This magnificent stone archway originally known
as All India War Memorial was designed by architect Edwin Lutyens.The memorial which was built to commemorate more than 80,000 soldiers died during World War 1 & the Afghan wars has the following lines inscribed:
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.
The 42 meter high archway is made of red stone and has the name "INDIA" written on both sides. Over 70,000 names of the soldiers are also inscribed on the arch. The foundation stone for India Gate was laid in 1921 by the Duke of Connaught and was completed in 1931.
After independence, Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial - eternal flame marking the Unknown Soldiers Tomb - was added as a memorial to unknown soldiers who sacrificed their lives serving the nation.
The archway is located on the Rajpath in New Delhi. The monument is surrounded by lawns, children's park & a boat club.
India Gate, besides standing as a memorial to the soldiers killed, also provides the platform to display advancements in defence technology every year on January 26th during the Republic Day celebrations.