Also Known As · Rashtriya Samar Smarak
New Delhi, Delhi · monument
An eternal flame beneath a granite obelisk, ringed by walls of 25,900 golden names — India's solemn, modern memorial to its fallen soldiers, beside India Gate.
The National War Memorial is India's first dedicated memorial to the armed-forces personnel who have died in service of the nation since Independence — a dignified, contemplative space laid out across about 40 acres in the C-Hexagon just east of India Gate. Inaugurated in 2019 after decades of proposals, it honours some 25,900 fallen soldiers whose names are etched in golden letters on granite tablets, spanning the wars of 1947–48, 1962, 1965 and 1971, the Kargil conflict of 1999, and continuing counter-insurgency operations.
Pure-vegetarian South Indian dosas, idlis and thalis
An unlimited pure-vegetarian Rajasthani-Gujarati thali
Pure-vegetarian chaat, snacks and sweets
The National War Memorial is India's first dedicated memorial to the armed-forces personnel who have died in service of the nation since Independence — a dignified, contemplative space laid out across about 40 acres in the C-Hexagon just east of India Gate.
entry is free, with mandatory security screening (large bags and sharp objects are restricted), and the memorial is open daily, later in summer. It is a place of remembrance, so keep decorum near the flame. Come in the late afternoon for cooler light and the Change of Guard, and pair it with India Gate and Kartavya Path for a full evening walk. Nearest metro: Central Secretariat. Allow about an hour.
Visiting Hours
Entry Fee: Free entry. Mandatory security screening; large bags and sharp objects are restricted.
Verified: July 2026
Address
C-Hexagon, India Gate, Kartavya Path, New Delhi, Delhi, 110001
In the C-Hexagon just east of India Gate
🚇 Nearest Metro: Central Secretariat (Yellow & Violet Lines) — about 1.5 km; Udyog Bhawan
🚶 Walking from Metro: Best reached by a short auto or cab ride from Central Secretariat or Udyog Bhawan metro; it is walkable from the India Gate lawns.
Distance from
Parking
nearby · ₹20–₹50 (paid)
Parking around India Gate is limited on weekends and holidays.
🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: Uber and Ola drop near the India Gate hexagon; walk the last stretch to the memorial.
How to Reach: The memorial is in the C-Hexagon just east of India Gate on Kartavya Path. Nearest metro: Central Secretariat (Yellow & Violet Lines), about 1.5 km, and Udyog Bhawan; then a short auto or cab ride. It is an easy walk from the India Gate lawns.
History
The idea of a national war memorial was first proposed by the armed forces in 1960 but approved only in 2015.
🏛️ Architect: A concentric four-chakra circular plan around a central 15.5-metre obelisk topped by an Ashokan-style capital holding the eternal flame, with granite name-tablets, bronze battle murals and a landscaped tree ring — a modern, austere, symmetrical monument.
Significance
The National War Memorial is India's first dedicated memorial to armed-forces personnel killed since Independence — honouring some 25,900 fallen soldiers across the nation's post-Independence conflicts — and the principal site for wreath-laying on Republic Day.
Family Highlights
💰 Equipment Fees: Free for personal photography.
📍 The Golden Spot: The eternal flame and obelisk floodlit after dusk, with the concentric chakras around.
🌅 Best Light Time: Dusk and the evening Change of Guard.
🌅 Secret View: The six bronze battle murals in the covered Veerta Chakra gallery are easy to miss but powerfully done.
🎯 Crowd Hack: Come for the Sunday-evening Change of Guard with the band, arriving a little early for a good vantage.
💎 Secret Fact: The memorial is laid out as four concentric chakras — Amar, Veerta, Tyag and Rakshak — around a 15.5-metre obelisk holding the eternal flame.
⚡ Express Tour
40 minutes — the eternal flame, the name walls and the murals.
🔭 Deep Dive Tour
Half day — the memorial, India Gate, Kartavya Path and NGMA.
👕 Dress Code: No dress code; respectful conduct at the memorial.
📷 Photography Rules: Personal photography is allowed; be respectful and avoid disrespectful poses near the eternal flame.
🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs around Connaught Place and Janpath (within 2 km).
Entry is free. It is open daily — roughly 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM in winter and to 8:30 PM in summer — with an evening Change of Guard ceremony.
Central Secretariat on the Yellow and Violet Lines is about 1.5 km away; Udyog Bhawan is also nearby. Take a short auto or cab, or walk from India Gate.
India Gate is a 1931 arch honouring soldiers of the First World War; the National War Memorial, inaugurated in 2019 just behind it, honours soldiers who died in service since Independence, with an eternal flame and the names of 25,900+ fallen.
Yes — a ceremonial Change of Guard is performed in the evenings, at its fullest on Sundays with the military band; the flame and obelisk are floodlit after dusk.
Personal photography is allowed, but it is a solemn memorial — keep decorum and avoid disrespectful poses near the eternal flame; security screening applies at entry.
Connaught Place and Janpath nearby are full of pure-veg options — Saravana Bhavan, the Rajdhani thali and Haldiram's are all a short ride away.
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