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NEW
DELHI - INDIA
Connaught Place New Delhi
CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE
Situated along the Yamba River, New Delhi was built by the British in the
1930's and is the
youngest of several historic cities that have occupied the
site. Now a noisy and chaotic metropolis
of 14 million people and a melange of
shanty settlements and smart colonies, it is still dotted with
the remains of
its interesting past. Delhi is a major cultural centre of the country with
music, dance
and art events held throughout the year.
The iron gates of "Rashtrapati Bhavan", which lead to the Presidential Residence
were modeled
by Edwin Landseer Lutyens (1869 - 1944) on a pair he saw in
Chiswick, England. Edwin
Lutyens was President of the Royal Academy
from 1938 to 1944. He was commissioned to
design India's new capital in 1911. It
took him 20 years to build the city in a unique style that
combined Western
Classicism with Indian decorative motifs. The result is classical in form and
English in manner.
At the eastern end of Raijpath, the 30 ft wide India gate was built to
commemorate the Indian and
British soldiers who dies in World War I and those who fell in battle in the
North-West Frontier
Province and the Third Afghan War. An eternal flame burns in memory of unknown
soldiers died
in 1971 Indo Pakistan war.
"A person who misses a chance and the monkey who misses its branch can't be
saved"
- Indian Proverb
Qutbuddin Aibak laid the foundation of the Delhi Sultanateand in 1193 he built
the Quwwat-ul-Islam
("the might of Islam") Mosque and the Qutb Minar to announce
the advent of the Muslim Sultans.
Hindu motifs such as tasseled ropes and bells,
are clearly visible on the carved pillars of this mosque.
The Bahai Temple is a world where silence and order prevails. The arresting
shape of its unfurling
27-petalled white marble lotus has given its more popular
name; The Lotus temple. The edifice,
circled by nine pools and 27 acres of green
manicured lawns is one of Delhi's most innovative
structures. The building which
was constructed from 1980-1986 is reminiscent of The Sydney
Opera House. The
temple was designed by Iranian Architect, Fariburz Sahba.
The Taj Mahal is one of the world's most famous buildings which commemorates
both the the
Mughal Emporor Shah Jahan, and Mumataz Mahal, his favorite wife.
Its perfect proportions and
exquisite craftsmanship have been described as "a
prayer, a vision, a dream, a poem, a wonder."
This sublime garden-tomb, an image
of the Islamic garden of paradise, cost nearly 41 million
rupees and 500 kilos
of gold. Around 20,000 workers laboured for almost 22 years to complete
it in
1693. Yes - it really is a beautiful as people say!
The Secretariat Building was designed by the British Architect, Herbert
Baker. The building is
influenced by both Moghul and Rajputana styles of
Architecture. Examples include the use of Jali -
decorated screens, Chajia -
screens slanting outside from a building to protect from scorching sun
and
monsoon rains of India. Another feature of the building is the dome-like
structure known as
Chatri, a design unique to India, used in ancient times to
give relief to travelers by providing shade
from the hot Indian sun. The style
of architecture used in The Secretariat Building is unique to
Raisina Hill. The
building houses the Ministries of Defence, Finance, External Affairs, Home
Affairs and The Prime Ministers Office. There are two buildings: The North Block
and South
Block which both flank Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Supreme Court of India is the highest court in the country and moved to the
current building in
1958. The building is shaped to project the image of the
scales of justice with the Central Wing
(above) corresponding to the centre beam
of the scales. In 1979, two new wings - the East Wing
and West Wing
- were added
to the complex. In all there 15 Court Rooms in various wings of
the building.
The Chief Justice's Court is the largest of the Courts located in the centre of
the
Central Wing.
Designed by Edwin Lutyens to be the focal point of new delhi during british
rule, the house built for
the Viceroy, which is today the President of India's
official residence, stands at the crest of Raisina
Hill.
This 20th-century
architectural masterpiece covers an area of 4.5 acres of land. The cupola of
its
copper and sandstone dome rises 55m above the ground.
The prominent industrialist G D Birda built this temple dedicated to Lakshmi
Narayan in 1938.
Mahatma
Gandhi attened its first puja as this was among the
country's first temples that had no
caste restrictions.
Popularly known as Birda
Mandir, it is a fairly typical example of
contemporary Indian Temple
architecture.
Approached by a flight of marble stairs, the main
shrine has
images of Vishnu and his consort, Lakshmi. It is surmounted by ochre and maroon
towers. Subsidiary shrines dedicated to Radha-Krishna, Hunuman, Shiva and Durga
are set
around the courtyard.
Humayan the second Mughal Emperor is buried in this tomb, the first great
example of a Mughal
garden tomb
and inspiration for several later monuments,
such as the incomparable Taj Mahal.
Built in 1565 by a Persian
architect Mirak
Mirza Ghiyas, it was commissioned by Humayan's senior
widow, Haji Begum. Often
called a "dormitory of the House of Timur", the graves in its chambers
include Humayun's wives and dara Shikoh,
Shah Jahan's scholarly son.
This imposing red sandstone gateway, called the Lahore Gate, is the main
entrance to Red Fort. The prime
Minister
addresses the independence Day rally
here.
Hyderabad House gates were designed by Edwin Lutyens as part of the residence
for the Nizam of
the erstwhile
kingdom of Hyderabad. The need for a residence in
Delhi arose because the most
important traditional rulers
(maharajas) of Indian
states were inducted in 1919 into a Chamber of princes
and therefore had to come
to Delhi.
It is now used for most important government meetings, visitors
and
media events.
Nearly 14 million people reside in Delhi. Some people live well and others not
so well !
The need for a museum of Modern Art was felt for the first time in an Art
Conference held in
Calcutta in
1949. As a result the National Gallery of Modern
Art was started on 29 March,
1954, at Jjaipur House,
near the India gate, New
Delhi. The Gallery is the premier institution
of its kind in India. It is run as
a subordinate
office to the Department of Culture..
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