The foundation stone of the All India War Memorial Arch in Delhi, or India Gate as it is known today, was laid almost 100 years ago on February 10 in 1921 by Duke of Connaught during his visit to the country, according to records
THE MEMORIAL
India Gate, official name Delhi Memorial, is located at the eastern end of Rajpath (formerly called the Kingsway).
The memorial-gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens who was the main architect of New Delhi.
A prominent tourist attraction today, it is a solemn memorial to the soldiers from India who died in action in the First World War (1914-1918) and the Third Angyearlo-Afghan War (1919).
The Amar Jawan Jyoti was built under its arch to commemorate India’s victory in the Indo-Pak War of 1971
42 metres arch height
80,000 Indians laid their lives in these two wars
13,516 names etched over India Gate’s surface
THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, laid the foundation of the memorial. He was the third son of Queen Victoria and an uncle of King George V who was the reigning monarch of the British Empire from 1910 to 1936.
The Duke, during his India visit in 1921, laid the foundation of the All India War Memorial on February 10 and the Council Chamber of the Parliament House, two days later.
The Connaught Place built during the making of “New Delhi” was named after him.