India Gate official name Delhi Memorial, originally called All-India War Memorial, monumental arch of sandstone in New Delhi, dedicated to the British Indian troops who died in wars between 1914 and 1919. India Gate, which stands at the end East of the Rajpath (formerly called Kingsway), it is approximately 138 feet (42 meters) high.
The Gateway of India is one of the many British monuments built by order of the Tomb Commission of the Imperial War (which will later be called the Commonwealth War Tomb Commission).
The architect was Sir Edwin Lutyens, an Englishman who designed numerous other war memorials and was also the chief planner of New Delhi.Cornerstone was laid in 1921 by the Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria.
The construction of the All-India War Memorial, as it was originally known, continued until 1931, the year of New Delhi's formal dedication as the capital of India.
Lutyens refused to incorporate pointed arches or other Asian motifs into his design, but he struggled to achieve classic simplicity. The result was often described as similar in appearance to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
On the roof, over the arch, there is a large shallow vaulted bowl that was meant to be filled with burning oil on ceremonial occasions.
No roof fires have been established in recent years, but four eternal flames are now protected at the base of the structure. The flames mark the Amar Jawan Jyoti, a small monument that has served as the India tomb of the unknown soldier since 1971.