Raj Path-Delhi

The Raj Path or the Imperial Path in Delhi is the crown jewel of the Edwin Lutyen's New Delhi, the eight city of Delhi. Lutyen's was commissioned by the British to design a city to replace the port city of Calcutta as the seat of the government in India in 1912. New Delhi lies southwest to the Old City and the Red Fort. At the transition from the Old Delhi to New Delhi lies the grand columned market of Connaught Place.

One rather overcast and foggy Delhi morning, I decide to undertake the exploration to Jan Path. As the morning progresses, the fog clears up a bit and off we went.
In contrast to the narrow streets of Old Delhi, the boulevards of New Delhi are grand tree lined avenues. British and Indian architecture approach public space differently. Traditional Indian houses or havelis are inward looking, the spaces of the family opening into a courtyard, a layout designed for protection from the brutal summer sun and to facilitate natural ventilation, as well as to provide privacy for the women in purdah. The British bungalow in contrast sits on a large plot with the open space or the garden in front. There are no real suprises or unfolding of layers.

The yearly Independence Day parade takes place along the Raj Path.

The vista of the Raj Path terminates at one end with the Rashtrapati Bhavan, a palatial building with 340 rooms, that was originally built to be the residence of the British Viceroy in India. After Independence, it became the house of residence of the President of the Republic of India.

There is no parking for inquisitive tourists at the Raj Path. So, I was dropped off to click away in the time span that it took for the driver to circle around a block or two and pick me up.

Outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan, autorickshaws acted as conveyer belts for some brightly clothed firangs as they deposited them at the gates and sped off.

The movement towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan is up an incline, the Rai Sena hill, representative of the British ladder of power. On two sides are the mirrored North and South secretariats, bastions of government bureaucracy. Lutyen's buildings in Delhi are representative of the coming together of the Mughal and British architectural styles.

A hoard of white ambassadors, the governments vehicle of choice, were lined up outside the buildings.

At the other end of the Raj Path is the India Gate, another one of Lutyen's designs, a war memorial and popular picnic spot for the residents.