not too much cumbered with monuments and tombs needing reverent treatment and, whilst it was reasonably near the centre of the existing city, it was capable of almost indefinite expansion southward. The committee had also examined other areas in the neighbourhood but found none suitable for the purpose. No good site existed E. of the Jumna. Similarly the Naraina Plain, on the western slopes of the hills to the S. of Delhi, was not recommended mainly because a new city built there could hardly be considered to be Delhi at all, and the area was destitute of historical associations and shut out by the hills from all view of the existing city. This area was, however, found suitable as a site for the new cantonment.
The publication of this first report aroused considerable interest both in India and in England. Articles in the Indian press ex- pressed a preference for the Northern Site, a predilection which had also been felt by the town-planning committee when they commenced their labours. In Dec. 1912 Sir Bradford Leslie read a paper before the Indian section of the Royal Society of Arts in London, in which he set forth plans for building the new capi- tal on the Northern Site and producing a fine water effect by a treatment of the river Jumna. The town-planning committee therefore, in Feb. 1913, issued their second report, in which they restated the arguments for and against the Northern Site.
" The soil is poor on the Northern Site as compared with the Southern. The Southern Site is already healthy and has healthy surroundings. The Northern Site, even after expenditure on sanitary requirements, will never be satisfactory. If the Northern Site is to be made healthy, this involves going outside the site itself and making the neighbourhood healthy also. The building land to the S. is generally good. On the N., to be used at all, it has in places to be raised at considerable cost. There is no really suitable healthy site for a cantonment in proximity to a city on the Northern Site. The exigencies of fitting in the requirements to the limited area of the Northern Site endanger the success of a layout as a whole and tend to make for cramping and bad arrangement. The result of placing a city on the Northern Site appears to the committee to be the creation of a bad example in place of a good one."
In Feb. 1913 a committee was appointed to consider the comparative healthiness of the Northern and Southern Sites. The committee reported on March 4 1913 " that no doubt can exist as to the superior healthiness of the Southern Site, the medical and sanitary advantages of which are overwhelming when compared with those of the Northern Site." The com- mittee therefore, on March 20 1913, issued their final .report with a layout for the proposed new city on the Southern Site.
The focal point of the new city (see map) is located on Raisina Hill, and the buildings of the Government Centre are arranged symmetri- cally about what is practically an E. and W. axis connecting the focal point with the northwestern or Talaki Gate of the old fort of In- drapat or Purana Kila. The two great blocks of secretariats are situated to the N. and S. of this focal point, with Government Court between them. Westward from Government Court, a raised platform or forum connects Raisina Hill with the high ground of the southern ridge, so that the whole Government Centre appears to be built on a spur of the ridge itself. This raised forum is known as the Viceroys Court and at the western end of this court is situated Government House. The Viceroy's Court is also reached both from the N. and S. by roadways with easy gradients and at the inter- section of these roadways with the E. and W. axis of the court is placed the Jaipur Column surmounted by the Star of India.
Government House itself is also approached both from the N. and S. along fine avenues and to the westward of these avenues lies the viceregal estate, with its gardens and parks, wherein are located the bungalows of the viceroy's private and military secretaries, and the surgeon and comptroller, the quarters for the viceroy's troops and bodyguard and for other staffs connected with the viceregal estate. The southern of these two avenues leads from Government House to the residence of the commander-in-chief in India.
Below the eastern facade of the secretariats a forecourt, known as the Great Place, is laid out. This is partially enclosed by a beautiful S anc hi railing in red sandstone and is adorned with six water basins and fountains. In two chambers, one in each basement of the two secretariats, the chambers being entered from the Great Place, are now installed the inaugural stones laid by the King- Emperor, surmounted by the royal insignia cast in bronze.
Eastward again, below the Great Place, is a park known as the Central Vista, planted with lines of jaman-trees and having two water basins, one on either side of the central roadway, for the whole of its length. On either side of this Central Vista are arranged the houses of the members of Council. The Central Vista at its eastern end opens out into a park, hexagonal in shape, in which is to be
built the All-India War Memorial Arch. This central parkway was intended ultimately to terminate at a small lake, the waters of which would wash the base of the northern end of Indrapat.
A second principal avenue of the city intersects at right angles the Central Vista about midway in its length. In the four angles formed by this intersection were planned four large buildings, to accommodate, amongst other institutions, the Imperial Record Office, the Ethnological Museum, the Medical Research Institute, a Library and War Museum. At the northern end of this avenue is situated the business and commercial centre of the city. This consists of a circus, 1, 600 ft. in diameter, around which are arranged 12 blocks of buildings, each three storeys high. At this circus the new post and telegraph office is to be located. Of the 12 roads which radiate from this centre, that due N. will give a state entrance to the new joint railway station. This same avenue, southward of the Central Vista, will sight on to the Anglican cathedral, around which are built the residences of the principal officers of Government.
The avenue radiating due N. from the focal point of the city on Raisina Hill sights on to the Roman Catholic cathedral, all around which are situated the houses of the Indian and European super- intendents and clerks of the secretariats, the Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital for Women being slightly to the north-east.
A little towards the E., the next main avenue passes through the business centre already referred to, and sights in the distance on to the dome of the Jama Masjid in the old city. Immediately below the northern block of the secretariats is placed the building designed to accommodate the Council of State, the Legislative Assembly and the Chamber of Princes. A little farther eastward, the next avenue sights on to the proposed Delhi University.
Facing now due S., an important avenue leads to the club, with the racecourse beyond, a large recreation park being slightly to the W. and Safdar Jang's mausoleum slightly to the east. Turning again a little farther to the E., we overlook the Lodi Park, in which are situated the tombs of the Lodi dynasty.
The eastern side of the city will be largely occupied by the res- idences of ruling princes and chiefs and prominent Indian gentlemen.
At the Royal Academy in 1914 there were exhibited drawings by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Mr. Herbert Baker (the architects jointly responsible), which showed how it was proposed to treat the main architectural problems of the new capital. Government House and the two blocks of secretariats were planned as one group or capitol facing eastward, with the afforested southern ridge behind it to the west. A prolonged " battle of the styles " has been waged over the New Delhi, and if these designs give satisfaction to neither of the extreme and opposed schools, they clearly showed an endeavour to apply, with due regard for Indian sentiment, the spirit of the great traditions of architecture to the solution of structural problems conditioned upon Indian climate and requirements. The inspiration of these designs is manifestly Western, but they combine with it distinctive Indian features without doing violence to the principles of structural fitness and artistic unity.
Government Court has a length from W. to E. of about 1,100 ft. and a width between the two blocks of secretariats of ab'out 400 feet. These buildings have been designed by Mr. Baker. The eastern end of each block is marked by deep loggias looking out over the Central Vista. In the centre of each block is a dome. In the case of the N. block this marks an entrance hall; in the S. block it surmounts a conference hall with a suite of reception-rooms. Each block contains four floors: on the main ground floor are the general offices of the departments; on the first floor are the offices of mem- bers of Council, secretaries and other officers; whilst the remaining floors are occupied by clerks' rooms and records. An 'essential fea- ture of the design, and one which sets the character of the whole building, is the provision of loggias and recessed gateways or exedrae giving views through to the fountain courts situate in the interior of the blocks, and these take the place of the continuous verandahs that are so familiar a feature of Indian buildings. The architect relies for control of temperature on these loggias and recesses, on thick external walls, together with window shutters as adopted so widely in southern Europe, and on the wide chajja characteristic of Oriental buildings. The Viceroy's Court is about 600 ft. in width and 1,300 ft. in length and it will be treated with grass, waterways and fountains and shady trees, and will form a dignified approach to Government House. Here will be erected the column, funds for which were provided by the Maharaja of Jaipur.
The great portico of Government House is raised some 20 ft. above the level of the Viceroy's Court and 35 ft. above the surround- ing country. The house itself centres round the great Durbar Hall, a domed structure which dominates the scheme of the buildings surrounding it. Grouped round the Durbar Hall are the state rooms and the great stairways from the entrance courts on the N. and S. sides. Projecting from this central block are four wings : that on the S.W. contains the viceroy's private apartments; in the S.E. wing accommodation is provided for the A.D.C.'s to the viceroy; guests are accommodated in the N.W. wing; whilst the N.E. wing contains the offices of the Viceroy's private and military sec- retaries. On the W. side of the house will be a raised garden, walled and terraced after the manner of the Moghals. This building, with the subsidiary buildings of the viceregal estate, has been designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
