At the center of
New Delhi stands the 42m high India Gate, an "Arc-de-Triomphe"
like Archway in the middle of a crossroad. Almost similar to its French
counterpart war memorial. It commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who
lost their lives fighting for the British Army during the First World
War and bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers
killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.
The
foundation stone was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught
in 1921 and was designed by Edwin Lutyens. The monument was dedicated to
the nation 10 years later by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another
memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti was added much later, after India got its
independence. It is in the form of a flame that burns day and night
under the arch to remind the nation of soldiers who laid down their
lives in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971.
The entire
arch stands on a low base of red Bharatpur stone and rises in stages to
a huge molding, beneath, which are inscribed Imperial sons. Above on
both sides is inscribed INDIA, flanked by MCM and to the right, XIX. The
shallow domed bowl at the top was intended to be filled with burning oil
on anniversaries but this is rarely done.
Surrounding the
imposing structure is a large expanse of lush green lawns, which is a
popular picnic spot. One can see hoards of people moving about the
brightly lit area and on the lawns on summer evenings.
