It was a cold winter night in December 2021 when I was being driven around central Delhi by a friend. We were headed to Mandi House when I casually asked him, "D'you know the relevance of the name Mandi House?"
Similarly, a few weeks ago, I was strolling around the National Gallery of Modern Art with a companion. The NGMA, situated at Jaipur House, prompted me to ask if she is acquainted with the stories of the 'Houses' around India Gate? Take a look at this image to see a few around India Gate.
The dissenting answers to the above two questions prompted me to write this post to acquaint young Indians with the history of 'Houses' in Delhi.
I am sure that you must have heard the names of a few popular ones like Patiala House (a famous court) & Hyderabad House (where the PM meets foreign dignitaries)
Skim through this post to learn about the 'Royal Houses of Delhi'
What are these houses?
1911: Britishers shift the Indian capital from Calcutta to New Delhi and allot some plots to princely states around the Viceroy House (Now Rashtrapati Bhawan) to construct the respective imperial embassies of the states. Purpose? To embellish the imperial capital!
As the Indian air breathed independence from the British Raj, these houses were re-appropriated to serve different purposes. Here's a look at these:
Hyderabad House
Situated at the crossroads between KG Marg and Ashoka Road, HH is the most stately of them all. Who was the owner? The first Nizam of Hyderabad, Nizam Mir Qamaruddin. (once hailed as the richest man in the world)
Lutyens designed the house for Nizam, now owned by MEA India. Today, it is used to host state functions of the Prime Minister of India. You can recollect this featured in the movies like Gandhi and Sangam.
Baroda House
One of the most royal houses, the regal grandeur of this house carried the stamp of royal Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda. It is said that Lutyens conceptualized the map of this house on a train journey and drew a rough sketch on board.
One can judge the splendor of this palace from its Anglo-Saxon furnishing, American plumbing, the French cook & bandmaster, the Irish stable master, English maids & valet, table lines from Belfast, and dinner service fashioned in Bond street.
Given a Victorian Look, it now hosts the office of Northern Railways.
Patiala House
The Maharaja(s) of Patiala Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and his son Maharaja Yadavindra Singh were the forces behind the construction of this royal house overseeing the India Gate.
Back in the day, it even served as the office of World War II and shortly for WHO before hosting Delhi High Court temporarily. Since 1978, it has been making news for housing Delhi District Courts.
Jaipur House
Designed by the Blomfield brothers, the Jaipur house boasts grand Rajput architecture with a dome that sits on a circular drum. If you drive around the C-Hexagon around India Gate, you can view the saucer-shaped dome of the Jaipur House from a distance.
Today, it hosts the National Gallery of Modern Art which preserves the works of modern painters & sculptors. And oh, remember that famous Steel Tree? Find it on the lawns of the Jaipur house! :)
Travancore House
Travancore House: situated on the KG Marg, a few metres away from the India Gate, was built by Maharaja Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. Despite their wealth and fame, Travancore royal family exuded simplicity in their demeanour which reflects in the architecture of this royal building.
Presently, some offices of the Kerala Government function from the palace while a large section is deserted.
Bikaner House
The royal family of Bikaner paid handsomely to Charles Bloomfield to build this house. Today, it serves as the office of Rajasthan Tourism.
Other houses in Delhi:
Dholpur House: Earlier, it was the house of Rana of Dholpur and now the famous building of UPSC is located at Dholpur House on Shahjahan Road.
Bahawalpur House: Now a part of Pakistan, Bahawalpur was one of the top royal families of India. The house on Bhagwan Das Road hosted the first US Embassy in Delhi and now is the house of the National School of Drama (NSD)
Mandi House: Back in the day, the Mandi house was a beautiful palace belonging to the royal family of Mandi. Today, the palace does not exist anymore. If you want to visit its site, check out Doordarshan's building. It used to stand in all its grandeur there!
Cochin House: Now under Kerala Government
Darbhanga House: hosts some offices of MHA now
Faridkot House: Once it hosted Canadian High Commission in Delhi and today, it is the seat of the National Green Tribunal on Copernicus Marg.
Jind House: The estate hosted the first Chinese Embassy in India and today, it is part of Punjab Bhavan
Kashmir House: hosts some offices of MoD
Kanika House: Once home to Babasaheb Ambedkar, Kanika House is now the residence of the Polish Ambassador
PS: Most Princely houses were constructed by Sardar Sobha Singh whose son was a famous writer, Sardar Khushwant Singh.
Source: Gulf News and a Twitter thread by Amit Narang
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