
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| Night View of Pine Cones |
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Amar Jawan Jyoti
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In 1931, the monument was dedicated to the nation by the then
Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Below the arches, Amar Jawan Jyoti, the `flame of the eternal
warrior` was erected as a tribute to Indian Soldiers bravery and sacrifice during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The eternal flame burns day and
night giving tribute to the soldiers who lay down their lives to save their
nation from enemies. The structure is consisting of black marble plinth, with the reversed rifle, capped by war helmet, bound by four urns, each with the permanent
light (Jyoti) from (CNG) flames. Amar Jawan Jyoti is manned round the clock by
soldiers drawn from the three services of the Indian armed forces. Wreaths are
placed at the Amar Jawan Jyoti on 26 January, by the Prime Minister of India,
and Chiefs of Armed Forces; on Vijay Diwas, and on Infantry Day.
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| Canopy at India Gate |
East of this memorial there is a canopy which is placed in
the centre of the hexagon. The canopy was designed by Lutyens as a memorial to George
V, who died in 1936. It used to hold the statue of George V till 1968. After
which it has been removed to Coronation Park, North Delhi. There has been a debate
about placing a statue of Mahatma Gandhi under this canopy to its demolition.
But it is still visible from a distance and is adding beauty to India gate.
