India Gate, New Delhi

India Gate is New Delhi's great war memorial arch, free to visit at any hour. Here is its history, what changed in 2022, and the best time to go.

India Gate, originally the All India War Memorial, is a 42-metre sandstone arch designed by Edwin Lutyens. It commemorates the soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War of 1919. More than 13,000 names are inscribed on its surfaces. The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Connaught in 1921, and the memorial was dedicated ten years later by the Viceroy, Lord Irwin.

The arch stands on a base of red Bharatpur stone, and the word INDIA is carved on both sides of the attic, flanked by the dates 1914 and 1919. After the 1971 war the Amar Jawan Jyoti, an eternal flame for the unknown soldier, was placed beneath the arch. In 2022 its flame was merged with the flame at the nearby National War Memorial. The same year a granite statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was installed under the canopy east of the arch.

India Gate stands at the eastern end of Kartavya Path (formerly Rajpath), the ceremonial avenue running to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill, where the Republic Day parade is held. The surrounding lawns and fountains are a popular evening outing for Delhi families. Ice-cream carts and balloon sellers gather after dark, when the arch is lit. There is no entry fee and no closing day. Delhi Tourism notes that some areas are not accessible after dark.

The nearest metro station is Central Secretariat, about a 15–20 minute walk.