The World146;s Grandest Address

It is in this imposing, sumptuous former palace of the British viceroy that the constitutional head of India resides and works from8212;all executive authority is vested in the President, he is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, his oath of office swears to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, all important appointments are made by the President from the Prime Minister to the Union Cabinet, governors and judges, and the President8217;s assent is required to turn an Act into law.

The great grille opens to the 300-acre presidential estate atop Raisina Hill, and tells a tale of imperial grandeur and hauteur, for its sheer size and grandness; vanguard architectural design and styles, with its breathtaking inspiration from Roman, Mughal, Buddhist and European works of art, breakthroughs and fusions of techniques and craft are seen in the building. No steel was used to construct the Rashtrapati Bhavan, while the traditional chajjas stone slabs below the roof prevented sunrays from falling on the windows. It cooled the rooms, and protected the walls from the rains during monsoon. It also tells the story of the disdain and haughtiness of its original owners, beginning with the architect and designer, to present-day democratic duels between presidential authority and the executive, Parliament.

It all began in 1911, after the Delhi Durbar, when King George V, decided to shift the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi in the same year. The Governor-General8217;s residence, also called Viceroy House, would affirm the permanence of British rule in India and give the impression, in the words of a critique, the setting of a perpetual Durbar. The Viceroy8217;s House and its surroundings were supposed to be 8220;an empire in stone8221;, 8220;exercising imperial sway8221; and containing in it, 8220;the abode of a disinterested elite whose rule was imposed from above8221;.

The British architect, Edwin Landseer Lutyens, was appointed chief designer, and was to be ably assisted by his old friend, Herbert Baker. The original plans of the viceroy8217;s house called for a blend of western and eastern styles, insisted upon by Viceroy Lord Hardinge, with an Indian motif. Lord Hardinge wanted the residence to be completed in four years, but it finally took the first occupant 16 years to move in.

The original plan was to have Viceroy8217;s House on the top of the hill, so that it could tower over the city, with the secretariats lower down. But Baker decided to move it back 400 yards, and put both buildings on top of the plateau. It led to a fierce dispute between the two friends and Lutyens called the feud as his 8216;Bakerloo8217; as he was not able to get it changed.

The palace, with its H-shaped structure, is spread over five acres, has 500 yards of covered carriageway and one and a half miles of corridors, it takes three hours to walk its numerous rooms, corridors, galleries, loggias, staircases and vestibules, including the kitchen, pantry, bakery, laundry, printing press and theatre.

It has 285 rooms of all sizes, is staffed by of over 8,000 people. The estate also boasts its own club, swimming pool, golf course and tennis courts. It took Rs 1.4 crore to build the Rashtrapati Bhavan 75 years ago; it costs a little more than that every month to maintain it today. If the uniform of the liveried staff costs Rs 20 lakh every month8212;plus Rs 2,000 as laundry charges for each of the 900 staff members8212;there are hundreds of gardeners working on the 220 acres of green in the Presidential Estate, and electricians, plumbers and carpenters are available 24 hours a day.

Chefs for Chinese, Mughlai, Continental, Italian, Mexican and South Indian cuisine are on hand for a meal any time of the day.

There are 54 bedrooms together with additional guest rooms for guests. Lord Irwin, its first occupant, 8220;kept losing his way8221; among the corridors but insisted that 8220;in spite of its size, it was essentially a liveable house8221;. The President of India does not occupy the suite now called the Ashoka Room occupied by the viceroys. Instead he stays in 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.

IF there have been feisty debates about ostentatious living in a democratic republic, successive presidents have tried to make the imperial residence people-friendly. The incumbent, President APJ Kalam, has been called the 8220;People8217;s President.8221; His staff reel out his egalitarian measures: he has met about 1.4 million school children in the last five years, he has at least two appointments with school children every week, he has engaged with all sections of people, from farmers and school teachers to scientists, public service and social workers. He meets the 8220;Big Guns8221;, his favourite term for his official appointments, only if he has to.

A bachelor, President Kalam can put any hostess worth her name to shame going by his innovative hosting skills. He was the first to take the state banquets out of the formal and decorous Ashok Hall to the lavish Mughal Gardens outside, inspired by the gardens of Kashmir and the Taj Mahal. Last year, both French President Jacques Chirac and US President George Bush enjoyed a sumptuous repast under the twinkling sky in the Gardens, accompanied by live music yet another first by Kalam played by the Navy band. His personal touch8212;he requested the band to play French and Texan tunes for the benefit of his guests.

Other value additions by President Kalam include a magnificent herbal garden, with almost every conceivable herb available, from Isabgol to evening primrose oil, brahmi to varieties of tulsi; a kitchen museum with a representative set of tableware and includes exhibits like 8216;Star of India8217; crockery, silver cutlery, kitchenware, crystal glass wares, cutlery sets in different materials, silver dishes, coffee maker, fruit stands, even picnic boxes. There8217;s a modern children8217;s kiosk for interactive virtual tours and history. He has also started the process of digitising the Rashtrapati Bhavan library.

Kalam8217;s predecessor set the ground rules for presidential debate. The late KR Narayanan asserted on several occasions that the President was no mere 8220;rubber stamp8221; a censorious tag that has been loosely used to term the President8217;s Office. Narayanan not only sent the order to impose President8217;s Rule back to then Prime Minister IK Gujral, but the latter did not return it again for fear of censure. Narayanan also rapped the NDA Government for attempting to review the Constitution and in a biting rebuke asked if the Constitution had failed the people, or if the politicians had failed it instead.

And so, from the People8217;s Palace, the new President has a rich legacy of history, statecraft, politics and leadership to urge, trigger and stir the future of the republic.

Home truths
The biggest residence of any President in the world, no steel was used to construct the Rashtrapati Bhavan
With more than 300 rooms, the Rashtrapati Bhavan is bigger than the Palace of Versailles
Staffed by over 8,000 people, it has its own club, swimming pool, golf course and tennis courts
It took Rs 1.4 crore to build the Rashtrapati Bhavan 75 years ago; it costs a little more than that every month to maintain it today
The uniform of the liveried staff costs Rs 20 lakh every month, plus Rs 2,000 as laundry charges for each of the 900 members
Built on top of Raisina Hill in the south of Old New Delhi, this fortress-like palace has been embellished with chandeliers from Belgium, marble from Italy, teakwood from Burma and a rare peach-coloured Dholpur stone from the famous mines used earlier by Mughal Emperors
Over 5,000 labourers, carpenters, engineers and designers worked for eight years using up to 4.5 million bricks, 1.5 million cubic ft of stone, 1,350 tonnes of iron and 7,500 tonnes of cement to erect this monumental structure spreading across five acres on a north-south axis
The President of India does not occupy the suites now called Ashoka Room that were occupied by the Viceroys. Instead he occupies one of the guest bedrooms. The First Indian Governor General, C Rajagopalachari, considered the master bedroom too ostentatious for his humble tastes8212;all Presidents after him have felt the same
The principal floor comprises a magnificent series of state apartments. The State Drawing Room is barrel-vaulted and plainly treated with domestic fireplaces. The State Ballroom is resplendent with Old English mirror glass and the State Dining Room is lined with teak panelling

DURBAR HALL
The grandeur of the Durbar Hall is best appreciated when approaching it through the two grand, marbled staircases in ash grey. During banquets and state functions, members of the President8217;s Bodyguards line up along the staircase bestowing the occasion with pomp and pageantry. The hall is dominated by a 2-ton crystal chandelier which is suspended 33-metre high from the top of the ceiling. 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. Other rooms include loggias galleries with open air on one side that face out into the courtyards, a large dining hall, sitting rooms, billiards rooms, and a large ballroom, and staircases.
A full size portrait of Mahatma Gandhi oversees the hall, the teak-panelled walls display lifesize portraits of former presidents, an assortment of medieval arms is also exhibited here, while live music is played from the band gallery.

The dome
Sir Lutyens said the design for the imposing dome on the building evolved from the Pantheon in Rome, but many believe it was modelled after the great Stupa at Sanchi. The Dome is a mixture of Indian and British styles. In the centre is a tall copper dome surmounted on top of a drum, which stands out from the rest of the building, due to its height. The height of the dome was raised by Lord Hardinge in the plan of the building in 1913.

The ashok hall
It was originally built as a state ballroom with a wooden floor, a central dance space and three vestibules. The breeze would blow refreshingly on tired dancers through a wide tunnel between the ballroom and its own loggia to the north. Matching the magnificent ceiling is a huge Persian-styled carpet wholly woven in India. Much to the dislike of Sir Edwin, the ceiling was painted by an Italian painter, Colo Nelco, at the insistence of Lady Willingdon, in Persian style. The central ceiling painting that was recently furbished depicts Fateh Ali Shah and his family against a mountainous backdrop with the Shah blazing in his jewels, thrusting a spear into a tiger and surrounded by his courtiers. Six chandeliers suspend from the ceiling, another six are fixed on the walls, and 11 candelabra light up the hall. The windows overlook the Mughal Gardens. State banquets are held here.

SOURCE: Mansion Nonpareil by Satish Mathur