Pixelated Memories: Stamps

Showing posts with label Stamps. Show all posts

August 14, 2013

General Post Office, Calcutta

"Driving southward down the western side of Dalhousie Square we have the General Post Office and some magnificent commercial buildings on our left. The dome of the Post Office is one of the most conspicuous land-marks of Calcutta. The building was designed by Mr. W. B. Granville, and completed in 1868. The flight of steps at the corner formed by Koila Ghat Street and Charnock Place (i.e., the western side of Dalhousie Square), and the spacious Corinthian Colonnade scarcely fall short of being impressive."

- Rev. Walter K. Firminger, "Thacker's Guide to Calcutta"

“Calcutta?? What’s there to see in Calcutta??”
I’ve lost count of how many times my friends have exclaimed this statement in astonishment, especially when I mention having visited some monument/structure that not even most Calcuttans would have heard of. For most Indians, it would be either Victoria Memorial or Howrah Bridge or the Durga Puja celebrations that define Calcutta – that’s the very problem with Indian tourism – by letting one or two monuments/places to become the representatives of a city/state, we relegate the rest of the architectural heritage that city/state might possess to obscurity. But can a couple of places define Calcutta’s art & architecture in its entirety – what then of the famous St. John’s Church Complex where Calcutta’s history, in the form of the mortal remains of Job Charnock (the guy who established the city as a bastion of British supremacy in India), is buried?? Or the gigantic Tipu Sultan Mosque close to the Esplanade Square that was built by the exiled family of the mighty sovereign of Mysore? The invisible Chinese clubs of Tiretta Bazaar & Thai monasteries of Tangra that bring to the fore the flavors of Asia in this ancient city? But, the most endearing thing about this beautiful city is that here the heritage is not hidden from the masses, it isn’t the exclusive of tourists – Calcutta’s interesting & equally amazing history is part & parcel of the city’s everyday life – the city breathes its history, it knows how to live it. In fact, the city folk have amalgamated the city’s architectural & cultural heritage so integrally into their daily life that structures such as the Church of St. John or the General Post Office (GPO) haven’t been turned into isolated tourist spots that remain only skeletons of their erstwhile magnificence & glory; instead these structures still serve the city’s population in their original capacity, be it administration, relaxation or worship.

Calcutta General Post Office, view from Writer's Building

I agree that at times it is hard to appreciate Calcutta’s beauty; the city has turned into a congested mess with its traffic & crowds – the whizzing yellow taxis, the people scurrying to reach their destinations, the hawkers & the beggars – nobody is ready to stop for even a minute; leave alone photographing a structure without swarms of people buzzing around it, at times the milling crowds make it difficult to even get a full view of a structure. But though now dilapidated, these structures still bring to the front the glory the city enjoyed first as the headquarters of the mighty British East India Company & later as the capital of entire Indian subcontinent when it had been colonized by Britain.

The GPO, a magnificent white building, with a huge dome gracing its front end & Corinthian columns (slender fluted columns, topped by decorative leaves & scrolls) along its sides, is a brilliant example of the simplistic Edwardian architecture that was prevalent in Britain from 1901-14. What attracted me to the post office?? Didn’t I tell you of my interest in philately?? What better place to buy stamps to satiate my philatelic appetite than one of the oldest post offices in the country, one that reeks of history from each of its crack & crevice. The building was designed by Walter L. B. Granville (1819-1874), the same architect who also designed the Indian Museum (refer Pixelated Memories - Indian Museum), Calcutta High Court & the University of Calcutta (later destroyed). I have added links to the architect’s life history as well as the museum that I had visited on an earlier occasion in this article’s footer. The construction of the GPO started in 1864 & it was handed over to the postal department in 1868. It was commissioned by the British Government of Bengal to ease the administration of the postal & telegraph network of the province of Bengal; it has since then served as the chief post office of Bengal.

Believe it or not, that magnificent dome looks small but is actually 220-feet high!!

Sadly, the crowd at the GPO began thinning after the advent of modern lines of communication such as email, telephones & SMS texting – the GPO has fallen on bad times & the bulk of post passing through it has reduced drastically, the structure remains more of a tribute to the glorious past. It stands at the centre of all posts passing through Calcutta, but also as a memorial to the city’s erstwhile position at the world stage. The GPO also has further gory history associated with it – it is built at the site of Fort William, the British outpost at Calcutta, that was the site of the “Black Hole Tragedy” of 1756 AD – a singular event where several British men & women were imprisoned in a small dungeon by then Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah, leading to several deaths by asphyxiation & panic – an action that provoked the army of East India Company led by Robert Clive to attack the Nawab & impose heavy sanctions on him. The Company then became the virtual rulers of Bengal (of course, now the scale of the tragedy & the motives behind Clive’s attack are also under dispute – see post Pixelated Memories - Black Hole Memorial for the complete details). Along one of the staircases of the GPO, brass plates have been embedded in the floor to mark the dungeon where the “Black Hole” incident took place – however not many people are aware of this aspect of the GPO’s history. This is where the British rule in India started, sadly the brass plates are imperceptible & difficult to spot, just like the country’s history remains remote to the masses.

The plaque & the brass lines added to remind visitors of the Black Hole Tragedy (Photo courtesy - Rangandatta.wordpress.com)

Standing in the courtyard of the GPO, one can see history writ all over its newly whitewashed walls, the massive pillars seem to reflect pride & might at having carried the weight of the huge dome as well as the load of the entire communication service of Calcutta. The GPO has spawned an entire class of traders around its premises – there are some who sell envelopes, first-day covers, post cards & currency coins (the Reserve Bank is situated next to the GPO), others read & write letters for the uneducated, many others would perform legal paperwork & prepare documents for their patrons, some would even bring along their makeshift offices (consisting of rickety wooden tables & chairs) along with typewriters to draft letters for those who aren’t so fluent with the language of official communication.

One can see the GPO’s 220-feet high dome, complete with the big clock that graces its face & the Sanchi three-lion motif (the emblem of Indian state) from across the large water tank (locally known as “Lal Dighi”) that separates the GPO & the magnificent Writer’s Building (office of the Chief Minister of Bengal, refer Pixelated Memories - Writers' Building). Along with Writer’s Building, St. John’s Church (refer Pixelated Memories - St. John's Church) & the Raj Bhavan (residence of the Governor of Bengal), the GPO has become one of the defining landmarks of BBD Bagh Area, an old locality boasting of colonial architecture complete with pillars, idols, & imposing facades.

I'm in love with this place!! - The Philatelic Bureau associated with the GPO building

On the inside, the GPO is much like any normal government office in India – clerks manning their stations, bundles of files stacked on & around their tables, many of these covered with thick layers of dust, gunny bags filled with papers & documents stacked along the corners, slow-rotating fans that creak more than they rotate, long queues of visitors lining up to get their work done. A Postal Museum was added to the GPO in 1884 & has on display a collection of stamps and postal artifacts such as letterboxes & seals. The GPO also boasts of a Philatelic Bureau which is a stamp collector’s delight, it was here that I bought stamps & first-day covers worth Rs 500 (as an indicator, except for the stamps, the entire trip cost me Rs 300, including Rs 200 for travel from Durgapur!!). The place is decked up with stamps on all sides, even the walls are adorned with large replicas of newly issued stamps, posters & information bulletins about Indian postal system.

It has even featured on a stamp.. (Photo courtesy - Indianpost.com)

Postage stamps worth 40 paise depicting the GPO were also issued by the postal department on its centenary celebrations in 1967 & 68. Several of those stamps I have in my possession, which brings me back to the question that my friends always pose to me, I answer it with another question - Isn’t it worth visiting a building that has been commemorated on stamps & still stands as a living testimony to the postal department’s establishment & continuing tradition of service to the citizens?

Location: Crossing of Netaji Subhas Road and Koilaghat Street, B.B.D Bagh Area. Ask your way around to Writer's Building from Esplanade Bus/Metro Station (refer Pixelated Memories - Writers' Building for identification). Traverse the pathway running along the tank opposite the Building to reach the GPO. Don't forget to photograph the ducks & swans that waddle in the tank!
Nearest Bus & Metro Station: Esplanade
Timings: 9am - 5pm
Entrance Fee: Nil
Photography/Video Charges: Nil
Relevant Links -

Suggested Reading -

July 27, 2012

Presidential House, New Delhi

“From the middle of the King’s Way, it (the dome) appears to be neither behind the Secretariats nor in front of them. Enough that, in a symmetrical plan, it lies between them. For its character is so arresting, so unprecedented, so uninviting of comparison with known architecture, that, like a sovereign crowned and throned, it subordinates everything within view to increase its own state, and stands not to be judged by, but to judge, its attendants. The Secretariats, remarkable buildings in themselves, exist only in relation to it, and inasmuch as they minister to its success. Its individuality, its difference from every dome since the Pantheon and particularly from the domes adjoining, lies in its intrinsic solidity. It has the character of a pure monument..it seems not to have been built, but to have been poured compact from a mould, impermeable to age, destined to stand for ever, to watch the rise of an eighth Delhi and a hundredth Delhi. Let the breath of destruction threaten all around; this it cannot penetrate.”

– Robert Byron, The Architectural Review, "New Delhi"

The President's palace

The Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, also known as the Presidential House or the Presidential Palace, is regarded as one of the most magnificent regal buildings in the entire world and guarantees to blow one away with its grandness and royal charm. Sadly the premises, often admired as well as derided as symbolic of British resolve and pretensions of invincibility, remain closed for public entry for a larger part of the year and open only during the month of February when rare and colorful roses and tulips in the renowned Mughal Gardens bloom – I visited the place this month when I was taken for a guided tour of the nearby located Parliament House (read here for the complete story – Pixelated Memories - Parliament House) and hence could only savor its grandeur from outside and see part of the complex through the large, ornamental iron gates, emblazoned with gold medallions bearing the Ashokan lions, the symbol of Indian sovereignty – but even the little that is visible behind the decorated, intricately designed gates yields credence to the extraordinary conceiving and crafting of the entire structure and fills one with pride upon seeing the seat of Indian governance housed in a comparatively modern marvel of architecture that still competes with the architectural and artistic grandeur of the other sites that this city, strewn with magnificent tombs and gigantic monuments dating several centuries back, boasts of. The grandly classical structure was designed and built by the British, after evacuating and demolishing the villages that stood at this site prior to the construction, as the Viceregal House in a symbolic gesture declaring to the revolting Indians that they were here to stay, but as the curse of Delhi goes – whenever a new lineage of kings establishes their capital in Delhi, they soon lose all their fortunes and spoils – the British were soon ousted from the country. Indians, to whom the governance and administration were then transferred, quickly rechristened the building as the Presidential House and it has since seen Delhi being transformed from a city under construction to the capital of one of the largest powers in the modern world. Situated alongside the twin majestic Secretariat Blocks and the gigantic Parliament, the architectural masterpiece is the seat of Indian politics and power from where all laws, governing a nation of over 1.29 billion citizens, emanate and are monitored.

Fountains and greenery. Notice the ornamental cannons too. (Photo courtesy - Indiatvnews.com)

The first feature of the palatial building that catches a viewer’s eye is of course the colossal dome surmounted on the colonnaded front facade – inspired by the stupa at Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh) according to architectural scholars (and not by Pantheon (Rome) as Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the chief architect, had declared it to be), the giant dome, measuring 22.8 meters in diameter, becomes visible from afar when one begins to walk towards the place from the opposite located India Gate or the Parliament House. The entire enormous building sits on a majestic artificial plateau known as the Raisina Hill and as one approaches the traffic square from whence the Secretariat Blocks (refer Pixelated Memories - Secretariat Blocks) begin to visually appear as conjoined flanks of it, one can observe the large incline cutting through the walls of the Blocks and rapidly inching towards the top where the outline of the massive dome and the equally enigmatic, towering Jaipur Column (more on it later) dominate the horizon. But from here, the copper-clad, purplish dome appears far from the giant that it is; in fact as one begins walking up the incline it gradually diminishes in size and disappears as a consequence of the immense gradient angle, but reappears immediately as one begins to draw level with the top of the incline and then makes its vastness apparent – this optical phenomenon has its background composed by an interesting tale of how two close friends, Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, the city planner-architects tasked with converting the colonial vision of an inspiring capital into actionable plans and enormous structures, fell out following professional differences in opinions regarding the conceiving and construction of this remarkable capital – originally the Viceregal House (as the Presidential House was then known as), Lutyens’ brainchild, was supposed to be on top of the Raisina Hill so that its magnificence could be observed and wondered at from afar; but Baker, entrusted with the design and construction of the warm Secretariat Blocks and the Parliament and also supervising the construction of the Viceregal House according to Lutyens' plans (since Lutyens decided the cold, hilly ambiance of Shimla suited him better), got Lutyens to agree that the Secretariats would be better suited seated along the incline and the Viceregal residence could be shifted to the other side of the plateau. It was only later that Lutyens realized that the consequence would be that from the Secretariat side, the Viceregal residence would visually disappear once one began walking towards it and that, in his opinion, was an architectural travesty since his regal masterpiece was supposed to be the toast of the new capital (it still is!). He felt that the Secretariat Blocks obscure the grandeur of his Viceregal House and held Baker, one of the most eminent architects of his age and the chief designer of British South African capital Pretoria, responsible for this (despite himself approving the plan in the past), even going to the extent of considering his inability to get the plans modified later on as his defeat at “Bakerloo”!

Recently issued stamps depicting the palace and its architectural features. I purchased the entire sheet from General Post Office, Calcutta, another beautiful Victorian edifice. (Photo courtesy - Rainbowstampclub.blogspot.in)

Despite their bitter quarrel, both Baker and Lutyens believed that the imposing structures they were building should reflect an amalgamation of the Indian and British styles of architecture, but went about it very differently – while Baker used classical European architectural forms (like the colonnaded pavilions of Parliament House) with Indian architecture as subdued decorations (pierced stone lattice screens (“jaali”) of Parliament House and Secretariat Blocks), Lutyens tried to achieve a fusion of the two (the dome, Buddhist railings and overhanging eaves (“chajjas”) of the butterfly-shaped Victorian style Presidential House). But the latter remained in his personal correspondence and communications deeply disenchanted with and fiercely against Indian architecture and artistic preferences as well as the lifestyle and social practices of the subcontinent (which explains his vehement denial that the imposing dome was drawn from the Sanchi Stupa or that the sculptures of lions and elephants in the gardens were based on Indian artistic preferences). Openly scornful of Indian beliefs and the attempts of architects to create an Indo-Victorian fusion architectural-artistic style, he never explained why he believed in the Indian legend that guaranteed a dynasty’s reign in Delhi as long as its bells did not toll and embedded realistically sculpted stone bells below the eaves of the palace. He also went on to invent a new style of carved pillars for the front facade of the Presidential House – christened as “Delhi Order”, these neo-Classical columns fuse Greek and Indian elements and use Indian bells as ornaments hanging along the capitals (pillar head) between the flourishes of Acanthus leaves.

Stone bells, Indian legends and Lutyens' disbelief (Photo courtesy - Indiatvnews.com)

The building was to be built in 4 years following King George V’s unprecedented durbar in Delhi and the subsequent announcement to shift the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi (until then, the Viceroy lived at and administered the subcontinent from Calcutta's Raj Bhavan, refer Pixelated Memories - Raj Bhavan, Calcutta), but soon thereafter the work came to a near halt as a consequence of the heavy toll of men and resources that World War I exerted on Britain and its colonies, including India. In 1929, after 17 years of hard labor on the part of architects, supervising engineers and construction workers, the enormous palace, consisting of 340 lavishly furnished rooms, 15 acres of heartwarming ornamental Mughal Gardens, numerous outhouses, its own hospital, swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, stables for the Presidential guard of cavalry and camel-mounted soldiers and a huge golf course, all spread over 330 acres of prime space in the heart of the city, was finally handed over to the Viceroy as his official residence. It remains till date the world’s largest residence of any head of state – in contrast, the White House of America is sprawled in just 18 acres, slightly more than only the formal gardens of the Indian President’s residence! The entire building that was constructed at the cost of Rs 1.2 crores (12 million) today costs the exchequer Rs 100 crores (1 billion) for maintenance per year!

Lavishly regal - The North Drawing Room where the President meets important dignitaries and government ministers (Photo courtesy - Indiatoday.intoday.in)

It would be fairly incorrect to consider the Presidential Estate only Lutyens’ architectural legacy, even though he was involved in finalizing almost every detail, right from the architectural plan to the design of furniture and shape of door handles – numerous other architects and administrative officers, including Viceroy Lord Hardinge who had envisioned the shift of British capital from Calcutta to Delhi and wanted the buildings to assimilate Indian features in a British framework, were also involved in the planning and even design of numerous components of the estate. In fact, Lutyens was unequivocally opposed to the utilization of red sandstone in the construction of these fantastic edifices and was convinced that white marble should be the preferred choice. Lord Hardinge had insisted upon the creation of Mughal Gardens as opposed to Lutyens’ obdurate desire for an English garden; the gardens were eventually landscaped and planted respectively by the architect Walter Sykes George and W.R. Mustoe, Director of horticulture. Drawing from the Indian architectural motifs which employ elephants and lotus flowers as the primary artistic motif, the British sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger designed the beautifully decorative lamp-bearing stone elephants that mark the enclosure walls of the Presidential Estate and exist at the flanks of the ornamental gates.

Jagger's lamp bearers (Photo courtesy - Phototravelings.blogspot.in)

Commemorating the efforts of His Highness the Maharaja of Jaipur Major-General Sir Sawai Madho Singh who had partly commissioned, through his rich treasury, the building of New Delhi, the huge Jaipur Column, installed in the middle of the vast lawns separating the ornamental gateways from the palatial building, was also designed by Jagger. Piercing the sky, the unusually designed pillar consists of a 148-feet high ornamental column surmounted by a brilliant six-pointed glass star (“Star of India”) emerging from a lotus-shaped bronze pinnacle. The flower and the star together weigh over 5 tonnes! Carved into the column is a plan of Delhi as it was envisaged by the planners and the inscription –

"In thought faith

In word wisdom

In deed courage

In life service

So may India be great."

An unparalleled majesty - View of the court and walkway leading to the Jaipur Column and the palace (Photo courtesy - Wikimedia.org)

Interestingly, Indian Presidents and their families do not use the luxurious living quarters that Lutyens designed for the Governor-General and instead occupy only a few rooms spread over two floors of one of the wings of the house – the humbly down-to-earth C. Rajgopalachari, the first and last Governor-General of independent India, opted not to live in the master portions because of the out-of-place royal feel they afforded and instead chose to convert the considerably smaller rooms belonging to the Vicereine’s lady-in-waiting into his residence – all Indian Presidents since then have followed the tradition and live in the same rooms. The Viceregal rooms are now used to luxuriously accommodate visiting heads of other countries when they travel to India.

Mughal Gardens - Trees, walkways and water channels. The two smaller domes in the background are Herbert Baker's Secretariat Blocks (Photo courtesy - Blog.theotherhome.com)

Apart from the humongous dome that is flanked by a small domed turret in each cardinal direction and connected to the roof by a white perforated screen resembling a Buddhist railing, the monotony of the tremendously large roofline is only interrupted by the chattris (domes mounted on slender pillars) and saucer-like fountains built into the structure. Given that it is nearly impossible to see a living soul within the compound to actually compare the size of the megaliths or justify the enthralled response the various features of the palace evoke in several writers and photographers who have been close and inside, one feels an explicable difficulty in understanding the true extent of the gigantism of the entire building and even its numerous features. Photographs, though extremely useful in visualizing the individual features, undeniably fail to evoke the mesmerizing effect that the place has upon visitors and onlookers who had not expected its colossal proportions. The interiors are lavishly rich and adorned with tasteful tapestries, luxurious drapes, rich carpets, captivating paintings, expensive chandeliers, realistic statues and priceless antiques. There is even a large library possessing over 20,000 books on several topics, a museum and several courts for outdoor sports including polo. The Durbar Hall (Throne Room), located immediately underneath the dome, boasts of a 2-tonne chandelier and a statue of Gautam Buddha belonging to 5th century BC. The Ashoka Hall, originally a ballroom but now used for ceremonial occasions like swearing-in ministers and Governors, is adorned with a striking ceiling painting depicting Fateh Ali Shah, the King of Persia, hunting with his sons.

Awe-inspiring! - The Ashoka Hall where state ceremonies are held (Photo courtesy - Indiatoday.intoday.in)

The entire fortified area is guarded by policemen and security officers round the clock and protective barriers have been put in place on all roads leading to it; cars too aren’t allowed to stop for more than two minutes around the Presidential House or the Secretariats; photography, though not prohibited, is limited by the presence of security officers and army personnel; armored vehicles recce the area intermittently and armed personnel carriers are a common site around this secure fortress. All this ensures that the place doesn’t get the same amount of attention from tourists as other monuments in Delhi – and that’s one reason that there are so few photographs and information about the ceremonial “Change of Guard” that takes place every Saturday morning in the Vijay Chowk square opposite the Secretariat Blocks or the dazzling sight that the area turns into on national holidays like Republic Day (26 January) and Independence Day (August 15) when it is lighted up with brilliant incandescent bulbs and adorned with vibrantly colorful flags. I intend to return to photograph the structures on both occasions as soon as I return to Delhi permanently.

Nocturnal glory (Photo courtesy - Trekearth.com)

The architectural marvel that the Presidential House is speaks highly of its British architects and Indian engineers and workers (most renowned of course thanks to Khushwant Singh’s numerous essays and articles – Sujan Singh and Sobha Singh, his grandfather and father respectively), the likes of whom do not find a mention in the annals of modern history, yet played their parts in shaping (or rather, constructing the modern capital of New Delhi. The regal structure, along with the marvelous Secretariat Blocks flanking it will charm you and force you to peer closely and try to find a living soul inside the elaborately detailed grille iron gates; the beautiful Jaipur Column will force you to photograph it; and in case you visit during the months of February-March, the Mughal Gardens in all their bloom are a treat against the city’s cement jungles. And every visitor does experience the same enchantment that Robert Byron (who was very biased towards Lutyens and antagonized Baker through his highly critical commentary about Parliament House/Council House. His quotes can be read in the post about the Parliament House – Pixelated Memories - Parliament House) did when he visited the new British capital soon after its unveiling and admiringly wrote about the principal structures and city plan in “The Architectural Review” (year 1931) –

“The building is remarkable for its gigantic size, its perfect proportion of mass and detail, its colour and its ponderous adhesion to the earth. But its essential genius, its novelty, lies in the way these qualities have been brought to serve a taste in architectural form which pertains specifically to the twentieth century…The Viceroy’s House at New Delhi is the first real justification of a new architecture which has already produced much that is worthy, but, till now, nothing of the greatest.”

More of the Mughal Gardens (Photo courtesy - Indiatvnews.com)

Location: Raisina Hill, New Delhi
Nearest Metro Station: Central Secretariat
How to Reach: The Central Secretariat metro station is located immediately next to the Parliament House, only 15 minutes walk away. Private cars should be avoided as stopping in this high-profile area is not allowed.
Timings: Entry prohibited except in the months of February-March when Mughal Gardens are opened for public viewing. The timings and dates for the same are notified to the general public by various media channels.
Photography/Video Charges: Nil
Other monuments located in immediate vicinity –

The seat of British administration before the capital shifted to Delhi - Pixelated Memories - Raj Bhavan, Calcutta

Suggested reading -

July 11, 2012

Parliament House, New Delhi

“The Council Chamber has been Sir Herbert Baker’s unhappiest venture. Its effect from a distance has been described. It resembles a Spanish bull-ring, lying like a mill wheel dropped accidentally on its side.

From an intermediate distance, however, when the visible arc begins to decrease in length, the building gains in solidity and personality. The red foundation, with its upper band of white, becomes more substantial, and its in-stepping is at last made apparent. Similarly, the pillars of the colonnade above begin to show their true size; though the larger they grow, the more visible is the tiresome irregularity of the windows and entrances in the plaster wall behind them. Final palliation, the bowler-hatted wart on top disappears.

The various carriage-porches, supported on heavy, bracketed arches of red stone in the Hindu fashion, are not without merit. From the brackets depend stone bells, significant of the Indian legend that as long as the bells are silent, so long will the dynasty reign.
”

Robert Byron, The Architectural Review, "New Delhi"

Sansad Bhavan - Parliament House

If one had to describe the Indian Parliament House (“Sansad Bhavan”) in mere two words, 'gigantic' and 'inaccessible' will definitely emerge clear winners. Located in New Delhi, the massive Victorian building is amongst the least visited edifices in the capital, and the reasons cannot be far from fathoming – the entire administrative-heritage area, part of the larger ruling establishment that consists of the beautifully evocative twin Secretariat Blocks (refer Pixelated Memories - Secretariat Blocks) and the Presidential Estate (the majestic seat of Indian sovereignty), is cordoned off for general public at all times of the year – in fact, a thick and high sandstone screen separates the extremely sensitive Parliament House zone from the thoroughfares accessible to public and tourists, while an immense presence of police, armed forces officials and armored vehicles ensure that nobody loiters around and the cars are not allowed to stop at a particular point for more than a minute. Of course, if the arrangements along the exteriors are so severe, getting inside is near impossible without proper purpose, permissions or connections. These and several other measures ensure that tourists, Indian and foreigners alike, give this splendidly magnificent structure a miss, even though almost every visitor to Delhi visits India Gate, the War Memorial situated in close vicinity (photographs and history here - Pixelated Memories - India Gate).

I had been long planning to visit the Secretariat area and photograph the Parliament building and associated/adjacent structures, albeit from outside, but one way or the other, my irresistible habit of procrastinating overtook and the plan kept getting delayed and moved from one vacation to the next. A week back, in a terrific instance of unbelievable coincidence, my maternal uncle recommended that I should also take out time to visit and document the area and suggested getting me in touch with one of his friends, a Joint Secretary of Govt. of India (a very high ranking Administrative Services officer) who can take me inside the Parliament where he was posted as a bureaucrat and ensure I am given a guided tour of the architectural megalith (general public can only enter the building after taking prior permission which, although can be received from the reception, require numerous background checks and documentation formalities – knowing a high-ranking Govt. official helps fast track the procedures (or even waive them off, as in my case). Foreigners can apply through their respective embassies). Obviously I lapped up the opportunity immediately!

Photos do no justice to the overall architectural enormity of this gigantic structure and the considerable attention accorded nonetheless to the finest of details. (Photo courtesy - Dailymail.co.uk)

I was instructed to go through the reception to which there are two separate entrances – the first is for the people who worked in the Parliament and the other for visitors. Externally, the reception building features extensive use of sandstone while the interiors have been entirely modeled out of dark wood panels. Inside a small security cabin connected to the reception building but prior to it, I was asked to deposit my phone and any electrical device I might have upon me, including earphones and pen drives, and then, following a strict pat-down body check, allowed to enter the passage leading to the reception hall. Lead to by a small wooden door, the fully air-conditioned reception is colossal and appealing in its subdued yet expressive affluence, but it really hasn’t been maintained well and the leather upholstery and furnishing of many of the sofas were torn and needed to be replaced. The entire room has been constructed with wood paneling in an efficient three-tiered system that accommodates lounges and tables, occupied at that moment by several bureaucrats and security officers, at the lowest level around a central, thick, tapering pillar composed of curving woodwork that reaches to the roof and resembles a giant blooming flower. It’s a pity that photography is prohibited here, the splendid hall and the striking pillar would definitely prove to be interesting visual compositions. Two rows of chairs facing each other and arranged so that one has its back to the room’s periphery and the other to the back of the lowest level lounges run along the middle level of the circular room. A short flight of stairs immediately opposite the reception entrance leads to a screened cafeteria flanked by a juice counter (with a large poster exclaiming the availability of apple juice) and a small post box. Just within the entrance gate has been created the reception area of both the House of People (Lok Sabha) and the House of States (Rajya Sabha) where are available a number of items for sale as souvenirs – books, memorabilia, pens, pen stands, key rings, calculators, shawls – each embossed with an image of the Parliament and the legend “Parliament of India”.

Sparkles! - The bejeweled look imparted to the monuments every Republic and Independence days. In the background looms the massive dome of President's House. (Photo courtesy - Quora.com)

After a brief waiting period, I was introduced to the Assistant Secretary for security of the entire Parliament complex who was tasked with giving me and a motley group of visitors from different Indian states a guided tour of the building and its constituent blocks. After another round of severely strict security check, we were lead to the main gate leading to Parliament building. Security protocols are certainly followed very seriously here and the officers are undeniably diligent – in 2001, a group of terrorists had attacked the Parliament in the guise of Home Ministry officials and several security men and innocent bystanders were killed in the ensuing gun battle. Tasked with preventing a repeat of the incident, the present set of security men check and recheck, both manually and electronically, all visitors and even officials from various ministries. It was here, at this second entrance point, that I realized that the reception is an individualized building, entirely separate from the central structure. The entire complex consists of 3 individual interconnected structures – the main Parliament building, reception office building and the Parliament House annexes, along with the surrounding tracts of lush green gardens set with towering, enormously crowned trees and huge carved fountains which can be seen from far off. At the entrance gate, explaining the different routes used by general public and elected representatives for entry, the Security officer intimated us about other security measures enforced in the complex – the entire estate is enclosed by an ornamental red sandstone wall interspersed with iron gates that can be automatically closed when occasions demand; the approach roads which cut across the estate and form part of it are also not allowed to be used as public thoroughfares.

Subdued vibrance - One of the numerous fountains gracing the gardens around the entire Secretariat area.

Regarding the prominent design and architecture of the Parliament building – Conceived by Herbert Baker, the renowned architect who along with Edwin Landseer Lutyens designed the British Indian capital of New Delhi, the circular Parliament House building was constructed at a cost of Rs 8.3 million in a span of 6 years and is 27.4 meters high, 85 meters in radius and spread over more than 6 acres. In the center of the circular outline and concentric with it is the Central Hall while along three radial directions along its circumference are situated the three other chief components of the architectural plan – the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha halls and the Parliament Library hall; the area around these four massive chambers is dedicated to lush gardens graced by enormous trees, huge fountains and realistic bronze statues of national leaders while the numerous rooms and halls along the circumference of the Parliament building are assigned to various ministries, political parties and leaders, journalists, key governmental panels and administrative and judicial commissions. The foundation stone of the construction project was laid by H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught on February 12, 1921 and it was inaugurated by Lord Irwin, then Governor-General of India, on January 18, 1927. It’s worth remembering that during the construction of their new capital of India, the British had no intention of creating an Indian Parliament – the entire new city was designed and constructed by them with the intention of showing incendiary and protesting Indians demanding freedom from colonial suppression and exploitation that they had no plan to relinquish their crown jewel in the near foreseeable future. The Parliament Building (then referred to as Council House) was an addition introduced in 1919 following World War I when Indian political parties and princely states demanded legislative representation, a claim which the British found difficult to handle and quickly afterwards instituted Montague-Chelmsford reforms to address the same.

One of the stamps from the set issued on the occasion of the inauguration of New Delhi as the capital of British colonial administration (Photo courtesy - Vijaigandikota.wordpress.com)

The open veranda on the first floor (visible in photos) is fringed along its circumference with thick, cream-colored sandstone sentinel columns, each 27 feet (8.23 meters) high – a walk through the broad, high, pillared corridors, where elected members wield the powers of our country, definitely sends waves of pride and enthusiasm surging through visitors. Numbering 144 in total, these pillars have stood silent witness to the proceedings of the house for the past 85 years during which the building has functioned as the Indian Parliament and before that as the Legislative Council housing representatives from all Indian princely and provincial states, political parties and British administration.

It is conjectured that Baker drew the inspiration for this grand edifice from the Chausath Yogini temple located in Mitawali, Madhya Pradesh. He also introduced a number of Indian influences in the architectural marvel that is aptly considered his magnum along with the twin, regal Secretariat Blocks – built using indigenous material and by a workforce comprising of Indian laborers supervised by British engineers, the structure draws from several Indian motifs and artistic additions including different forms of “jaalis” (stone lattice screens), large fountains and “chattris” (dome surmounted on slender pillars). However, as demonstrated to us by the officer guiding us, the entire magnificent building, despite its antiquity, is fitted with impressive modern technology, including powerful acoustics, air-conditioning, simultaneous interpretation and translation systems, electronic voting and display systems and state of the art security measures – recent reports on the structural stability and disaster preparedness of the building however have cast an unequivocally grim picture and squarely considered these modern electronic additions like heavy air conditioning units as well as newer constructions to house toilet blocks, more offices and staff rooms as responsible for generating unmanageable structural pressures on the heritage building.

Baker's architectural plans for the design of the building (Photo courtesy - Robert Byron, The Architectural Review, "New Delhi")

A giant bronze sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi seated in the lawn immediately opposite the primary entrance welcomes visitors to the heavily fortified central building. Here, after being subjected to yet another round of security checks, we were granted entry to the main structure and instantaneously upon arrival one’s attention is drawn by the numerous beautiful paintings adorning the walls of the ground floor circular corridor. Sketched and painted by several eminent Indian artists, the paintings depict scenes from the country’s unparalleled history stretching from the inspiring Vedic age to the period of subjugation under British colonial rule and the eventual culmination of nationalist tendencies in the attainment of independence in 1947. My favorite obviously has to be the “Shiva Yogi” flanking the entrance which draws from “Pashupatinath”, Indus Valley civilization’s most impressive seal, and its connotations with Indian mythology and folklore.

Next, we were led to the Lok Sabha hall – the Parliament was not in session and hence the halls were kept locked from inside and at least two police officers were posted within at all times who would open the door on our arrival. We entered from the Visitor’s Gallery located on the first floor of the semi-circular chamber – it is from here that general public can (after availing prior permission) observe the council proceedings and observe the layout of the entire chamber, including the huge ceremonial chair (and table) of the Speaker placed, on a raised platform at the center of the chamber, directly opposite. A table in front of the Speaker’s dais is where all the important parliamentary officials and reporters sit and record the proceedings – the Speaker decides what to record, what not to and can order officials to expunge a remark from the record. All important parliamentary papers, meant for discussion or display are also placed on this table. The ruling party/coalition sits to the right of the Speaker, while the Opposition sits to the left. Consequentially, to the right of chair and slightly behind it is located the Official Gallery meant for the officers and bureaucrats required to be present in attendance on ministers in connection with the business of the House. On the left side, a matching gallery is reserved for guests of the President, Governors of states, foreign diplomats, high commissioners, ambassadors and visiting dignitaries who might be interested in attending parliamentary proceedings. All the seats meant for the members of the House are numbered and allotted according to official hierarchy – generally seat number 1 on right side is allotted to the Prime Minister, while the Deputy Speaker occupies the first front row seat on the left side. On the first floor of the chamber, while the Visitor’s Gallery is along the circumference, chairs are reserved along the diameter in clearly demarcated galleries for journalists, Rajya Sabha members, guests of the Speaker and other distinguished visitors. Gracing the wood-work around the chamber are 35 gilded designs representing the various provinces of undivided India, the dominions and certain other British settlements. The golden-red designs look strikingly beautiful and impart a very official, formal appearance to the chamber.

House of the States - The Rajya Sabha chamber (Photo courtesy - Rajyasabha.nic.in)

An electronic system has been put in place for simultaneous interpretation and translation. Members who wish to give a speech in a language other than Hindi/English are required to inform the speaker in advance about their choice of language so that translators can be arranged. Each seat is provided with a sensitive microphone on a flexible stand and a complex vote recording system that has been developed to eliminate cheating or multiple voting of any kind; we were explained the working of the system, the basic gist is that there are three buttons located in a cluster – red (no), green (yes) and yellow (abstain) – voters have to press the choice button along with another vote-recording button for 10 seconds to register their vote, but the button cluster and the vote-recording button have been placed on different sides of the seat so a candidate has to use both hands for pressing the buttons to make their vote count – a fairly simple execution to prevent bogus voting. Immediately after polling, a wall board quickly collates and displays the final vote count as a register of Ayes, Nays, Abstain and Total. A member can, in case of a wrong vote, give the speaker in writing their corrected choice.

Then, we moved to the similarly designed, semi-circular Rajya Sabha hall. The roofs of both halls are covered with beautiful floral plaster work. While the architecture is nearly identical, the few differences that exist between the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha chambers can be enumerated here – the former is comparatively smaller in radius since it has to accommodate a sanctioned strength of only 250 members compared to the 552 that Lok Sabha comprises of; the Rajya Sabha, chaired by the Vice President of the country, also doesn’t have the large, fancy chair, or the large dais, that graces the Lok Sabha chamber; another major difference is the color scheme – the Lok Sabha chamber has all its seats and curtains accessorized to green, but the Rajya Sabha features the same furnishing and paraphernalia, except that here it is all in red color. Apart from these distinctions, the Rajya Sabha chamber too has similar galleries and electronic systems as the Lok Sabha chamber.

"Bapu" - Gandhi, "Father of the Nation" (Photo courtesy - Rajyasabha.nic.in)

The historic Central Hall, where the President addresses both the Houses together in special sessions, is a landmark in Indian history and jurisprudence – the Indian Constitution was framed in this hall and the transfer of power from British governance to Indian administration took place here on August 15, 1947 – it was here that Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, delivered his legendary “Tryst with Destiny” speech. We couldn’t enter it since it was being spruced up and prepared for the upcoming Presidential elections, but we did see the garden surrounding it which is ornamented with larger-than-life bronze idols of important freedom fighter-politicians like Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, amongst others.

Returning to the reception building, the security officer, who had already dazzled us with precious information besides proving to be highly knowledgeable about the building and very indulgent towards our questions, recounted to us the details of the 2001 terrorist attack and mourned for his fallen comrades before showing us the bullet marks from the attack in a red sandstone wall which has been left unrepaired as a grim reminder of the dangers our country faces from foreign powers and misguided religious and separatist fanatics.

The Central Hall of the Parliament House. Photo from Mr Obama's address to a joint seating of both houses (Photo courtesy - Wikimedia.org)

The Parliament Annex, a separate building constructed in 1970, houses offices of the Parliamentary officials and contains the facilities required by them in the discharge of their duties. The official I accompanied too had his office in this building; general public requires a separate permit to visit there but since I only had permission to roam around in the Parliament House, I could not venture in the Annex, though I could have had the reception operators call the official’s office. Officials posted in the Annex cannot carry mobile phones within and instead all departments are linked to each other by an exclusive in-house telecom exchange, therefore, one needs to be aware of the telephone codes if one has to call someone in the Annex. The Parliament Library, separate from the smaller one housed within the Parliament building itself and built to cater to the need of housing the literature that the Parliament had acquired over the years, is also located nearby – but entry to it is also restricted by prior permission. The main entrance of the Library is directly linked to one of the gates of the Parliament.

A model of Parliament Library building depicting the layout and the distinctive utilization of reinforced steel domes in the construction (Photo courtesy - Dr. Yogendra Narain/Rajya Sabha Secretariat, "An introduction to Parliament of India")

Constructed with a sense of unparalleled grandeur and an inimitable Victorian style of architecture with an assortment of various Indian and Mughal styles fused in, the Parliament House, the hallowed seat of Indian democracy from where all the laws of the country are made, executed and administered, is certainly a must-go for all history seekers, travel enthusiasts and especially students. The Secretariat Blocks (which house the Prime Minister’s office and the Home, Defense and Finance ministries) and the Presidential Estate nearby keep company to this majestic building while the awe-inspiring India Gate beckons from afar. Not the places that should be given a miss!

What sort of a person pastes posters on the Parliament building walls?!

Location: Sansad Marg, near India Gate

Nearest Metro station: Central Secretariat

How to reach: Buses do not ply near the Parliament House but do around the neighborhood of Connaught Place/India Gate from where one can easily avail autos to the Parliament/India Gate. The metro station is located 5 minutes walk away from the Parliament. Private cars should be avoided as stopping (leave alone parking) in the area is not allowed.

Open: All days, 10 am – 6 pm. Prior permission is required for entry which can be availed from the Parliament reception with the assistance of some high-ranking Govt. official (in case of Indian citizen) or embassy officials (in case of foreigners). An individual can even show up at the reception without any official letter of introduction, but with their ID (Indian citizen)/Passport (Foreigners) and apply for a tour (as informed when I inquired at the reception). If you do, be assured that you would spend a lot of time waiting at the reception till the authorities run the security and background checks before imparting the required security clearance.

Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Interiors: Prohibited, Exteriors: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: Interiors: 1.5 hours, Exteriors: 20 minutes

Nearby landmarks -