India Gate, War memorial in New Delhi, India
India Gate is a 42-metre sandstone war memorial arch on Kartavya Path in New Delhi, designed by Edwin Lutyens. Its flat top bears the word INDIA between two circular medallions, above a frieze of small carved figures. Beneath the arch stands the Amar Jawan Jyoti, a black marble plinth with a reversed rifle, a helmet and four eternal flames.
Architect Edwin Lutyens designed the monument between 1921 and 1931 to honor Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Afghan Wars. After Indian independence, the Amar Jawan Jyoti flame was added in 1971, dedicated to unknown soldiers.
Visitors gather on the surrounding lawns for picnics, kite flying, and family gatherings, especially on weekends and holidays. Street vendors sell snacks and souvenirs along the walkways, while photographers offer their services to capture souvenir pictures in front of the monument.
The site is accessible to visitors daily, with the best lighting conditions for photographs occurring during early morning or late afternoon. Wide walkways facilitate access around the monument, while seating areas nearby provide resting opportunities.
The gate was twinned with the Arch of Remembrance in Leicester, England, in 2017, another Lutyens war memorial of similar design but smaller scale. Wreaths were laid at both arches in a single ceremony.
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