AUTUMN IN INDIA: A slice of history

Primo appuntamento della nuova rubrica di Agre Cafè: l’Autunno è il momento migliore

per passeggiare tra le strade di Lutyens Delhi e ammirare le architetture e la sua longeva

storia…per sostare, ammirare e rimanerne rapiti.

Figura 1 The Rashtrapati Bahavan

While even the greatest cities are but a sum of all their parts, sometimes one particular part may entice and beguile

the visitor more than all the others. This is especially true of Delhi, a city that has grown over a span of about 2,000

years, periodically donning a new mantle without ever really shedding the old.

Figura 2 The impressive facade of The Imperial Hotel

Lutyens' Delhi is the entire zone laid out and built by the British as their administrative capital and the seat of their

colossal power. It spans the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, Parliament House, Connaught Place, Teen Murti

Bhavan, the North and South Secretariats, the Eastern and Western Courts, several other significant edifices and a

host of colonial-style bungalows. The tree-lined area has broad avenues and several beautifully landscaped

roundabouts. Almost 80 years later today, walking and driving along these wide boulevards still remains a pleasure.

The best way to explore New Delhi at this time of the year is on foot. Despite the slight chill, the city is at its best

during autumn. Most of the ornamental trees along these avenues shed their leaves, but before that they turn into a

riot of colours for a brief period and that's when this capital looks its best.

Despite the many splendid charms--

especially the Mughal settlement of

Shahjahanabad--most visitors to the capital

confess to love at first sight for the

sprawling New Delhi or Lutyens' Delhi, as it

is widely known. Of course, historians and

architects are quick to point out that this is

a misnomer: New Delhi was the labour of

several talented architects and not just

Edwin Lutyens. But in popular imagination

the tag remains current.

The regal Rashtrapati Bahavan

The regal Rashtrapati Bahavan

Figura 3 Janpath market

Those who are here for the first time can check into The Imperial, one of the finest hotels in the city located in

Janpath, that goes back as long as 1930s. This was said to be the neutral meeting ground of all those who played a

leading role in the independence and partition of India, viz. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali

Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten.

Autumn is the time when all of Delhi seems to converge to the India Gate lawns. Earlier known as the All India War

Memorial, this red sandstone and granite archway was designed by Lutyens. It marks one end of the ceremonial

boulevard Rajpath while the Rashtrapati Bhavan (earlier the Viceregal Palace) crowns the other end.

Once you've had your fill of this majestic structure, you could stroll leisurely along Rajpath, sampling some of the city's

street food such as chanajor garam, bhelpuri, shakarkandi, and pakori chaat on the way. The magnificent Rashtrapati

Bhavan greets you at the other end of the road. It is said that though Lutyens disliked traditional Indian architecture,

he was prevailed upon by Governor-General Hardinge to incorporate several native elements in his design.

Make Parliament House your next stop. Though it might seem dwarfed by the grandeur of the Viceregal Palace, it is an

architectural gem. Designed by Robert Tor Russell to resemble the Mahatma's spinning wheel, it too uses the

traditional red sandstone that recurs like a leitmotif through this capital of the Raj.

Figura 4 India Gate

The Teen Murti Bhavan, where you can go next, also carries Russell's signature and was originally the residence of the

Commander-in-Chief of the British Empire in India. Later it became the abode of free India's first prime minister,

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and is presently maintained as a memorial to him. Amble through the extensive building and

its grounds and then catch an astronomy show at the planetarium next door.

Apart from monument hoppin, Lutyens’ Delhi also promises you an extraordinary gastronomic experience. The

laidback Basil and Thyeme at the Santushi Shopping Complex in Chanakyapuri serves melt-in-your mouth Continental

fare and is the ideal place for a leisurely lunch. For a memorable dining experience, try the stunning and rather

opulently designed Veda, a restaurant that has its own unique take on contemporary Indian Cuisine in Connaught

Place. Another exceptional dining experience awaits you at Dhaba at The Claridges hotel. As the name suggests,

Dhaba reacreates the ambience of a Punjabi highway eatery with a reconstructed truck and rustic sits-out. The

succulent kebabs and balti meat cannot be missed.

On the days you go shopping to Connaught Place, begin with breakfast at at the popular patisserie Wenger’s known

for its delectable sandwiches, cutlets, quiches, croissants and pastries. No retail therapy session in Delhi can be

complete without a visit to the Central Cottage Industries Emporium on Janpath and the Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts

Bhavan on Baba Kharak Marg.

Figura 5 Anish Kapoor, pigments

Figura 6 National Gallery of Modern Art

You cannot leave Delhi without taking in a slice of Indian history and heritage at the National Museum. You’ll be

entranced by the displays of coins, arms, jewellery, sculpture, paintings and manuscript. Those with a more artistic

bend of mind might prefer the National Gallery of Modern Art. Here you’ll come to face-to-face with the country’s

most significant artistic treasures and can even take some home in the form of well-produced prints.

By the end of your sojourn, you’ll find the despite the preference for South Delhi, Lutyens Delhi remains the cultural

core of the city. It’s picturesque, historical and absolutely breathtaking in this heavenly season.