Download - Delhi Heritage City

Medieval And Colonial Capital Cities Of DelhiDESCRIPTIONThe bungalows are whitewashed and characterized by high ceilings, clerestory windows positioned high in thewalls, and shady verandas. They display some classical European (especially Palladian) touches, and someindigenous elements – like chhajjas (dripstones) and occasionally, internal courtyards‐ were included. Keeping inmind Delhi’s chilly winters, fireplaces are present in some of the main rooms, along with accompanying chimneysjutting out above the flat roof. A variation is where the verandahs and loggias are reduced or done away with.Servants’ quarters are separate buildings, away from the main dwelling.A description of the key buildings:Rashtrapati Bhavan or the 'President's House ( designed as the British Viceroy’s residence) is situated on RaisinaHill. Built of red and buff sandstone, it is generally acknowledged as the largest residential complex, ever built forthe head of any country. It has 340 well decorated rooms. The Durbar Hall or throne room which was designed tohost all official functions, is a grand hall directly underneath the main dome. Another important hall in theRashtrapati Bhavan is the Ashoka Hall, formerly the ballroom, with its walls and ceiling painted with scenes fromPersian poetry. Besides these two halls, is the State Dining Room (for formal banquets), a large number of guestsuites and the private apartments. Rashtrapthi Bhavan has the most exquisite chandeliers imported from Europe,furniture, Kashmiri carpets in Mughal designs.Jaipur Column, standing 145 ft high in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan, is made of buff sandstone, topped with abronze lotus and a glass star. Inspired largely by Trajan’s Column in Rome, it was designed by Lutyens anderected under the aegis of the Maharaja of Jaipur, to whom much of the land on which New Delhi was builtoriginally belonged. The plan of New Delhi, with its major axes marked out, is carved onto the plinth of the JaipurColumn.The Mughal Gardens, the setting for the majestic building, cover an area of 13 acres and are divided into threesections, one circular in shape, another rectangular and the third a long rectangle. As in the traditional Mughalgarden, there are water channels and pools, chhatris, parterres, and carved fountains using the same sandstoneas the palace, in the shape of lotus leafs' at every intersection of the four waterway canals and multi levelterraces with chhatris.North and South Blocks Designed by Herbert Baker, these two identical buildings facing each other acrossKing’s Way are situated on Raisina Hill, a little below Rashtrapati Bhawan. The North Block and South Block of theSecretariat house important ministries of the Government of India. The ministries of Finance and Home Affairsoccupy the North Block. Today, the South Block is home to the Prime Minister’s Office, and the ministries ofDefence and External Affairs.The blocks sit on a plinth about 30 ft above the ground and are connected by an underground passage (still inuse). This elevation of the buildings on raised platforms meant that the view of the Rashtrapati Bhawan wasblocked by the slope leading to these buildings. They are made of buff and red sandstone, with red sandstoneforming a broad ‘base’ for the outer walls. Between them, the four‐storied Secretariat buildings have about 4,000rooms. The premises include formal gardens with water fountains, pillars and porticos with vaulted ceilings.Classical in style, each block is crowned by an imposing central baroque dome.Outside each block are two sandstone columns – a total of four columns in the Secretariat. These, known as theColumns of Dominion, were ceremonial gifts to India from the colonies of Britain which had dominion status:Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. Each column is topped by a bronze ship in sail (to symbolize31‐07‐2012 INTACH, Delhi Chapter 17