OF PAST, POWER AND PRIDE…
Lutyens’ Delhi has been like a bijou in the city’s architecture for the best part of the century, since the inception of the project in 1912. Giving a detailed archival insight into its grandiose is an ongoing online photo exhibition on lutyenstrustexhibitions.org. uk. In its section dedicated to the Indian Capital, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, originally built as home to the British Viceroy and completed in 1929, gets special attention. Now, the residence of President Pranab Mukherjee, one can see uncommon images of the building from its construction days that lasted 17 years, starting 1912. The assemblage of photos also ranges from seizing the building from different angles, to highlighting the adjoining Jaipur Column and the Mughal Gardens.
Also, captured in the Delhi section are India Gate, Vijay Chowk, King George V memorial, Baroda House and Hyderabad House. The trust brings together photographs collected over 10 years. Professor AG Krishna Menon, a conservation consultant, who is also associated with the trust, says, “These pictures from the archives have not been seen before. They are quite revelatory and have a tremendous charm after so many years.”