Immediately in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan is the "Jaipur Column", topped by a star.

Rashtrapati Bhavan (Sanskrit for 'President House / Presidential Palace') is the official residence of the President of India, located in New Delhi, Delhi, India. Until 1950 it was known as "Viceroy's House" and served as the residence of the Governor-General of India. It is at the heart of an area known as Lutyens' Delhi. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 1561 KB) Description: The Rashtrapati Bhavan Source: photo taken by User:Deepak Date: 26th December 2005 Permission: User:Deepak released it on 27th December 2005 under CC-BY-SA-2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 1561 KB) Description: The Rashtrapati Bhavan Source: photo taken by User:Deepak Date: 26th December 2005 Permission: User:Deepak released it on 27th December 2005 under CC-BY-SA-2. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... // An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside. ... The President of India (Hindi: Rashtrapati) is the head of state and first citizen of India and the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces. ... , This article is about the urban region that is the capital of India. ... For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Governor-Generals Flag (1885–1947) depicted the Star of India on a Union Flag. ... View of Rashtrapati Bhavan with the Jaipur Column in the foreground, in Lutyens Delhi. ...

Design

During the Delhi Durbar year of 1911, it was decided that the capital of India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. This was announced on December 12 by King George V. As the plan for New Delhi took shape, the Governor-General's residence was given an enormous scale and prominent position. The British architect Edwin Landseer Lutyens, a key member of the city-planning process, was also given the prime architectural opportunity of designing the building. Delhi Durbar means Court of Delhi which took place in 1911. ... Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article is on Calcutta/Kolkata, the city. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... , This article is about the urban region that is the capital of India. ... Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens OM (March 29, 1869 - January 1, 1944), was arguably the greatest British architect of the 20th century (some have said the greatest since Wren, others, simply, the greatest). ...

The original plans of the viceroy’s house called for something which would be a mixture between western and eastern styles. There were some who wanted the palace to be a classically designed one, in the tradition of the Greeks. This would clearly show western power in India. Others desired a palace which would be modelled on Indian architecture. It was also suggested for various degrees of mixing the two styles. The Viceroy declared that the palace was to be classical, but with an Indian motif. This was what the design eventually developed into. The palace developed very similarly to the original sketches which Lutyens sent Baker from Shimla on June 14 1912. Lutyens' design is grandly classical overall, with colors and details inspired by Indian architecture. From the point of view of modern times, the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean sometimes seem to blend smoothly into one melange we call the Classical. ... , Shimla   (Hindi: िशमला, Urdu: شملہ), originally called Simla, is a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Lutyens and Baker who had been assigned to work on the Viceroy’s House and the Secretariats, began on friendly terms, although they later quarrelled. Baker had been assigned to work on the two secretariat buildings which were in front of Viceroy’s House. Early on in the design process, Viceroy’s House was decided to be moved from the original position on the top of Raisina Hill. The original plan was to have Viceroy’s House on the top of the hill, with the secretariats lower down. It was decided to move it back 400 yards, and put both buildings on top of the plateau. While Lutyens wanted the Viceroy’s house to go higher up, he was forced to move it back from the intended position due to a dispute with Baker. Following the completion of the palace, Lutyens fought with Baker, because the view of the front of the palace was obscured by the high angle of the road. For other uses, see Plateau (disambiguation). ...

Lutyens regarded this as his ‘Bakerloo’ (a reference to Waterloo) because he campaigned for its fixing, but was not able to get it to be changed. Lutyens wanted to make a long inclined grade all the way to Viceroy’s house with retaining walls either side. While this would give a view of the house from further back, it would also cut through the square between the secretariat buildings. The committee with Lutyens and Baker established in January 1914 said the grade was to be no steeper than 1 in 25, though it eventually was changed to 1 in 22, a steeper gradient which made it more difficult to see the Viceroy’s palace. While Lutyens knew about the gradient, and the possibility that the Viceroy’s palace would be obscured by the road, it is thought that Lutyens did not fully realise how much the front of the house would not be visible. In 1916 the Imperial Delhi committee dismissed Lutyens’ proposal to alter the gradient. Lutyens thought Baker was more concerned with making money and pleasing the government, rather than focusing on making a good architectural design. Combatants First French Empire Seventh Coalition: United Kingdom Kingdom of Prussia Kingdom of the United Netherlands Kingdom of Hanover Duchy of Nassau Duchy of Brunswick Commanders Napoleon Bonaparte, Michel Ney Duke of Wellington, Gebhard von Blücher Prince William of Orange Strength 73,000 67,000 Coalition 60,000 Prussian...

Lutyens travelled between India and England almost every year for twenty years, to work on the building of the Viceroy’s house in both countries. Lutyens had to reduce the building size from 13 to 8.5 million cubic feet because of the budget restrictions of Lord Hardinge. While he had demanded that costs be cut, he nevertheless wanted the house to retain a certain amount of ceremonial grandeur.

Indian designs

The anciliary dome-like structure on top of the building is known as a Chuttri, an integral part of Indian architectural design.

Various Indian designs were added to the building. These included several circular stone basins on the top of the palace, as water features are an important part of Indian architecture. There was also a traditional Indian chujja or chhajja, which took the place of a frieze in classical architecture; it was a sharp, thin, protruding element which extended 8 feet from the building, and created deep shadows. It stopped harsh sunlight from getting to the windows, and also stopped rain during a monsoon season. On the roofline were several chuttris, which helped to break up the look of the flat part of the roofline not covered by the dome. Lutyens appropriated some Indian designs, but used them sparingly and effectively throughout the palace. There were also statues of elephants and fountain sculptures of cobras in the gardens. There were grilles made from red sandstone, called jalis or jaalis. These jalis were inspired by Indian design. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2085 KB) Description: The Rashtrapati Bhavan Source: photo taken by User:Deepak Date: 26th December 2005 Permission: User:Deepak released it on 26th December 2005 under CC-BY-SA-2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2085 KB) Description: The Rashtrapati Bhavan Source: photo taken by User:Deepak Date: 26th December 2005 Permission: User:Deepak released it on 26th December 2005 under CC-BY-SA-2. ... View of Chhatri (Cenotaph) of Scindia Rulers at Shivpuri,India Chhatris mounted atop each corner of the Diwan-i-Khas in the Fatehpur Sikri compound, India Chhatris are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indian architecture, or funerary sites in India which have such structures built over... The tomb of Salim Chishti in Fatehpur Sikri (India) exhibiting a deep chhajja following the perimeter of the building supported with elaborate brackets Chhajja is the term for projecting eaves or cover usually supported on large carved brackets, as used in Indian architecture (especially Mughal). ... The tomb of Salim Chishti in Fatehpur Sikri (India) exhibiting a deep chhajja following the perimeter of the building supported with elaborate brackets Chhajja is the term for projecting eaves or cover usually supported on large carved brackets, as used in Indian architecture (especially Mughal). ... Frieze of the Tower of the Winds. ... View of Chhatri (Cenotaph) of Scindia Rulers at Shivpuri,India Chhatris mounted atop each corner of the Diwan-i-Khas in the Fatehpur Sikri compound, India Chhatris are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indian architecture, or funerary sites in India which have such structures built over... One of the famous intricate jaalis from the Sidi Saiyyed mosque in Ahmedabad, India A jaali is the term for a perforated stone screen, usually with an ornamental pattern, as used in Indian architecture. ...

The front of the palace, on the east side, has twelve unevenly spaced columns with the Delhi order capitals. These capitals have a fusion of acanthus leaves with the four pendant Indian bells. The Indian temple bells are a part of the culture of Indian religions, such as Hindu and Buddhist, the idea coming from a Jain temple at Moodabidri in Karnataka. One bell is on each corner at the top of the column. It was said that as the bells were silent British rule in India would not end. The front of the palace does not have windows, except for the wings at the sides. The acanthus is an ornament in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders that depicts or resembles foliage of the acanthus plant. ... A bell is a simple sound-making device. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... JAIN is an activity within the Java Community Process, developing APIs for the creation of telephony (voice and data) services. ... Moodabidri as an ancient center of jain learning is referred to as Jain Kashi. This small town is 37 kms northeast of the head quarter Mangalore of the Dakshin Kannada district. ... , Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ...

Lutyens put several small personal touches to the house, such as an area in the garden walls and two ventilator windows on the stateroom to look like the glasses which he wore.

Viceregal Lodge was largely completed by 1929, and (along with the rest of New Delhi) officially inaugurated in 1931. It is interesting to note that the building which was completed in seventeen years and on the eighteenth year of its completion India became independent. Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

After Indian independence in 1947, the now ceremonial governor-general continued to live there, being succeeded by the president in 1950 when India became a republic and the house was renamed "Rashtrapati Bhavan." Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The dome, though claimed by Lutyens to be inspired by the Pantheon of Rome, is primarily derived from the Sanchi Stupa built during the Mauryan times.^{[citation needed]} There is also the presence of Mughal and European colonial architectural elements. Overall the structure is distinctly different from other comtemporary British Colonial symbols. It has 340 decorated rooms and a floor area of 200,000 square feet (19,000 m²). The structures includes 700 million bricks and 3 million cubic feet (85,000 m³) of stone, with only minimal usage of steel. Facade of the Pantheon The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon[1], from Greek Πάνθεον Pantheon, meaning Temple of all the gods) is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to the seven deities of the seven planets in the state religion of Ancient Rome. ... The Great Stupa at Sanchi Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE. The Mauryan empire was Indias first great unified empire. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Layout

The North Block flanks out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The layout of the palace is designed around a massive square, although there are many courtyards and open inner areas within. There are separate wings for the Viceroy, and another wing for guests. The Viceroy’s wing is a separate four-storey house in itself, with its own court areas within. The wing was so large that the first president of India decided not to stay there, staying in the guest wing, a tradition which was followed by subsequent presidents. At the centre of the main part of the palace, underneath the main dome, is Durbar’s Hall, which was known as the Throne Room during British rule when it had thrones for the Viceroy and his wife. we The interior of this room and almost all the rooms of the palace are bare, relying on the stonework and shapes to show an austerity rather than intricate decoration. In the hall, the columns are made ineeeee‘Delhi’ order which combines vertical lines with the motif of a bell. The vertical lines from the column were also used in the frieze around the room, which could not have been done with one of the traditional Greek orders of columns. The hall has a 2-ton chandelier which hangs from a 33-metre height. On each of the four corners of the hall is a room, including two state drawing rooms, a state supper room and the state library. There are also other rooms such as many loggias (galleries with open air on one side) which face out into the courtyards, a large dining hall with an extremely long table, sitting rooms, billiards rooms, and a large ball room, and staircases. Water features are also through the palace, such as near the Viceroy’s stairs, which has eight marble lions spilling water into six basins. The lions symbolise Britain, as the lion was often used for this purpose. There is also an open area in one room to the sky, which lets in much of the natural light. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 407 KB) Description: The North Block Source: photo taken by User:Deepak Date: 26th December 2005 Permission: User:Deepak released it on 27th December 2005 under CC-BY-SA-2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 407 KB) Description: The North Block Source: photo taken by User:Deepak Date: 26th December 2005 Permission: User:Deepak released it on 27th December 2005 under CC-BY-SA-2. ... Situated on Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India Secretariat Building is a set of two buildings on the opposite side of Rajpath that are home to many important Ministries of the Government of India. ... A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. ... For other uses, see Wing (disambiguation). ...

Dome

The dome in the middle involved a mixture of Indian and British styles. In the centre was a tall copper dome surmounted on top of a drum, which stands out from the rest of the building, due to its height. The dome is exactly in the middle of the diagonals between the four corners of the building. The dome is more than twice the height of the rest of the building. The height of the dome was raised by Lord Hardinge in the plan of the building in 1913. The dome combines classical and Indian styles. Lutyens said the design evolved from that of the Pantheon in Rome, while it is also possible that it was modelled after the great Stupa at Sanchi. A porch goes around the dome with evenly spaced columns which support the dome, with an open area between the columns. Because this goes the whole way round, it makes the dome appear from any angle that it is ‘floating’ as seen in the heat haze of Delhi. The reinforced concrete shell of the outer dome began to take shape near the start of 1929. The last stone of the dome was laid on April 6 1929. However the copper casing of the dome was not laid until 1930. This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... For other uses, see Copper (disambiguation). ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Location

Main article: Prakash Vir Shastri Avenue

The main entrance to Rashtrapati Bhavan is known as Gate 35, and is located on Prakash Vir Shastri Avenue, renamed from North Avenue in November of 2002, as a memorial to the politician of the namesake who served here during his tenure as a Member of Parliament for the state of Uttar Pradesh.^[1] Prakash Vir Shastri Avenue is an urban street road in New Delhi, known for spanning the majority of the city and classically housing the city Members of Parliament for the state of Uttar Pradesh. ... Prakash Vir Shastri Avenue is an urban street road in New Delhi, known for spanning the majority of the city and classically housing the city Members of Parliament for the state of Uttar Pradesh. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... , Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: , Urdu: , translation: Northern Province, IPA: ,  ), [often referred to as U.P.], located in central-south Asia and northern India, is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Republic of India. ...

Trivia

• The President of India does not occupy the suites, now called Ashoka room, occupied by the Viceroys. Instead they occupy one of the guest bedrooms. The First Indian Governor General, C Rajagopalachari, considered the master bedroom too ostentatious for his humble tastes. All Presidents thereafter have followed the tradition.
• The Rashtrapati Bhavan is the biggest residence of any President in the world.
• The Rose Garden in Rashtrapati Bhavan displays numerous types of roses and is open to public in February every year.
• No steel was used to construct the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The palace has more than 350 Rooms.
• The song Des Rangila from Fanaa was shot, infact at the real Rashtrapati Bhavan including its rehearsal scenes.

It has been suggested that Fana be merged into this article or section. ...

See also

• Government Houses of India
• Government Houses of the British Empire

Following is a list of Government Houses of India, that have had their origins in the British Raj: Rashtrapati Bhavan Writers Building Category: ... Government House is the name usually given to the residence of Governors-General, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in the Commonwealth and the British Empire. ...

References

1. ^ ANMC 21 is airborne with grandiose plans. Tribune News Service (November 22, 2003).

• Davies, P. (1985). Splendours of the Raj: British Architecture in India, 1660 to 1947, John Murray Ltd, London.
• Gradidge, R. (1981). Edwin Lutyens, Architect Laureate, George Allen & Unwin, London.
• Irving, R. (1981). Indian Summer: Lutyens, Baker, and Imperial Delhi, Yale University Press, New Haven.
• Nath, A. (2002). Dome over India: Rashtrapati Bhevan, India Book House Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.

is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Murray is a British publishing house, renowned for the roster of authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, and Charles Darwin. ... ... Yale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Rashtrapati Bhavan

• President of India: Rashtrapati Bhavan
• Satellite picture by Google Maps
• http://www.cs.jhu.edu/~bagchi/delhi/writing/lutyens.html
• She does Chandigarh proud, Research on Rashtrapati Bhavan architecture; Vani Bahl

Coordinates: 28.614342° N 77.199804° E Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...