This is a 42-metre-high stone arc-de-triomphe or triumphal arch dedicated to the memory of the soldiers of the Indian Army who died in the campaigns of the First World World, the North-West Frontier operations and the 1919 Afghan War. It is inscribed with the names of the 85,000 soldiers who died in them.

A flame, the Amar Jawan Jyoti, is kept perpetually alive here in the memory of these unknown soldiers. Important roads spread out in all directions from India Gate, the Rajpath converging in the west in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Ashoka Road, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Copernicus Marg, Tilak Marg, Zakir Hussain Road, and Shahjahan Road. The lawns on either side of Rajpath are alive in the evenings with couples having a stroll, pedlars selling colourful balloons, children having rides on camels. The beautifully lit up India Gate provides a memorable background against the darkening sky. Even in daylight, the stretch between India Gate and the Rashtrapati Bhavan is a splendid vista.