Government of India
During the colonial era, leading British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker envisaged the Central Vista complex as the centre of administration in India to house all facilities needed for efficient functioning of the Government. It was inaugurated in 1931 and comprised of the buildings, namely Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North and South Blocks and the Record Office (later named as The National Archives), along with the India Gate monument and the civic gardens on either side of the Rajpath. The plan was designed using traditional urban planning instruments, featuring a strong axis, an emphasised focal point, formation of important nodes, and a definitive termination point. At the time, it was one of the largest projects of its kind in the world, conceived and designed to reflect the spirit, progress and global importance of India.
Indian influences marked the overall design of the Central Vista. It comprised the use of red and beige sandstone, which had been used for the monumental architecture of Delhi since the 13th century; the modelling of the dome of Viceroy’s House on the Great Stupa at Sanchi; ancient Indian bell capitals for the Pillars of Dominion placed between the Secretariat Blocks; and countless features of Indian architecture – jalis (pierced stone screens), chhajas (projecting overhangs), chhatris (pillared cupolas), and more.
Lord Hardinge, the Viceroy of India at the time, assembled a Town Planning Committee to advise on the planning and design of the new capital.
The Town Planning Committee was set up in order to search the site for setting the new Capital.
A suitable location was found south of Shahjahanabad, between the village of Malcha and a sixteenth-century fortress known as Purana Qila.
Building the new capital city required extensive alterations to the existing terrain, including flattening the hillocks and altering the natural landscape.
The Government of British India appointed Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker as the architects for designing the imperial buildings, in 1913.
The debate over styles resulted in Lutyens developing a composite style - "western architecture with an oriental motif."
An archived drawing of the original design for the Central Vista consists of a series of symmetrically laid out office buildings on either side of the Central Avenue. This design was never fully executed.
The original set of Lutyens-Baker buildings were designed and constructed over two decades, from 1911 to 1931.
The new capital of the Raj was completed in 1929, and it was inaugurated in 1931. It was a spectacular architectural achievement of its time and remains so even today.
The Delhi Town Planning Committee was set up in 1912 to plan, develop and design the major buildings like the Viceroy’s House, the Secretariat buildings and other structural works connected with the aesthetics of the new city. Edwin Lutyens became a member of this committee in March 1912.
The Delhi Town Planning Committee prepared a layout, which divided the new capital into three main categories. The first category focused on the buildings that the Government would provide before the new city became the seat of the government, the second focused on the buildings that the Government could add later on to the new city and the third included the buildings that were to be constructed by private agencies. Priority was given to the first category and major projects that fell under this were:
At its inauguration in 1931, New Delhi comprised the Viceroy’s House, the Secretariats, Council House, Records Office, All India War Memorial, the ceremonial avenue, gardens, and a few bungalows. The new capital was carved out from undivided Punjab province.
At the top of the hill was the Viceroy’s House, accompanied by meticulously designed Mughal gardens across a vast estate. This is the largest residence for a head of state anywhere in the world.
To emphasise the dominance of the British Empire, the grand administrative buildings (North and South Blocks) were placed atop the hill, alongside the Viceroy’s house.
The Council House was originally planned to be included as part of the Viceroy’s House. However, due to changes in structure of governance, a much larger space was needed. It could not be placed on top of the hill due to space constraints.
The arched gateway at the Eastern end of the Kingsway stands as a memorial to 70,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the First World War.
Additions are made during World War II, when the armed forces are permitted to build barracks (extreme right). These are meant to be temporary structures.
This archived plan from 1945 shows all the plots where temporary barracks, later known as ‘hutments’, were erected during the War.
On August 15, 1947, India became an independent Dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations. This made headlines in newspapers all across the world.
The Viceroy’s House bore witness to the historic transfer of power on August 15, 1947, with Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru becoming the first Prime Minister of independent India. Today it is known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Mountbattens left their official residence on August 15, 1947, marking the end of the British Raj in India.
Indians gathered at the Imperial buildings in New Delhi in huge numbers, to celebrate their freedom.
The imperial buildings were unhesitatingly embraced and appropriated by the people of India as the seat of the Government of India.
Like the Secretariat's two blocks, the Union Building is marked by two identical wings with two towers. The colonnaded balconies too, are an exact copy of the Union Building. The major difference between the two are that while the North and South Blocks are separated and face each other, the two wings of the Union Building are joined by a semi-circular colonnade. Post-independence, the Secretariat buildings were adapted and re-purposed to house all the ministries of the Government of India.
The Parliament House designed by Herbert Baker, was initially not a separate building but a part of the Government House itself. It was called the Council Chamber. With an increase in the number of members, the Government felt the need to create a bigger building. The Council House was adopted as the seat of Indian Parliament and the Constitution of India was drafted here. At a distance of 750 meters from Rashtrapati Bhavan, it is located on Sansad Marg which crosses the Central Vista Avenue and is surrounded by the India Gate, National War Memorial, Prime Minister's Office, Secretariat buildings and other administrative units of the Government of India. Photograph shows the President’s guard outside the Parliament House during a session in 1977.
The first parade was held in 1950, and it has been held every year since then. Central Vista Avenue became the permanent setting for the Republic Day Parade in 1955. To mark the importance of the Republic Day, every year a grand parade is held from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, along the Rajpath, till India Gate. Prior to its commencement, the Prime Minister lays a floral wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, a memorial for the soldiers who gave their supreme sacrifice at the National War Memorial at one end of Rajpath, which is followed by two minutes silence. It is a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for their country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defence of sovereignty of India, as well as in UN peacekeeping operations and disaster relief work abroad.
The Beating Retreat Ceremony in India officially denotes the end of Republic Day festivities. The ceremony was started in the early 1950s when Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited India for the first time after independence. It is conducted on the evening of 29th January, the third day after the Republic Day and is organized by the Ministry of Defence. Performances are staged by the bands of the Army, Navy and Air Force,. Additionally, from 2016, bands of the Central Armed Police Forces and the Delhi Police also participate in the ceremony.
The Central Vista Avenue comprises of Rajpath and India Gate lawns. Rajpath is a ceremonial boulevard, that runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill through Vijay Chowk and India Gate, National War Memorial to National Stadium. The Avenue is lined on both sides by lawns, canals and rows of trees. Considered to be one of the most important roads in Delhi, it is where the annual Republic Day parade takes place on 26 January. Initially, the road was named King's Way (or Kingsway), in honour of the Emperor of India George V, who had visited Delhi during the Durbar of 1911, where he formally proclaimed the decision to move the capital. Post-independence, the road was given its Hindi name, 'Rajpath'.
The imperial buildings at the Central Vista Avenue continue to serve as an important space for Indian diplomacy.
New office buildings have been added over the course of time to meet the growing demands for administrative space. Over the course of time, some hutments have been converted to office use. Originally meant to be temporary in nature, these hutments have served their intended administrative purposes. Over the period of time, the buildings have surpassed their full capacities, leading to over-crowding of the spaces. The present structure and layouts leave little room for any modern and efficient upgradations.