IMPERIAL DELHI

By: bhanu khanna

rahul puri

Submiited by:
bhanu khanna 21008/2k10
rahul puri
21021/2k10

Rajpath ; meaning "King's Way" is the ceremonial boulevard in New Delhi, India, that runs from Rashtrapati
Bhavan on Raisina Hill through Vijay Chowk and India Gate to National Stadium, Delhi. The avenue is lined on both sides by huge
lawns, canals and rows of trees. Considered to be one of the most important roads in India, it is where the annual Republic Day
parade takes place on 26 January. Janpath crosses the road. Rajpath runs in east-west direction. Roads from Connaught Place, the
financial centre of Delhi, run into Rajpath from north.
After climbing Raisina Hill, Rajpath is flanked by the North and South Blocks of the Secretariat Building. Finally it ends at the gates
of Rashtrapati Bhavan. At Vijay Chowk it crosses Sansad Marg, and the Parliament House of India can be seen to the right when
coming from the India Gate.
Rajpath itself is the road used on 26 January each year for India's Republic Day Parade. The celebrations of India becoming a
republic take place with a showcase of India's cultural diversity and military might. It is also used for funeral processions of key
political leaders of India.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India. It was the Viceroy's residence before India got its
independence from Britain.
North Block and South Block, also called the Secretariat Building. North Block houses the offices of Finance and Home ministries.
South Block hosts External affairs and Defense ministries. Other important offices like some of the Prime Ministers Offices are also
in the Secretariat Buildings.

GOVERNMENT COMPLX
BUNGLOW ZONE

COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

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bhanu khanna 21008/2k10
rahul puri
21021/2k10

Lutyens had initially designed Delhi with all the streets

crossing at right angles, much like in New York. However,
Lord Hardinge told him of the dust storms that sweep the
landscape in these parts, insisting on roundabouts, hedges
and trees to break their force, giving him the plans of Rome,
Paris and Washington to study and apply to Delhi. The plan
reflects Lutyens transcendent fervour for geometric
symmetry, which is expressed through amazing sequences
of triangles and hexagons, through sightlines and axes.

The layout of Lutyens Delhi was governed by three major

visual corridors, linking the government complex with :
Jama Masjid
Indraprastha
Safdarjungs Tomb

Lutyens plan is also remarkable for the generous

green spaces,lawns, watercourses, flower and
fruit-bearing trees, and their integration with the
parks developed around monuments. The attempt
was to include all natural and historical wonders in
the new city.
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bhanu khanna 21008/2k10
rahul puri
21021/2k10

1. Lutyens laid out the central administrative area of the city.

2. At the heart of the city was the impressive Rashtrapati Bhawan,
located on the top of Raisina Hill. The Rajpath connects India Gate to
Rashtrapati Bhawan, while Janpath, which crosses it at a right angle,
connects South end with Connaught Place.
3. The Secretariat Building, which houses various ministries of the
Government of India including Prime Minister's Office are beside
the Rashtrapati Bhawan and were designed by Herbert Baker.
4. Also designed by Baker was the Parliament House, located on the
Sansad Marg, running parallel with the Rajpath.
Besides the major Pathway, there were extremely wide avenues. The
original design of the road network was capable of accommodating 6000
vehicles, however these avenues, had the potential of increasing their
carriageway-the reason why the road layout has survived till today. The
road network consisted of diagonals and radials, at 30 degree/ 60
degree angles to the main axis, forming triangles and hexagons.The
Secretariat Building was designed by architect Herbert Baker in IndoSaracenic Revival architecture.Much of the building is in classical
architectural style, yet it incorporated Mughal and Rajasthani
architecture style and motifs in its architecture.These are visible in the
use of Jali. Another feature of the building is a dome-like structure
known as the Chatri.

THICK BAND
JALIS/JHROKA
BUDDHIST
DOME
THICK BAND
JALIS/JHROKA

BUDDHIST
DOME
THICK BAND
JALIS/JHROKA
Its eastern and southern margins
were studded with monuments of
vanished empires. A broad crescent
from Shahjahanabad and Kotla Firoz
Shah, south to Tughlaqabad and the
Qutub with tombs of Safdarjung and
Lodhis as well as Jantar Mantar in It was a well drained.
the foreground could be viewed Constituted of slopes
and plains between the
from the site.
ridge and the river.

The use of the red and pink Sandstones for all

imperial buildings is also in sink with the royal
features of Indian architecture influenced by
Mughal and Rajasthani culture. The indo
saraenic architecture & Lutyens inspiration of
roman architecture in form of ribbed domes
and monumental scale can also be seen.

The
style
of
architecture used in
Secretariat Building is
unique to Raisina Hill.
In front of the main
gates on buildings are
the four "dominion
columns", given by
Canada,
Australia,
New Zealand and
South Africa.

In this whole process almost no attention was paid

to the problems of Old Delhi. As the creation of
New Delhi, Old Delhi experienced a 28% surge in
population as large no. of skilled and unskilled
workers which immigrated, from 1916-1926
resulting in the spilling over of the population
from inside the walled city to the Paharganj area,
whose restructuring was later abandoned by
Lutyens due to resource constraints. This
negligence of the planners towards Old Delhi
resulted in its transformation to a large slum area.

Lutyens Bungalow Zone is spread over 2,800-hectare area with bungalows for government
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officials and their administrative offices, during the British Raj. It stretches up to Lodhi Road.

Bhanu Khanna 21008/2k10

Rahul Puri

21021/2k10