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| India gate is a memorial to the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British army |
Ruled by some of the most powerful emperors in the Mughal history, Delhi came under the British rule in 1803. In 1911, the capital of India was shifted from Kolkata (then Calcutta) to Delhi, due to an order passed by King George V. From 1912 to 1931, Sir Edwin Lutyens was responsible for creating Delhi into the imperial capital of the nation under the British Raj, combining the local tradition and colonial architecture. It was the time when architect Lutyens would create a brand new city on Raisina Hill, which would later become the new address of all major government buildings of independent India. According to Deepak Vig, owner, Dolphin Travels the Mughals took India to the zenith of architecture but the British added finesse.
Overlooking the Mughal gardens, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, currently the residence of the Indian President, once served as the residence of the Viceroy of India. One of the best known monuments of the British Empire, it still remains the best creation of architect Lutyens. The Ashoka Hall, commissioned by Lady Wellingdon, with painted ceilings depicts a royal expedition. Alongside this is the Marble Hall, filled with distinctive art work like statues of King George V and Queen Mary. The room is also filled with portraits of former governors and heads of state and also has perched on satin red cushion a brass replica of the queen’s crown.
Comprising of three semicircular chambers, Parliament House, also known as Sansad Bhavan was designed for the Chamber of Princes, the Council of State and the Legislative Assembly, and now houses the chambers of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and a library. Earlier called the Circular House, it was also the original base for the Supreme Court of India.
The India Gate, standing 42 m high at the centre of New Delhi, commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British army during the First World War and bears the names of more than 13,000 British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919. In memory of the officers and soldiers, British and native of the Delhi Field Force, who were killed in action during the first war of Indian Independence in 1857, The Mutiny Memorial tower was built by the British in 1863. All around the octagonal tapering tower of red sandstone now known as Ajitgarh, there are many plaques on the walls mentioning names and ranks of soldiers who fought for the British in the War of 1857. St Martin’s Garrison Church, located in the heart of Delhi cantonment, was built for the armed military personnel, externally looking like a fort, with its buttresses and parapets.
Colonial heritage hotels
“With more and more visitors choosing to spend their Delhi vacation in great style and luxury, the demand for the heritage hotels in New Delhi is on the rise. Most of them are located close to tourist attractions and major business areas in the city,” stated Vig. The Oberoi Maidens, next to the banks of Yamuna, overlooks the historical sites like the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. Built in 1900s by the British, it was also the venue to a ball hosted in honour of the Duke of Windsor in the year 1927. The heritage property, Vivanta by Taj – Ambassador, constructed in 1945 by colonial architect Walter George was designed in a seamless blend of British and Indian architectural patterns. The Imperial Hotel at Janpath, opened in 1936, was named by Lady Willingdon. Claridges Hotel exists since the 1950s.
