India Gate
Encyclopedia
The India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi
, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe
in Paris
. It was built in 1931. Originally known as All India War Memorial, it is a prominent landmark in Delhi
and commemorates the 90,000 soldiers of the Indian Army
who lost their lives while fighting for the Indian Empire, or more correctly the British Raj
in World War I
and the Third Anglo-Afghan War
. It is composed of red and pale sand stone and granite.
Originally, a Statue of King George V
had stood under the now-vacant canopy in front of the India Gate, and was removed to Coronation Park
with other statues. Following India's independence, India Gate became the site of the Indian Army
's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
, known as Amar Jawan Jyoti (The flame of the immortal soldier).
-Delhi railways line cut right through what is today called Lutyens' Delhi
and the site earmarked for the hexagonal All-India War Memorial (India Gate), on Kingsway (Rajpath
), eventually the line was shifted along Yamuna river and open in 1924, and the construction the memorial site could begin. The New Delhi Railway Station
was opened in 1926, ahead of the inauguration of the city in 1931.
The 42-metre tall India Gate is situated such that many important roads spread out from it. Traffic passing around India Gate used to be continuous until the roads were closed to the public due to terrorist threats.
The lawns around Rajpath
throng with people during the evening, when the India Gate is lit up. Ice cream and street food vendors come out during this time and it becomes a popular picnic venue for families.
The India Gate hexagon complex covers approximately 306000m² in area with a diameter of about 625m.
The Republic Day
Parade starts from Rashtrapati Bhavan and passes through India Gate to reach Red Fort.
Burning in a shrine under the arch of India Gate since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (the flame of the immortal soldier) which marks the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
. The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph
with a rifle placed on its barrel, crested by a soldier's helmet. Each face of the cenotaph has inscribed in gold the words "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Warrior).
This cenotaph is itself placed on an edifice which has on its four corners four torches that are perpetually kept alive. It was unveiled in 1971. After the Indo-Pak war of 1971, The then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi
paid homage on behalf of the whole nation on the eve of 23rd republic day (26 January 1972).
Today, it is customary for the President and the Prime Minister, as well as visiting Guests of State
, to pay homage at the site on occasions of State ceremonies.
And specially on each Republic Day
, 26 January, the Prime Minister pays homage to the soldiers along with Heads of Armed Forces, before joining the annual parade at the Rajpath
. It is noteworthy here that the President of India
with the chief guest do not get involved in this ceremony on this day.
The flags represent the 3 Indian military forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force), and a soldier from each force guards the gate and tomb for 24 hours, alternating forces every day.
installed, which were subject to debate and have not been agreed upon.
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
-The design:The astylar design is by Jean Chalgrin , in the Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture . Major academic sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the Arc de Triomphe: Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine Étex; James Pradier and Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It was built in 1931. Originally known as All India War Memorial, it is a prominent landmark in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and commemorates the 90,000 soldiers of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
who lost their lives while fighting for the Indian Empire, or more correctly the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Third Anglo-Afghan War
Third Anglo-Afghan War
The Third Anglo-Afghan War began on 6 May 1919 and ended with an armistice on 8 August 1919. It was a minor tactical victory for the British. For the British, the Durand Line was reaffirmed as the political boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British India and the Afghans agreed not to...
. It is composed of red and pale sand stone and granite.
Originally, a Statue of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
had stood under the now-vacant canopy in front of the India Gate, and was removed to Coronation Park
Coronation Park (Delhi, India)
Coronation Park is a park located on Burari road near Nirankari Sarovar in Delhi, India. The park is sometimes referred to as the Coronation Memorial; it was the venue of Delhi Durbar of 1877 when Queen Victoria was proclaimed the Empress of India...
with other statues. Following India's independence, India Gate became the site of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
, known as Amar Jawan Jyoti (The flame of the immortal soldier).
Site
Till 1920s, the Old Delhi Railway Station served the entire city and the AgraAgra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
-Delhi railways line cut right through what is today called Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...
and the site earmarked for the hexagonal All-India War Memorial (India Gate), on Kingsway (Rajpath
Rajpath
Rajpath is the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India. It runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan through Vijay Chowk and India Gate to National Stadium, Delhi. The New Delhi avenue is lined on both sides by lawns with rows of trees and ponds...
), eventually the line was shifted along Yamuna river and open in 1924, and the construction the memorial site could begin. The New Delhi Railway Station
New Delhi Railway Station
The New Delhi Railway Station , station code NDLS, situated between Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj is the main railway station in Delhi. New Delhi railway station is the second busiest and one of the largest in India. It handles over 300 trains each day with 16 platforms and about 360,000 passengers...
was opened in 1926, ahead of the inauguration of the city in 1931.
The 42-metre tall India Gate is situated such that many important roads spread out from it. Traffic passing around India Gate used to be continuous until the roads were closed to the public due to terrorist threats.
The lawns around Rajpath
Rajpath
Rajpath is the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India. It runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan through Vijay Chowk and India Gate to National Stadium, Delhi. The New Delhi avenue is lined on both sides by lawns with rows of trees and ponds...
throng with people during the evening, when the India Gate is lit up. Ice cream and street food vendors come out during this time and it becomes a popular picnic venue for families.
The India Gate hexagon complex covers approximately 306000m² in area with a diameter of about 625m.
The Republic Day
Republic Day
Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.-1 January in the Republic of Slovakia:This was the day of creation of the Republic of Slovakia. A national holiday since 1993...
Parade starts from Rashtrapati Bhavan and passes through India Gate to reach Red Fort.
Amar Jawan Jyoti
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
. The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
with a rifle placed on its barrel, crested by a soldier's helmet. Each face of the cenotaph has inscribed in gold the words "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Warrior).
This cenotaph is itself placed on an edifice which has on its four corners four torches that are perpetually kept alive. It was unveiled in 1971. After the Indo-Pak war of 1971, The then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
paid homage on behalf of the whole nation on the eve of 23rd republic day (26 January 1972).
Today, it is customary for the President and the Prime Minister, as well as visiting Guests of State
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
, to pay homage at the site on occasions of State ceremonies.
And specially on each Republic Day
Republic Day (India)
The Republic Day of India commemorates the date on which the Constitution of India came into force replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India on 26 January 1950....
, 26 January, the Prime Minister pays homage to the soldiers along with Heads of Armed Forces, before joining the annual parade at the Rajpath
Rajpath
Rajpath is the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India. It runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan through Vijay Chowk and India Gate to National Stadium, Delhi. The New Delhi avenue is lined on both sides by lawns with rows of trees and ponds...
. It is noteworthy here that the President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
with the chief guest do not get involved in this ceremony on this day.
The flags represent the 3 Indian military forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force), and a soldier from each force guards the gate and tomb for 24 hours, alternating forces every day.
Canopy
Standing right behind the gate is an empty canopy made out of sandstone, also designed by Lutyens, and inspired by a 18th century Mahabalipuram pavilion, that until Independence of India in 1947 had the statue of King George V, which now stands in the Coronation Park, Delhi. There were multiple plans and calls to have a seated or standing statue of Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
installed, which were subject to debate and have not been agreed upon.