The war memorial arch, Gateway of India, was built by the British in honor of the unknown martyrs who lost their lives in the First World War and Second Afghan War. Vijay Chowk (the Victory Square) is the site of "Beating the Retreat" ceremony held annually in New Delhi on 29 January. Originally known as All India War Memorial, which has the names of soldiers who died in the wars inscribed on its walls. Since 1971, burning the soldier of the eternal flame under it, known as' Amar Jawan Jyoti.
It is said that Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker designed India Gate and its environs. India Gate stands at Rajpath (Camino Real). It is the ceremonial avenue of the Republic of India which boasts of ornamental parks, pools and gardens nearby. It is here that the highly anticipated event Parade Republic Day takes place on 26 January of each year. Rajpath runs through India Gate and Vijay Chowk and Rashtrapati Bhavan at one end and National Stadium in another.
As we go along Rajpath, across Raisina Hill - the administrative center of India, we find the two secretariat buildings - North Block and South Block on both sides. You can view Sansad Marg and the Parliament House in the stretch of this wide road. North Block houses the offices of Finance and Interior Ministries, while South Block is home to foreign affairs and defense ministries. Apart from this, Rajpath is surrounded by many official buildings and museums. There Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts and the National Museum, famous for its archaeological collections.
