Places to visit in Delhi - India Gate

India Gate is one of the largest, and the most renowned, War Memorial in India, and is located at the center of Delhi. This 42 metres tall structure, originally named “All India War Memorial”, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, as an effort by the government to commemorate 90000 soldiers of the British Indian Army, who died in the World War. Their names are engraved on the surface of the India Gate, and are grouped together according to the division the soldiers belonged to.

Under the arch of the structure is a shrine, which was unveiled on the 26^th of January, 1972 by the then Prime Minister, Late Smt. Indira Gandhi, as a memorial to the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the 1971 Indo – Pak war. The shrine is a black marble cenotaph with a rifle standing on its barrel, crested by a “soldier’s helmet”. Each face of the cenotaph has “Amar Jawan” (Immortal Warrior) inscribed in gold. This cenotaph, in turn, is placed on an edifice, with four perpetually burning torches at its four corners.

Since the unveiling of the shrine in 1972, names of Param Vir Chakra (Highest Gallantry Medal in India) winners are also inscribed, as and when anyone is decorated with it. Also, each 26^th January (India’s Republic Day), the Prime Minister - in - office pays homage to the soldiers along with the Chiefs of Staff of Armed Forces.

The structure is surrounded by lush green lawns, which are amongst the most visited lawns in the Delhi, especially when the weather is good.