A majestic sweep of red sandstone buildings housing government ministries overlooking manicured green lawns and an avenue slicing its way t...
A majestic sweep of red sandstone buildings housing government ministries overlooking manicured green lawns and an avenue slicing its way to a lonely war monument. To its left is Parliament House (shaped like a wheel on its side), stately administrative buildings and the National Archives. This landscape of restrained opulence – known as the Central Vista – was designed by the British when they decided to move their imperial headquarters from Calcutta costto Delhi in 1911.
It seems to reach further back, however, drawing its monumental presence from a hoary, indeterminate past and projecting it into the eternal future, a timeless performance of power.
In all likelihood, this historic, internationally renowned architectural panorama will look very different by the time India’s 75th anniversary in August 2022 rolls around if the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to redesign it goes ahead as planned.
The Rs 971-crore project was green-lighted recently by the housing ministry amid widespread consternation. Urban planners, architects, designers, artists, journalists, scholars and politicians deplored the extravagance amidst a pandemic and alleged favouritism in the choice of a consultant and raged against the government’s cavalier approach to history and aesthetics.
The liberal intelligentsia does not trust Narendra Modi. The mistrust can be traced back to...
