India Gate
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Not to be confused with Gateway of India.
| India Gate | |
|---|---|
| India | |
 India Gate | |
| For Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Afghan Wars | |
| Established | 1921 |
| Unveiled | 1933 |
| Location | 28°36′46.31″N 77°13′45.5″E |
| Designed by | Edwin Lutyens |
The India Gate is the national monument of India[citation needed]. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Originally, a statue of George V, Emperor of India stood under the now vacant canopy in front of the India Gate, but it was removed to Coronation Parktogether with a number of other British Raj-era statues. Following India's independence, the 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").
Site[edit]
Until the 1920s, the Old Delhi Railway Station served the entire city, and the Agra–Delhi railway line cut through what is today known as Lutyens' Delhi and the site of the India Gate on Kingsway (now Rajpath). Eventually the line was shifted to run along the Yamuna river, and when that route opened in 1924, the construction of the memorial site could begin. The New Delhi Railway Station was opened in 1926, ahead of the inauguration of the city of the same name in 1931.[1][2]
The 42-metre tall India Gate is situated in such a way 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. The lawns around Rajpath throng with people during the evening, when the monument is lit up. Amar Jawan Jyoti- Burning as a shrine under the arch of India Gate since 26 Jan 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (the flame of the immortal warrior), which marks the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in world war. It was unveiled on 26 January 1972 by the then Prime Minister smt. Indira Gandhi, in the wake of the 1971 Indo-Pak War.Now it is the pride of all Indians and a prime tourist site in New Delhi.
The India Gate hexagon complex, with a diameter of about 625 metres, covers approximately 306,000m² in area.
The Republic Day Parade starts from Rashtrapati Bhavan and passes through India Gate.
Canopy[edit]
Standing behind the gate is an empty canopy made out of sandstone, also designed by Lutyens, and inspired by a sixth-century pavilion from Mahabalipuram. In recent years rumours of placing a statue of Mohandas Gandhi or another national hero have circulated, but as of September 2013 no plans have been made to do such a thing.[3]
Lutyens used four Delhi Order columns to support the domed canopy and its chhajja.[4] The Delhi Order, which he had devised while designing Rashtrapati Bhavan, was his own new order of classical architecture, with small bells hanging from the capitals of the columns.[5]
Statue[edit]
See also: Coronation Park, Delhi
From its opening to the 1960s, the canopy opposite India Gate housed a fifty-foot tall statue of King George V. It is made of marble and is also designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. It features King George standing on top of a very tall pedestal wearing his Coronation Robes and the Imperial State Crown. On the pedestal is the Royal Coat of Arms and the words GEORGE V R I (R I Stand for Rex Imperator, Latin for King Emperor). Near the top is the emblem of British India, the Order of the Star of India. Originally King George held the British orb and sceptre, but some time after or during the statue's removal they were broken off. The Statue now stands in Coronation Park.
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