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Medieval And Colonial Capital Cities Of DelhiJUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTIONo Mughal doorways The entrance motif adopted from Humayun’s Tomb by Herbert Baker was seen tobe comparable to details of the Classical style and the Renaissance. This grand gateway of Humayun’sTomb from the sixteenth century combined all the elements of Mughal architecture. Baker took over thismodel, but replaced the keel arch (that seemed inappropriate to him) with the western motif of theround arch. In Baker’s adaptation of the vaulted portal, a rectangular architrave enclosed a round‐headedarch of two or more stories. The result was a completely novel two‐storied dignified entrance that heused for the main entrance of the Secretariats.o Chattris is a domed pavilion commonly seen in buildings in Rajasthan, In this imperial architecturedetermined by large forms, the architects used stone pavilions as a stylistic element for the transition todetailed architectural shapes. Thus, chattris are not only found on the tambour of the dome above theDurbar Hall, but also on Baker’s dome on the Secretariats. The chattris mark every imaginable corner andaxis of the colonial city.oChajjas, the wide projecting shade‐giving stone slabs for a cornice were used in these buildings,projecting seven feet and even more from the walls, and this feature distinguishes all the buildingsdesigned in Delhi by the two architects. Chajjas as a feature not only protect the walls and windows fromthe blazing sun, but also from driving rain, and thus allowing the window to be kept open even when itrains.o Jaajis Another valuable feature, the pierced stone lattices or window screens called jaalis, on which theold Indian craftsman exhibited his skill in intricate geometrical, and sometimes floral, patterns were usedbecause they admited the air but not the sun into the rooms.The buildings that were designed by the architects are an impressive example of British eclecticism atthe turn of the century. Out of the construction set of ancient Rome and its contemporary Neo‐Classical variations,Edwin Lutyens put together impressive buildings having no direct model. Its elements, the round arches with insetpillars, the obelisks, the flower containers on the flat roofs, and the shapes of the windows though all familiar,have been used in a manner that was totally new.The ‘Viceroy’s House' speaks volumes of a classical design that cohesively blended western and Indian stylesshowcasing an architectural excellence that marked the identity of Delhi. The dome of the palace was inspired bythe dome at St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the great stupa at Sanchi. Lutyens added a few elements of Indianarchitecture, like the chattri, as decorative elements. Lutyens also upturned some of the chattris and made theminto fountain bowls that can be seen on the façade of the building. Other elements of Indian architecture thatwere used included some elements which were common in Mughal buildings such as chajjas and jaalis. He alsoused motifs and designs taken from the Red Fort on the railings of the entrance gate to the house. The design ofthe gardens for the Viceroy House was based on the gardens built by the Mughals, all over India.As in Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Secretariat too has a combination of European and indigenous architecturalelements. Like Lutyens, Herbert Baker too also at the mercy of the Viceroy’s constant desire to include Indianarchitectural forms and in this he too tried his best. Elephants support the roofs of his pavilions; Hinduoverhanging arches terminate many of his entrances, and Islamic stone lattice work separates external areas inthe style of that at Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi and Taj Mahal in Agra. However, the semi‐circular arches, theCorinthian columns, and the baroque dome are unmistakably western.As at Viceroy’s House, indigenous architectural forms in the Secretariats were a response to practical climaticneeds, as well as, to the requirements of political symbolism. Baker employed the characteristic Indian features ofthe open canopied chattris which crowned every wing; an ancient royal emblem; the widely overhanging stonechajja; and the intricately carved stone and marble jaali. The Secretariats represented the Grand Manner as Bakerdefined it: a careful avoidance of pilasters and engaged columns, with all surfaces kept simple, shadows deep, andlines fluid.These courts forcefully conjure visions of elegantly harmonious Renaissance palazzi. It is said that the design ofthe North and South Blocks is based on and are similar to the Union buildings in Pretoria in South Africa. ButMughal balustrades and the arches of the middle tier, broader than those below, inject a gentle dissonance of31‐07‐2012 INTACH, Delhi Chapter 6
Medieval And Colonial Capital Cities Of DelhiJUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTIONculture and proportion. The deep, vaulted arcades of Tuscan columns and piers preclude the normal darkness oflong corridors. The other important architectural motifs on the buildings are the beautiful lotus motifs andelephants.In a nod to Mughal architecture, Baker designed the main entrances of both blocks to resemble a traditionalMughal gateway. If you’ve seen the Tomb of Humayun (near Nizamuddin, in Delhi), you’ll note the same detailshere: a small arched doorway, set into a much larger (also arched) gateway. As in Humayun’s Tomb, here toocircular medallions decorate the inner corners of the archway, and a small, ornate balcony projects above theinner door.Lutyens butterfly‐shaped plan for the palaces he designed around Princes’ Park was a variant of a design that hadbeen popular in Britain for more than three decades. Lutyens had already devised a three‐quarter butterfly in1902 at the aptly named Papillon Hall, following the example of Norman Shaw, B.E.S. Prior, and Detmar Blow. AtDelhi, he halved the butterfly to two wings, to achieve an original orientation. Beneath the dome he set a pivotalentrance hall from which the symmetrical wings radiated to an angle of some fifty‐five degrees. In the design forthe palace of the Nizam of Hyderabad, the symmetrical blocks, however, did not reach forward like welcomingarms to contain the forecourt but were swept back, as if to shield the more private quarters from public view. Thedome above the circular salon is used as a symbol of domination visible from afar.Edwin Lutyens used the complete repertoire of his experiences in Rome. The driveway in front of the Hyderabadhouse is clearly reminiscent of the curving garden façade of the Villa Giula in Rome by the sixteenth‐centuryarchitects, Vasari, Vignola and Ammannati. The alternation of round arches and rectangular wall openings, eachwith inset pillars, is found in Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, also from the sixteenth century. The windowfaçade in the upper storey undoubtedly refers to the Museo Nepoleonico in Rome, and, in the final analysis, likethe Durbar Hall, to the Pantheon built in the second century.Hyderabad house is an attractive blend of European and Indian architecture: the semi‐circular arches,unornamented columns, shallow urns and obelisks adorning the façade, are distinctly western. On the other hand,the dome – of the same shape as that on Rashtrapati Bhavan – was inspired by the stupa at Sanchi and the carvedsandstone jaalis of the façade are almost exact replicas of the jaalis at the Red Fort Jaipur house has architecturalelements that run the gamut from Art Deco to traditional Indian. While the dome of Baroda house echoes theSanchi stupa, the rest evidently reflects an Anglo‐Saxon influence.As in the case of the Secretariat, at Parliament House too Baker used a combination of western and Indianarchitectural forms. The dome, the semi‐circular arched windows, and the towering columns of the verandahssurrounding the three chambers on two floors, are European. On the other hand, the geometric patterns thatcomprise the jaalis of the boundary wall and the parapets echo Indo‐Islamic architecture. The capitals of thepillars supporting the portico roof are also very Indian.Lutyens, with all his condescension towards Indian architectural traditions and styles, was to recognize the virtuesof pink sandstone, which the Mughals had used so extensively, and the cream Dholpur sandstone, which hadbeen employed by the Rajputs. Both stand Delhi’s climate excellently. The pink sandstone undergoes subtlechanges of hue, from rose to rhubarb to deep brown depending on the intensity of the light. To the pink stoneconveying authority, the Dholpur stone, more light‐hearted, provides a fine contrast. The pink stone was used bythe architects for the high plinths, the chhajjas (the underside of which was boldly and beautifully decorated inMughal style) and the chattris on the roof. Dholpur stone was used for the walls and pillars and for the parapetabove the chhajjas.The overwhelming aesthetic within which these elements were deployed captured the spirit of syncretismevident in Delhi for many centuries. The resultant colonial architectural style grew from both westernclassicism and Hindu and Islamic forms. The nature and complexity of this style remains unparalleled till today.31‐07‐2012 INTACH, Delhi Chapter 7
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