Parliament of India

Originally called the House of Parliament, it was designed by the British architect
Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in 1912-1913 and construction began in 1921. The
opening ceremony of the Parliament House, then called the Central Legislative
Assembly, was performed on 18 January 1927 by Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of
India. The third session of Central Legislative Assembly was held in this house on 19
January 1927. The Parliament Museum, opened in 2006, stands next to the Parliament
House.
he shape is circular, which is based on the Ashoka Chakra. Separate halls were
constructed for the sessions of the Chamber of Princes, the State Council, and the
Central Legislative Assembly. The building is surrounded by large gardens and the
perimeter is fenced off by sandstone railings (jali) modeled after the Great Stupa of
Sanchi.
Central Hall
The Central Hall of the Parliament is designed to be circular in shape. The dome is 98
ft. (29.87 metres) in diameter and is believed that it is one of the most magnificent
domes in the world. The Central Hall is a place of historical importance in India for
two reasons: The transfer of colonial power to the Provisional Government under
Nehru in 1947 and the framing of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly took
place in this very hall. At present, the Central Hall is used for holding Joint Sittings of
the two Houses. At the commencement of the first session after each General Election
to Lok Sabha and at the commencement of the first session of each year, the President
addresses both the Houses of Parliament assembled together in the Central Hall. When
the Houses are in session, the Central Hall is used by Members for informal
discussions among themselves. Central Hall is also used for special occasions when
the Members of Parliament are addressed by distinguished Heads of States of other
countries. The Hall is also equipped with Simultaneous Interpretation System.

The Viceregal Lodge, Shimla

The Viceregal Lodge, Shimla is the most historically significant and architectural
impressive building of the region that makes for a pleasant half-day excursion. The
Viceregal Lodge was the summer residence of the Indian Viceroy, the British Raj

leader who governed the whole of the Indian subcontinent between 1888 until 1946.
Within the Viceroy Lodge many significant decisions from this era about India were
devised, discussed and agreed upon.
For visitors the Viceregal Lodge is an elaborate Mock-Tudor stately home that is
surrounded by immaculately maintained gardens. Only a few of the staterooms can be
visited as part of a brief tour as the building has been transformed into an advanced
university complex. Viceregal Lodge is located 2km west of Shimla on the summit of
Observatory Hill, which provides wonderful panoramic views over the region.
The chosen site for the Lodge was on the summit of Observatory Hill. This is the
second highest point of Shimla, highest point is Jakhoo hill. In preparation for the
construction of the Viceroy Lodge the entire summit of Observatory Hill was flattened
and leveled. The lodge was constructed from local gray sandstone and light blue
limestone all of which had transported to the construction site by mules. No expense
was spared during the construction of the lodge and notable features included; a vast
wine cellar, a room for empty suitcases and an indoor tennis court!
The Viceroy Lodge was not just an architectural charming building it was filled with
the latest technology of the Victorian era and some were the first examples in the India
subcontinent. The Viceroy Lodge had a complex piping system to provide both hot
and cold water and gathered rain water to be stored under the lawns in the front of the
house.
The Viceregal Lodge Shimla was the official residence of the Indian Viceroy during
the summer months when the administrative centre moved to Shimla to escape the
heat of Delhi. Successive Viceroys made alterations to the lodge, the most notable
changes was the addition of the tower by Lord Curzon and the planting of the gardens
by the Marquis Lansdowne.
The Rashtrapati Nilayam is historically significant during both the independence of
India movement and founding of modern India. During the independence movement
Mahatma Gandhi visited the Viceroy at his residence in 1922 and later Lord
Willingdon in1931. In 1945 the lodge was the venue for the Shimla Conference which
proposed the Wavell Plan for Indian self-government. The plans were rejected by the
Muslim representatives and this meeting, as viewed by historians, was the last

opportunity for a united India. This rejection of a united India lead to the next
historically significant meeting held in the Viceroy Lodge, the 1947 partition
discussions which created India and Pakistan.
After India was granted independence in 1947 the lodge became the summer
residence of successive Indian presidents who all followed the British example of
retreating from the heat of Delhis summers. In the 1960s this tradition ended and the
building was handed over to the Institute of Advance Studies.The Viceroy Lodge is to
the west of Shimla and is a pleasant 2km walk from the centre of the city.

Victoria Memorial (India)

The Victoria Memorial is a large marble building in Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal,
India which was built between 1906 and 1921. It is dedicated to the memory of Queen
Victoria (18191901) and is now a museum and tourist destination under the auspices
of the Ministry of Culture. The Memorial lies on the Maidan (grounds) by the bank of
the Hooghly River, near Jawaharlal Nehru road.
In January 1901, on the death of Queen Victoria, George Curzon, 1st Marquess
Curzon of Kedleston and Viceroy of India, suggested the creation of a fitting
memorial. He proposed the construction of a grand building with a museum and
gardens. Curzon said,
"Let us, therefore, have a building, stately, spacious, monumental and grand, to which
every newcomer in Calcutta will turn, to which all the resident population, European
and Native, will flock, where all classes will learn the lessons of history, and see
revived before their eyes the marvels of the past."
The Prince of Wales, later King George V, laid the foundation stone on 4 January 1906
and it was formally opened to the public in 1921. In 1912, before the construction of
the Victoria Memorial was finished, King George V announced the transfer of the
capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi. Thus, the Victoria Memorial was built in
what would be a provincial city rather than a capital.
The Victoria Memorial was funded by many Indian states, individuals of the British
Raj and the British government in London.[6] The princes and people of India
responded generously to Curzon's appeal for funds and the total cost of construction of

this monument amounting to one crore, five lakhs of rupees, was entirely derived from
their voluntary subscriptions[9]
The Victoria Memorial's architect was William Emerson (18431924), president of the
Royal Institute of British Architects. The design is in the Indo-Saracenic revivalist
style. This style uses a mixture of British and Mughal elements as well as Venetian,
Egyptian, Deccani and Islamic architectural influences. The building is 338 feet (103
m) by 228 feet (69 m) and rises to a height of 184 feet (56 m). It is constructed of
white Makrana marble. The gardens of the Victoria Memorial were designed by Lord
Redesdale and David Prain. Emerson's assistant, Vincent J. Esch designed the bridge
of the north aspect and the garden gates.

Victoria Public Hall in Chennai

The building was constructed to remember the golden Jubilee of Victoria ,the Empress
of India in the British Period. Victoria building is one of the historical buildings in
Chennai constructed by the British Government. The name Victoria was named after
the Empress of British India. This building was constructed to remember the Golden
jubilee of the Empress Victoria. Victoria Public Hall is also called as The Town Hall
which was used as the Cinema theater and also public assembly room in the late 19th
and in the early 20th century. Victoria Public Hall is presently used as the South
Indian Athletic Association Club. In the year 1882, the Town hall was decided to be
constructed. The foundation stone was laid by the King of Vijayanagar named
Aanandha Ghajapati Rao. During this foundation, there were many kings namely the
king of Mysore, King of Travancore, King of Pudhukottai and the High court judge of
those days. The architecture of the Victoria Hall was designed by Robert Fellowes
Chisholm. The grand opening of the hall was held on 1880. The Town hall soon
became the place to held meetings and to conduct social meetings. Great people like
Swami Vivekanandha and Mahatma Gandhi has visited the Public Hall. Many plays
were held by Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar and Sankaradoss Swamigal.
For the first 30years, the Victoria Public Hall was used as the Hall for public meets
and social works. It later became a theater after 1906. The Suguna Vilasa Sabha was
constructed close to the Victoria Hall and the first play which was played there was
"Kaadhalar Kangal". It was in The Victoria Public Hall, the first Cinema in Chennai

took place. This introduction of Cinema in this Town hall become popular and became
famous into the public and gained footage among the people. But later in the year of
1985, as a part of renovation, the Town Hall was not taken care properly and many
shops inside the Town Hall was removed. Many hotels started playing in the Town
Hall for lease. But in the year 2010,the supreme court ordered the hotel to give back
the hall to the corporation.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), formerly Victoria Terminus (VT), is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site and an historic railway station in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. Designed by Frederick
William Stevens with influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture
and traditional Mughal buildings, the station was built in 1887 in the Bori Bunder area
of Mumbai to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The new railway
station was built on the location of the Bori Bunder Station[3] and is one of the busiest
railway stations in India, serving as a terminal for both long-distance trains and
commuter trains of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. The station's name was changed to
its present one in March 1996 and it is now known simply as CST (or CSTM).
Bori Bunder (alternatively "Bori Bandar") was one of the areas along the Eastern
shore line of Mumbai, India which was used as a storehouse for goods imported and
exported from Mumbai. In the area's name, 'Bori' means sack and 'Bandar' means port
or haven (in Marathi); So Bori Bunder literally means a place where sacks are stored.
In the 1850s, the Great Indian Peninsular Railway built its railway terminus in this
area and the station took its name as Bori Bunder. On 16 April 1853 the Great Indian
Peninsula Railway operated the historic first passenger train in India from Bori
Bunder to Thane covering a distance of 34 km (21 mi), formally heralding the birth of
the Indian Railways. The train between Bori Bunder and Thane took 57 minutes at a
distance of 35 km (22 mi) apart.
The station was eventually rebuilt as the Victoria Terminus, named after the then
reigning Queen, and has been subsequently renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
(CSTM) after the 17th-century king. The shortened name is now CST.

The station was designed by the consulting British architect Frederick William
Stevens (1848-1900). Work began in 1878. He received 1,614,000 (US$24,000) as
the payment for his services. Stevens earned the commission to construct the station
after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Haig. The final design
bears some resemblance to St Pancras railway station in London. GG Scott's plans for
Berlin's parliament building had been published four years before, and also has
marked similarities to the station's design. Crawford market is also located near
CSTM.

Town Hall mumbai

Town Hall is one of the most majestic structures among the other heritage buildings in
the city of Mumbai. One can say that this building represents one of the last
architectural remnants of the Victorian Bombay (Mumbai). The Town hall was
colloquially called as 'Tondal' during the 19th century. The Town Hall houses the
'Asiatic society of Bombay' (Mumbai), which is a public state library in the city. For
this reason, the structure is considered a storehouse of information. The objective
behind the conservancy of Town Hall is to inspire research and to treasure the
literatures, sciences and oriental arts. Churchgate Station is the nearest railway station.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is very close to the Town Hall venue. Town Hall is
well-connected by roads, so one can hire autos or travel by bus to reach the site. Truly
an architectural marvel, the Town Hall is a popular tourist attraction.
History
Mumbai's Town Hall is a colonial structure and was built in 1833. The plan for its
construction began in 1811. After raising an amount of Rs.10,000 through a lottery, by
the 'Literary Society of Bombay' (Mumbai), the funds were used for building the
museum and library. These funds were not enough for the entire construction,
therefore the society had to approach the government for more funds. 10 years later,
the construction of the Town Hall was finally complete.
Architecture
Sir John Malcolm, the then Governor of Bombay (Mumbai) praised the palatial
structure and according to him - "it is the most magnificent structure that taste and
munificence combined have as yet erected in India". The Town Hall was designed by

Colonel Thomas Cowper who was one of the best engineers in Bombay (Mumbai).
With a span of 200 feet and height of 100 feet, the structure was inspired by Greek
and Roman styles of architecture. The entrance of the building is adorned with a
Grecian portico and 8 impressive Doric styled pillars. There is a flight of 30 steps
leading to the entrance of the Town Hall. The entire construction was made of stones
brought from England and was beautifully designed in a neo-classical fashion. Within
the building, the floors are covered in ancient wood, the staircases are spiral and the
terraces are adorned with beautiful wrought iron. The hall boasts of a collection of
remarkable marble statues of Indian patrons of the 19th century.