Rashtrapati BhavanAfter his visit in 1911, the Emperor of India, King George V,
decreed that the capital should be moved from Calcutta to Delhi.
Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to plan the new government centre,
which he focused around Rajpath - the grand, tree-lined boulevard
that runs between the Secretariat Buildings and India Arch, the war
memorial built in 1921. Rashtrapati Bhavan was built by Lutyens and
Sir Herbert Baker between 1921 and 1929, on the gentle slope of
Raisina Hill, flanked by the Secretariat Buildings. This immense
palace, larger than Versailles, was created for the Viceroy and is
now the residence of the President of India. With the exception of
the central copper dome there are few concessions to Indian
architectural style: despite its Classical columns, the building is
unmistakably British and remains a potent symbol of imperial power.
Every Saturday morning between 9.35am and 10.15am guards parade
before the iron gates, in Delhi's answer to London's Changing of
the Guard. Th
Address: Presidential Estate, North Avenue (formally Prakash Vir
Opening Time: The gardens are open daily from 9am to 2.30pm, in
February and March only
Admission: Free |
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