Pagination not working on page template

Question

Hi I have created my index.php file as a blog template and on my website I am creating a page using that template.The problem is that by doing it this way pagination is not working anymore.It worked when index.php was my home page.This is my code:

$index_query = new WP_Query(array(
                                    'posts_per_page'=>'3',
                                    'post_type'=>'post'
                             ));
                             if($index_query->have_posts()): while($index_query->have_posts()): $index_query->the_post();?>
                                <div>
                                    <h2><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
                                    <h3><span>Posted on <span> <?php echo get_the_date(); ?> in <?php the_category(); ?> by <?php the_author_link(); ?></h3>
                                    <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="box">
                                        <?php
                                            if(function_exists('has_post_thumbnail') && has_post_thumbnail()){
                                                the_post_thumbnail();
                                            }
                                        ?>
                                        <span><?php comments_number("0") ?></span>
                                    </a>
                                    <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
                                    <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="read">Continue Reading</a>
                                </div>
                           <?php endwhile; endif;?>


   global $wp_query;
                        $total_pages = $wp_query->max_num_pages;

                        if($total_pages > 1){
                            $current_page = max(1 , get_query_var('paged'));
                            echo paginate_links(array(
                                'base' => get_pagenum_link(1) . '%_%',
                                'format' => '/page/%#%',
                                'current' => $current_page,
                                'total' => $total_pages
                            ));
                        }

How can I make pagination work on page templates?

Answer 1

Try add the "page" var to the WP_Query statement

$index_query = new WP_Query(array(
'posts_per_page'=>'3',
'paged'=>max(1 , get_query_var('paged')),
'post_type'=>'post'
));

Is it the loop that is not paging through the posts, (it just displays the same ones no matter what page you are on? Or is the actual pagination just not displaying any links?