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Rajpath |
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| Earlier known as the ceremonial Kingsway, Rajpath,
which is 2.4 kilometer long, was planned as the central avenue
of Sir Edwin Lutyen's New Delhi. The street is so well designed
that even after more than six decades, the central vista of
Delhi offers a very open feel to its visitors. It is lined with
beautiful ponds, large green lawns and trees on both sides,
which makes the environment cool and pleasant. To further extenuate
the summer heat, carefully chosen trees like Jamun or Java plum
were planted all along the street. The other thing worth noticing
in the planning of the city and the arrangement of the streets
is that all the main streets have beautiful vistas or views
at each end. Rajpath has the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the two
Secretariat buildings at its western end and India Gate - the
arch of triumph and Purana Qila to its eastern end. Though due
to the National Stadium, which was built on the insistence of
the wife of the Viceroy, the view of Purana Qila was blocked.
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| Every year on India's Republic Day - 26th January
- a parade or annual procession is organized here to celebrate
India's becoming a Republic. The street comes alive as millions
of people throng both its sides to watch the parade. The President
of India takes the salute on Rajpath as marching columns from
the armed forces, missile carriers, tanks, elephants and camels
pass by and citizens from all over the country showcase their
talents and pay tribute to their motherland. Three days after
the parade, the Beating of the Retreat ceremony, a spellbinding
performance by the massed bands of the armed forces, takes place
at Vijay Chowk, the large square before the secretariat buildings
of North and South Block. |
| Edwin Lutyens wanted Kingsway (Rajpath) to slope
right up to the Viceroy's House (Rashtrapati Bhavan) but Herbert
Baker, the other architect, ended the slope much before and
that too very steeply. As a result the main dome of Rashtrapati
Bhavan disappears at the end of the slope as one treads the
street from India Gate and rises again as one moves up and ahead.
Many prominent governments buildings are visible from Rajpath,
such as the Shastri Bhavan, Krishi Bhavan, Nirman Bhavan, and
Udyog Bhavan. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg, Man Singh road and Janpath
are the three streets, which bisect Rajpath. There are also
three important institutions - the National Archives, National
Museum and IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts)
that are located at the intersection of Rajpath and Janpath.
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| A drive in the evening on Rajpath, when the whole
area is well lit, will offer you a really beautiful sight of
the central vista of New Delhi. |
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