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Bikaner House
Bikaner House
New Delhi, India
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Other Projects by Abha Narain Lambah Associates
Bikaner House
New Delhi, India
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
1935
SIZE
25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft
BUDGET
$1M - 5M
In 1911, during the grand ceremonies of the Delhi Durbar, King George V announced that the capital of British India was to be moved from Calcutta to Delhi. In the grand design of Sir Edwin Lutyens for the Imperial capital of New Delhi, the Maharajas of Indian princely states were assigned plots to build their stately residences in the new capital city of Imperial India. They were assigned plots along the main axis, Kingsway in order of their importance. The lush green gardens on the hexagon of India Gate provided a perfect place to construct royal edifices dedicated to each royal houses of India.
At a prime plot of land facing the India Gate, was Bikaner House – of the princely state of Bikaner in Rajasthan. Bikaner House was designed as a residence of the rulers of the Princely State of Bikaner. It was built during the rule of Maharaja Ganga Singh. Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker were initially given the task to design the residence but the responsibility was handed over to Sir C. J. Blomfield. Built in the 1930’s, Bikaner house was positioned at a key vantage point on the main axis on India Gate along with Jaipur house, Patiala house and Hyderabad house. The building was designed by Charles Blomfield seeking as synthesis of Neo Classical and Art Deco wtih the Indo- Rajput architecture of Western India.
After Independence, this became the property of the government of the state of Rajasthan and Bikaner House was relegated to a bus terminal for public transport plying between Jaipur in Rajasthan and Delhi, and offices of government staff in New Delhi. Decades of ad hoc accretions to fit in clerical offices, ticket offices and tour guides resulted in many ad hoc sheds, barracks and sundry godowns being added to this complex. The grand building was unkempt and neglected for decades, its high ceilings covered in false ceilings and storage lofts, paan stained corridors unkempt and dirty.
In 2014, the revival and adaptive reuse of Bikaner House was initiated by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ms. Vasundhara Raje, to transform the run-down bus terminal into a cultural center, given its key location in heart of Lutyens’ Delhi – facing the India Gate circle. She reached out to private individuals, curators, writers, designers and architects to volunteer in their effort to transform Bikaner House from the shambles of neglect, into a public place and cultural center through a public private participatory effort.
A group of individuals not part of the government volunteered to participate in this initiative that was to help revive this erstwhile royal residence from the shabby hovel it had become, to rise as a phoenix from the depth of neglect and misuse. Malvika Singh, a local author, and art curator; Abha Narain Lambah – a conservation architect; Adil Ahmed – an interior designer; Rohit Khattar – a restauranteur, Vicky Sahni – a revivalist and entrepreneur; Festival directors, fashion and textile designers and many other such private citizens came together to volunteer, advise, or partner with the Rajasthan Government to create a unique public-private partnership. Bikaner House is thus a novel and unique project that has proven in the last decade, that a government building that has fallen into disrepair and mis use can be lifted through public participation of citizens, artists, designers, authors to reinvent itself. Over the last 9 years this has become the most iconic and popular cultural center at the center of India’s capital city, showcasing India’s contemporary and traditional arts, crafts, fashion, music, poetry, dance cuisine to the world and open its doors to the public.
From a run-down bus ticketing office, the ‘sarkari’ – or typically government offices with steel cupboards, dingy spaces with dusty tube-lights, cob-webs and paan stains have given way to some of the most iconic art spaces – with indoor and outdoor art galleries, café, seminar halls, public gardens, amphitheatres, restaurants, boutique, retail and cultural spaces in Delhi. This project adaptively reuses an erstwhile palace and then a bus ticketing office and government sheds and offices into India’s prime cultural experiment. It is a unique pilot that has proven to be an example for other state governments to follow, to convert their properties into cultural incubators.
The project followed the vision of Bikaner House to renovate the spaces to show different art and cultural expressions of not only Rajasthan but other parts of the country as well. The design is manoeuvred to provide an enchanting experience to the visitors by reviving the Indo-Deco architectural ethos with Rajput traditional design. The project has been rendered in a manner where a harmony between eclectic expressions of architecture has been successfully maintained.
In the past years since its revival, Bikaner House has hosted art and crafts exhibitions ranging from textiles, sculpture, traditional to contemporary art, photography to graphics, from traditional skills to modern art, from music recitals to fashion shows, dance performances, seminars, debates, panel discussions, book releases, to traditional “dastangoi” storytelling, film festivals to poetry readings and more, have been curated on a regular, carefully curated calendar over the past 9 years have made this space participatory for the young experimentalists as well as for the established practitioners. In 2022, after the pandemic lockdown, Bikaner House partnered the Delhi Art Fair, hosting young artists below 30, once again reinventing itself as the most popular cultural space within the center of Delhi.
The adaptive reuse of Bikaner House exemplifies the amalgamation of reviving not only the tangible built heritage but also creating a platform to revive the intangible heritage and the dying crafts forms and give them a resurgence and restore cultural heritage in the 21st century. Bikaner House served as a window of opportunities to the artists, craftsmen, and bridged the gap between the old and the new, contemporary and historic, tangible and intangible, to create a space reflective of the need to conserve our heritage as well as bring people together to use this space to create their legacy and heritage.
To restore a historic building with government funds is most often a one time capital expenditure and top down approach to restoration. In order to break away from this format, the entire project was envisaged as one that engaged with community and public participation as well as private funding right from its very inception. Thus, a core group of private individuals was created to aid and advise the project. The designers, curators, architects worked on the first part of the conservation and rethinking on a pro bono and voluntary basis. This informed the project structure and its fundamental identity. In order to raise funds for the project and to make it economically sustainable, private entrepreneurs such as the iconic Chor Bazaar eatery as well as Vayu – a design store specializing in contemporary and traditional Indian arts and crafts was roped in to create an economic model of public-private engagement. L’ Opera, a famous café and patisserie, the Chor Bazaar restaurant and Vayu remain some of the most popular outlets within the complex, attracting people to visit, have a meal or coffee and enjoy the cultural forum at Bikaner House. The entire functioning of Bikaner House has a range of reputed artists, entrepreneurs, designers chosen from the best of their fields to engage with the Rajasthan Government representatives to form the Advisory Committee that oversees the functioning.
In order to cater to people from all socio-economic groups, the complex has been designed to embrace people of diverse backgrounds. Apart from the more formal galleries and interior spaces hosting formal art, exhibitions, seminars and events, the entire design brief of the project has been crafted to offer different formats for the promotion of arts and crafts and to promote engagement with artists and artisans. The rear lawns house open ‘haat’ type spaces to host traditional craftsmen to showcase their wares to the public, promoting village industries and traditional and tribal artisans of Rajasthan. Every Sunday for over 7 years, the venue has hosted Organic food stalls and a regular Sunday Market where private entrepreneurs sell organic produce, homemade jams and chutneys, ice creams, hot breakfasts, flowers and plants, breads of all variety. The “Chandni Bagh” as it is called now saw many folk music and dance concerts to give a platform to Rajasthani and other folk musicians and performers, where kite makers taught children how to make and fly paper kites; magicians performed every now and again as do musicians and vocalists from nomadic tribes and rural communities. The lawns have been host to the Sculpture Park and offer dynamic and vibrant spaces for children, for conducting informal workshops, hold flea markets and lend a space in the heart of the Capital city welcoming all age groups.
BIKANER HOUSE, an experiment that has now proven itself for nearly a decade, has truly became an iconic cultural oasis in the heart of central Delhi, drawing large crowds of citizens every day.
- Conservation project’s goals and objectives (client’s brief)
Once, a historic house in the erstwhile Princes’ Park in Delhi, with the neighboring royal estates of Baroda, Hyderabad, etc., Bikaner House was designed by the famous architect Charles G Blomfield as the Delhi residence of the Maharaja of Bikaner in a style that combined Edwardian and Art Deco styles. The building eventually became the property of the Rajasthan state government post-independence after state took over the properties of the princely rulers and feudalism was abolished. However, over the period of time the architectural identity of the house had been reduced to a neglected, run down bus depot/ stop and ticketing office for buses to and fro from Rajasthan.
The project aimed to restore the building and its interiors to revive the historic Bikaner House as a Cultural Centre for the city of New Delhi re-energizing the space with a new lease of life and creating an identity of Rajasthan in Delhi. She reached out to private individuals, curators, writers, designers and architects to volunteer in their effort to transform Bikaner House from the shambles of neglect, into a public place and cultural center through a public private participatory effort. The Cultural center would boast of revival of crafts, providing for as a business center, crafts haat, exhibition and multipurpose space for the dissemination of knowledge of the crafts as well as lending the space as an art gallery, conference facility, seminar hall, etc., as well as the Office of the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
- Key conservation interventions
- Categorized as a Grade II heritage building by Delhi Government Heritage List, Bikaner House was meticulously restored to its original form in a recent past. The first part of the project addressed the issues of structural stability, waterproofing, removal of ad hoc additions of sheds and incongruous additions space was opened to the public on 18th November 2018. As re-iterated before, the intent was to have Bikaner House resonate the energy and ambience of not only Rajasthan, but also of India, and beyond.
- Today, Bikaner House has become a landmark cultural institution dedicated to the promotion of arts, crafts, and cultural interchange. Bikaner House is fulfilling its mandate of enriching, highlighting and promoting the current artistic trends and traditional art forms of India by providing a common platform to artists, artisans, communities and craftsmen.
- As a royal residence the ground floor hosted the reception suite, private rooms and guest rooms, while the private quarters were on the first floor. During India’s Independence, Bikaner House was a chosen venue for many important meetings between the Princess of India, deliberating on the future of a nation. It was an important meeting point where the policy of accession was discussed. Moreover, it hosted other historical events during the course of history. Its present form still retains the opulence, regal grandeur and well nuanced taste of its original patrons but creates greater public access for all walks of society.
- The aim was to achieve a cultural center of world class standard deeply rooted in the vernacular and cultural heritage of Rajasthan. Under the care of local craftsmen, and traditional techniques were adopted to in a modern and contemporary way reflecting the timelessness of the crafts and their applicability to the built form.
- The entire project was done in two phases with the first phase was to structurally restore the building along with the restoration of the gardens and landscape, the gateways and the removal of ad hoc additions on the site. The landscape restoration of the Chandni Bagh as it was originally called saw the removal of concrete pavers and the paving was done in indigenous sandstone with the pigeon breasted pattern traditional to Rajasthan, another element of the design language of the Rajasthan which was used in a contemporary language at Bikaner House. The design of the amphitheater space in the courtyard acts as a perfect baithak space to host small events. The main dining hall (originally) was transformed into this One Building Many Venues kind of a multipurpose space and serves as an exhibition space cum conference hall with chandeliers which are original and have been restored and put back in its place.
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- Layers of paint on the stone walls were carefully removed as was the ad hoc signage. With issues such as dampness and leakages, the historic renders were restored in lime as per the original materials and then painted with lime based breathable paints which act as a layer to fight dampness issues as well.
- The second phase of the project was to restore the first floor of the Bikaner house as an extension to the Cultural center to be fitted with the state of the art facility to function as Art Galleries and venues which can hold public events, with a fully equipped outdoor working space for young people. The site was completely depleted of its character as a princely state house and was reduced to a government office and the finishes, the articulation of spaces, the renders, the colours and the overall volume of the spaces were compromised with additions and alterations marring the integrity of the structure as well its purpose.
- The interiors were designed keeping the historic spatial integrity of the original volumes, removing ad hoc partitions and later additions. The interior finishes celebrate the indigenous crafts forms of Rajasthan such as “araish plaster”, “thikri work” etc., Rooted in ancient crafts and techniques, the interiors were inspired by infusing the essence of these crafts and techniques by working with skilled craftsmen which imparted a sense of place while being designed for a contemporary and modern restored space.
- The project entailed working with skilled artisans by redefining the existing local craft traditions in the form of “araish” plaster which was used as a render in the proposed conference hall in lime bringing the contemporary space together with original pigmentation in color.
- Time frame
The project for the Restoration of Bikaner house was divided in 2 Phases since the building is occupied by different users and works were executed while the premises were functioning. The 1st Phase of Restoration project began in 2014, which dealt with the structural conservation works for the building and interior restoration of the ground floor and dining hall and was completed in 2015. Phase 2 works which were focused on the Interior restoration of the First floor and expanding the avenues of the cultural centre to now house conference rooms and seminar halls for discourses and exhibitions along with an arm dedicated to the office of the Resident Commissioner. Govt. of Rajasthan was initiated in 2017 and the project was completed in 2018.
- Project size (ha or sqm) and cost (in US$)
The Bikaner house property sits on a plot of 3 acres and the palatial building is 30,000 sqft built up comprising of ground and first floor.
Project cost – 7 crores INR
- Explain whether the project is entirely a private sector initiative, or alternatively a joint public-private collaboration. Clearly state the contributions and role of each partner/stakeholder by using the table below (projects that are undertaken wholly by government entities are not eligible).
Bikaner House comes under Bikaner House Management Society[BHMS]. is an autonomous body, which is a public private partnership. It is a not for profit, self-sustaining organization which is aimed at promoting community engagement, supporting art, crafts and providing a platform for dialogue, engagement and promotion of women, promotion of awareness of art, crafts, cultural exchange. Whereas the building is owned by the Government, the cultural calendar and events through the year are supported by a public-private partnership, engaging with local communities, rural artisans, artists, and generating revenue through private sector sponsorships, a curated design store, a restaurant, and a café. Once a week, a crafts and organic produce market is organised to support local craft and sustainable living.
Max. 1000 words
B: Description of the cultural heritage property
The description of the cultural heritage property should include:
- Historical background of the property
Once, the plan of the capital of India was laid out with the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament house and other buildings at the heart of Lutyen’s Delhi, large plots were allotted to Indian princes based on their rank. The idea was to create a Princes’ Park area around what was called C –Hexagon and where India Gate was built later.
The princely estates were designed by British architects like the famed Sir Edwin Lutyens, C.G Blomfield, Walter George and others predominantly in western architectural style. The state of Rajputana had a number of princely homes and along the Shah Jahan road, Bikaner house, Dholpur house, Kota house, Bundi house, Jaisalmer house to name a few were built. Amidst the stately palaces situated in the Princes’ Park, stood Bikaner House with its crimson and gold flag which belonged to Maharaja Ganga Singh. The Bikaner house building was initially designed by Sir Edwin Lutyen’s himself, however the Maharaja later handed the job to design his palace o C.G Blomfield.
Bikaner House was designed in an architectural style that is predominantly western with a few elements of Rajput tradition, most notably the ‘chattris – The canopy style dome.’ Although the articulation is neo classical, the design reflects a play with Rajasthani elements integrated in the architectural vocabulary.
As a royal residence the ground floor hosted the reception suite, private rooms and guest rooms, while the private quarters were on the first floor. During India’s Independence, Bikaner House was a chosen venue for many important meetings between the Princess of India, deliberating on the futures. It was an important meeting point where the policy of accession was discussed. Moreover, it hosted other historical events during the course of history. Its present form still reflects the opulence, regal grandeur and well nuanced taste of its original patrons.
The ground floor had the reception suite, private rooms for the Maharaja and guest suites. The first floor was used as a “zenana” (for the women). All three units on the ground floor had separate entries through three spate porte-cocheres or carriage porches. The Viceroy and other dignitaries, whenever invited would arrive at the main entrance and have a direct access to the large dining hall after crossing the drawing room. The dining room opened on the rear side to the open loggia and sprawling gardens.
On the eve of Independence, Bikaner house became the main meeting venue for the princes to discuss complicated issues pertaining to partition, dissolution of the chamber of Princes, and the position of the princely states in Free India. Meetings with Lord Mountbatten with the royalty of different states would be conducted at Bikaner house. After independence, the Maharaja would receive requests for use of Bikaner house by friends and government officials. In 1950 Ravi Shankar (the world-renowned Sitar maestro) had requested the Maharaja for some rooms in New Delhi on the lines of India Culture center at Almora established by his brother Uday Shankar. The same could not be done at that time, but today Bikaner house has revived itself as a Cultural centre in the heart of New Delhi giving it the due and lease of life and setting an example for the other properties to follow suit.
Articulation of the property’s overall cultural significance and heritage values such as historical, social, cultural, architectural and other values (please see guidelines for explanation)
Bikaner House is a listed heritage building in Delhi and has great significance for its historical association with the royal house of Bikaner, as well as urban location in the heart of Lutyen’s New Delhi. Bikaner house building sits at the cusp of time when the buildings in India were breaking free from being heavily ornamented and adapting to the transition in terms of use of material, form, juxtaposition and creating a unique language of their own. With inspirations from neo classical architecture, the design is simplified and at the same time uses a very articulate Indian element “Chhatri” in the overall massing of the building placed above the porte-cochere’s as an ode to the state of Rajasthan.
Historically, the building has been witness to important historic events which have been critical in the India’s modern history and has been associated with the prominent personalities such as Lord Mountbatten and the other Kings of the princely states of India when Bikaner house served as a meeting place to conduct important discussions which shaped the future of the princely states in the country post-Independence.
- Use of the property
The original use of the property was that of a Royal Residence for the Maharaja of Bikaner on his visits to attend the Council of Princes at New Delhi. After Independence, when the royal privileges were abolished, the property moved into the custody of the government of Rajasthan. It then became a bus terminal and ticketing office for buses plying to Rajasthan, along with sundry governmental offices and storage godowns.
After the conservation and adaptive reuse, the property has regained its place as the prime cultural space in the heart of the Capital city. Through corporate, private and trust funding, various events held through the last 8 years demonstrate the robustness of the active public outreach, community engagement, public access and public private participation at Bikaner House.
Just some of events hosted post pandemic are listed to give a glimpse into the range of cultural activities. Bikaner House hosted many exhibitions and events in collaboration with International Embassies and Organizations like Embassy of Brazil, Italy, ICCR and UNESCO etc. In May 2022, ICCR, under its Distinguished Visitors Programme (DVP) hosted an exhibition of Spanish artist Cristobal Gabbaron.
In 2022-23, Bikaner House showcased a collection of cultural events and exhibitions that have been instrumental in creating a strong sense of social solidarity. Notable art exhibitions from this year were presented by Embassy of Brazil, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) which presented an open dialogue with internationally-recognized artists. Organizations like UNESCO in collaboration with Royal Enfield presented an exhibition documenting the living heritage of the Himalayas. Hyundai’s ‘Art for Hope’ also focused on artworks centered on community and environment.
Through regular Sunday Market, Artisans Bazaar, Rajasthan Foundation’s ‘India style Fashion Week’ and Teej Utsav we see Bikaner House’s commitment to support Rajasthan’s culture, woman artisans and rural arts and crafts. Bikaner House has provided a platform for rural women artisans and women self-help groups of Rajeevika (Rajasthan Grameen Ajeevika Vikas Parishad) to promote traditional crafts from Rajasthan.
A robust community engagement and public private initiative is a leitmotif of the activities of Bikaner House. CSR-based Social initiatives and private sponsorships support exhibitions of young artists such as the ANUMANA. Times of India supported artists under its theme "Diversity and Inclusion. Hyundai supported activities under its global vision of 'Progress for Humanity'. The Art for hope program aims to revive traditional art and create awareness among youth. The program endeavours to showcase India's rich art, craft and culture while helping elevate the lives of artisans and crafts persons.
Revival of craft and traditional heritage has been a major thrust, collaborating with for profit, corporates and business houses to celebrate Indian crafts and traditional craft industries. The Cultural Night by the House of Angadi a revivalist textile brand from South India is a celebration of the cross-cultural nature of textiles and essay the heritage tale in its most splendid form. The event witnessed exquisitely woven textile installations on display and a musical recital by an eminent performer to present the rich textile bastion of the country to the modern-day connoisseurs of luxe living. Glass art in India is connected to a long legacy of historical trade and courtly patronage, building community artisanship and craft of a very high level, particularly in blown glass techniques. Kama Ayurveda, a leading brand in Indian beauty and Ayurveda, organized the event 'Rupa Rasa' on the occasion of completing 20 years, at Bikaner House. The Glass Makers Club brought together artists, practitioners, writers, connoisseurs, and collectors exploring glass as a traditional craft and contemporary art medium to collectively address the infrastructural and other challenges that makers of glass continue to face. In 2022 Rajasthan Foundation celebrated handmade artistry from Rajasthan keeping in mind the idea of "Women empowerment", a fashion line presented by Ruma Devi with the India style fashion week.
Bikaner House initiated a sculpture park with its first open-air sculpture art show ‘Us and Nature’ in February, 2023, showcasing prominent works of India’s leadings contemporary sculptors like Satish Gupta, K.S. Radhakrishnan, Akhil Chandra Das, etc. Numerous events that establishes Bikaner House’s foothold in India’s Contemporary Art scene are the talk sessions named as ‘Bikaner House Dialogues’ organized to bring eminent personalities for panel discussions supporting art educations and democratic forum. Simultaneously Bikaner House’s venue collaboration with India Art Fair 2023 led to interchange of ideas between many young artists and young art collectors.
Cross cultural engagement and interchange is demonstrated through the activities last year. A contemporary art exhibition with a dialogue between a Brazilian and an Indian artist, Rodrigo Garcia Dutra and Samit Das was held with a panel for discussion between artists and curators last year. In December 2022 The Group Ionica Aranea performed live. Pizzica a popular folk dance from Apulia (South of Italy), engaged the audience with rhythms of Southern Italy. In February 2023 a book reading of Kameni Spavač/Stone Sleeper/Khak Mein Surate between Ambassador Mohamed Cengic of Bosnia and literary historian Rakhshanda Jalil, centered around his Hindi translation of Mak Dizdar's collection of poetry 'Stone Sleeper' at the Bikaner House.
March to Freedom in collaboration with the Indian Museum and the private Delhi Art Gallery celebrated the 75th year of Independence. Craft revival through exhibitions Kalinga Kraft focussing on the SANKALP Kendrapara project helped raise support for 3128 artisans across 35 villages in Odisha. ‘Sounds from Southern Italy’ brought international dance and concert music into the spaces. Similar cultural programs, plays, classical dance, music are showcased at many events here at Bikaner House.
Bikaner House takes pride in holding gender balanced activities, noteworthy events like Hans Sahityotsav, a Hindi Literature festival with focus on women’s writings. The sessions involved renowned women Hindi writers, thinkers, critics, publishers, theatre and film directors, and scriptwriters. There would be cultural programs like Kavita Path, Daastan Goye, Short Plays, classical dance, and music. It supported contemporary women in fashion through ‘The Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya’ celebrating the legacy of the first Indian to win an Academy Oscar. She was the only woman artist in the progressive artist group, the first woman to win a Gold Medal at the JJ School of Art. Age, gender barriers have been constantly challenged as part of the Bikaner House events. In March 2023, it hosted the book launch: 'Sepia Stories of Partition' celebrating the last generation of survivors of Partition, and an octogenarian woman author.
In 2023, established its stamp on India’s contemporary art scene and partnered with India Art Fair to host the Art Fair in Delhi. Private sponsorships for art include a retrospective on Jogen Chowdhury’s retrospective; Paresh Maity’s solo show ‘Infinite Light’ by Gallery Art Alive. Kiran Nadar Museum of Art presented Traversing Space Here and Beyond, the centennial exhibition of Sayed Haider Raza. Art Alive Gallery created a show The artists were Sakti Burman: Life is a Theatre Maite Delteil: The Garden of My Soul Maya Burman: Games of Life Curatorial Advisor: Ranjit Hoskote It was a multilateral show that was hosted parallel as three solo exhibitions paying a tribute to Sakti Burman and Maite Delteil. It featured a collection of the artists’ recent works who have a shared cultural heritage of French and Indian roots. Supported by Institut Français India, part of the celebration of 20 years of Art Alive. Bikaner House hosted in 2022 collaborated with Delhi Contemporary Art Week to establish a new paradigm, including young artists as well as masters of Indian contemporary. DCAW also included outreach initiatives for children, art professionals, collectors, and others who are interested in art. Manoj Arora's exhibition of photographs on Hampi celebrated Indian art history at its finest by curator Uma Nair.
In addition to its popular restaurant serving Kashmiri cuisine and L Opera as a café, Bikaner House also hosts Vayu, a lifestyle store based on tribal and traditional crafts. All these are privately run and demonstrate the public private collaboration at Bikaner House.
- Heritage protection status of the property
For its architectural, historical, cultural, urban and associational values, Bikaner house has been classified as a Heritage building, among the elite list of New Delhi’s modern built heritage in the early 20th century. The building has been assigned Grade 2 status as per the Bye-laws 23.1 and 23.5 of Delhi Building Bye-laws, 1983 read with sub-section (17) of Section 2 of the New Delhi Municipal Council Act 1994 and is part of the notified Heritage list for its architectural and historic significance.
Max. 1500 words
C: Description of the condition of the cultural heritage property before conservation
The description of the condition of the cultural heritage property before the conservation project was carried out should explain:
- Previous condition of physical features, structure, finishes, layout, setting, etc
- Factors that were affecting the condition of the heritage property (environmental, social, etc - please see guidelines for explanation)
With the abolition of princely privileges, princely palaces in Delhi became victims of neglect and lack of funds, as part of the rejection of its colonial legacy. As a result, some of these palaces were reduced to government offices, courts, bus terminals. Bikaner house was an address in Delhi where the interstate buses would ply to Rajasthan and back. Apart from that it also housed some sundry godowns and clerical offices of the Rajasthan government. Adhoc additions were done to the site and incremental alterations on an as and when basis was made over a period of time resulting in a host of issues which marred the architectural character and depleted the site of its historic integrity. It was being used and abused as a bus terminus and along with that, there used to be lawyers sitting in the courtyard with stacks of files and steel almirahs, pan stains on almost every wall, tube lights, aluminium and steel partitions, government offices and food stalls. The erstwhile royal palace of the maharaja of Bikaner had completely lost its significance and no one using it were aware of it either.
The building was completed in 1938 and employed the use of composite materials for the system with load bearing walls and sandstone chajja’s. The façade was articulated with moulded cornice in lime stucco, interspersed with stone jaalis (fretwork) along with teak wood paneled and glazed doors and windows. Over time, various additions of rooms on the terrace had created additional load, which was removed. The sandstone chajjas eaves were perilously weak and on the verge of failure and these were to be stabilized. Many of the slabs on the top level were weakened due to incessant leakages.
The building exhibited extensive leakages, rising damp, water seepage, as well as deterioration of its external plasters and renders. Many of the original high ceiling interiors had been covered with ad hoc false ceilings and there were many partitions in plywood, aluminum and brick added over the years, to divide large halls into smaller office cubicles. The building has also been subjected to insensitive. Its onces spectacular interior spaces such as the original dining hall, the guest suites were in desperate need to be restored. The heights of the spaces were reduced by inserting POP grid false ceilings with modular lights. The interior detailing on the walls were completely ripped off, offices had occupied all the rooms with adhoc furniture hiding the historic details such as fire places etc
Long overdue for repairs, the state of wood work doors & windows was appalling. Rot and termite infestation was a major cause of damage apart from layering of multiple paint coats. The stone jaalis were painted over with layers of paint and there was extensive deterioration and flaking of plasters, and loss of material strength. Inappropriate additions along with haphazard lighting, random electrical wiring, insertion of HVAC systems had marred the historic interiors creating not only a visual eye sore but also creating a non-conducive lighting. Decorative moldings and boss designs were missing and extensive study of the historic building yielded answers or clues to restoration.
The usage of the building was also key to its long term maintenance and zoning issues therefore were needed to be addressed in the holistic management planning.
D: Detailed description of the conservation work
The description of the conservation work should explain:
- Conservation philosophy and guidelines used for the project
The project methodology was based on a holistic approach to conserve and consolidate Bikaner House including the adaptive reuse of this historic property by giving it a new meaning as a public cultural center and thus a new lease of life. This also required a structural, interior and services upgrade and restoration of the interiors and exterior cohesively with the original historic material available on the historic property.
Archival pictures shed light on the exteriors and interiors and some rooms also gave cues to the historic details which were retained and restored. In places where the spaces were depleted of their historic interior character, the interventions were done based on references to the design and detail found on site and with reference to the archival images to restore the integrity of the historic interiors. Some historic furniture pieces were found in storage and both halls were bare of its historic fabric, the restoration process worked like a jigsaw puzzle fitting in the missing historic elements in the form of original teak wood furniture along with making provisions to function as a multicultural space. Piecing the surviving elements of history which were scattered in the building, digging them out from the hidden corners, creating an inventory and a design vocabulary which was drawn from the original design and informed by employing skilled craftsmen to enhance the interior spaces as an ode to the intangible art forms of the State of Rajasthan.
- Conservation methodology
Based on documentation drawings, and historic photographic evidence, the building was restored in like to like materials in lime renders and stucco, the paint which was used for the interiors and exteriors was also a lime based paint. In keeping with the need to maintain material authenticity, the structural repairs employed authentic materials used in the original construction - from like repair of wood in matching sections of teak, and repair of lime stucco, mortars and lime based breathable paints.
Elements as columns, plaster walls and ceilings, flooring, trim, fireplaces and mantels, paneling, light fixtures, hardware, decorative radiators, ornamental grilles, windows, doors, and transoms; plaster, paint, wall finishes, such as marbleizing and graining; and utilitarian (painted or unpainted) features, including wood, metal, were carefully restored. The design for the ground floor and first floor with respect to the proposed use as a cultural center included the documentation of all historic materials including the size, configuration, proportion and relationship with the existing spaces and their eventual use. The interior restoration was planned with a view to not only uphold the spatial integrity and design and material authenticity, but also that of its use as contemporary art spaces, conference rooms, art galleries, offices and spaces for interaction and cultural gatherings. The building was restored in congruence with its original design with the use of traditional materials while the interior restoration laid emphasis on the volume and features of an Edwardian classical interior along with repurposed spaces with a new state of the art gallery and a renovated conference room which shall function as an art and cultural hub whilst celebrating Rajasthani craftsmanship.
The project for was divided in 2 Phases since the building is occupied by different users and works were executed while the premises were functioning. The 1st Phase of Restoration project began in 2014, which dealt with the structural conservation works for the building, addressal of leakages, repair to the slab and weakened chajjas and interior restoration of the ground floor public spaces. Phase 2 works which were focused on the restoration of the First floor and expanding the avenues of the cultural center to now house conference rooms and seminar halls for discourses and exhibitions along with an arm dedicated to the offices.
- Compliance of the work with existing legislation/regulations, especially those concerning heritage protection
The entire project was fully compliant with the heritage regulations. No new structural changes or additions were made. In fact, ad hoc later additions of false ceilings, partitions and extra rooms on the upper floors were removed to bring the structure back to its original spatial integrity.
Max. 1000 words
E: Explanation of how the project meets the criteria for the Awards
This section should explain how the project meets each of the 14 criteria of the Awards, as follows. Detailed guiding questions for each criterion are provided in the official Guidelines for project description:
Understanding the Place – Max. 2000 words
a. How well the project reflects a sound understanding of the significance of the heritage place (cultural, social, historical, architectural, scientific and spiritual).
Modern India has often neglected its princely heritage or public buildings as heritage structures and in the bargain, some of them have lost the battle to time and some of them are on the cusp. The heritage place was located at the nerve centre of the New Delhi capital city, at the India Gate circle, a mark of its urban and cultural significance. This significance had been lost over 6 decades after Independence when it was relegated to just being a bus depot. This need for understanding the significance of Bikaner House as a cultural and historical landmark was precisely the motivation for the conservation of the Bikaner house. The project was able to salvage a property which nearly lost its significance and value over the years and the understanding of the place was limited to a bus depot, to revive its cultural significance as a public private partnership led cultural centre. The project of careful conservation and demonstrated revival and reuse as a cultural center over the past 8 years reflects the significance of its cultural, social, historical significance and recognition of being able to enrich this significance through public engagement and interchange.
a. How well the project conveys the spirit of the place.
After the conservation and adaptive reuse, the property has regained its place as the prime cultural space in the heart of the Capital city. Through corporate, private and trust funding, various events held through the last 8 years demonstrate the robustness of the active public outreach, community engagement, public access and public private participation at Bikaner House.
With the formation of the Bikaner House Management Society (BHMC), an autonomous not for profit organisation as a public private partnership between the Government of Rajasthan and a collective of individuals with the expertise to bring change.
With the framework in place, the heritage property has been restored to its historic use as a Cultural centre for literary, art exhibitions and cultural activities. The cultural significance of the building has been retained by the continued as of the heritage property as a cultural centre and public place. The conservation plan regarded appropriate use of the building as an important means of maintaining the vitality of the building in contemporary society and life and also as a means of promoting the restoration of the site and its values. Bikaner house is positioned at the nucleus of the cultural orbit and sets a precedence for other cultural activities in the city.
The project has been a torchbearer in setting an example that a dying historic precinct, building can be revived and put to a use in a self-sustaining model which not only keeps the building in use but is also relevant in the 21st century. The image transformation from a bus station to a cultural node in New Delhi has made the general public perceive heritage in a new light and also create awareness and exhibiting how an underutilized space can serve the purpose and be relevant in the present time. This movement also establishes the need to conserve the 20th century modern architecture in India and sets an example for the buildings which are not monumental but are significant and worthy of being preserved.
In the past 8 years since its doors were opened to the public, Bikaner House has become a unique pilot project of a state owned property in the Central Vista that engages with private, trust, corporate and general public to promote art, revive craftsmanship, support community engagement, art dialogue and collaborative art, crafts and cultural activities.
Bikaner House takes pride in holding gender balanced activities, encouraging women writers, thinkers, through its programming. In addition to its popular restaurant and café, Bikaner House also hosts Vayu, a lifestyle store based on tribal and traditional crafts. All these are privately run and demonstrate the public private collaboration at Bikaner House.
A hundred years ago, the building was the private estate of a princely ruler. Today, restored and reused, the Bikaner House does justice to its prime location at the heart of a democratic capital city by promoting public engagement for the promotion of its cultural values and encouraging public discourse and a celebration of art, crafts and gender balance.
b. How well the project communicates the significance of the place through appropriate interpretation, if necessary.
Since 2016 Bikaner House has showcased a collection of cultural events and exhibitions that have been instrumental in creating a strong sense of community engagemetn. It has collaborated with the embassies of Spain, Brazil, Italy as well as UNESCO, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to promote and give a platform for cultural engagements. It has received support from corporate sponsors such as Royal Enfield , Times of India, Good Earth, Hyundai to focused on artworks centered on community and environment. It has collaborated with Art India, NGOs and trusts for its Sunday Market, Artisans Bazaar, Rajasthan Foundation’s ‘India style Fashion Week’ and Teej Utsav to support woman artisans, organic farmers, rural arts and crafts. It has provided a platform for rural women artisans and women self-help groups to promote traditional crafts from Rajasthan.
A robust community engagement and public private initiative is a leitmotif of the activities of Bikaner House. CSR-based Social initiatives and private sponsorships support exhibitions of young artists and the theme diversity and inclusion. Its interior materials of Rajasthani crafts such as thikri, araish, stone inlay and lime plasters endeavours to showcase Rajasthan’s rich art, craft and culture and promote local artisans and crafts persons. Revival of craft and traditional heritage has been a major thrust, collaborating with for profit, corporates and business houses to celebrate Indian crafts and traditional craft industries.
Unlike the magnificently restored Hyderabad House that is only open to government dignitaries, or Patiala House where one wouldn’t want to visit save for a court summons, or Jaipur House that attracts art enthusiasts, Bikaner House is the only princely mansion on India Gate that is open to the general public without ticket, allowing free and open access to people of all walks of life. It is thus a truly democratic space. It’s also precious for the variety of facilities it offers in a city that is largely denied the use of its most interesting buildings.
Gone were the bus terminal, the kiosks and the sarkari daftars with their paan stains and Public Works Department gear. In its place are the original polished floors, luminous chandeliers dangling from impossibly high ceilings, impressive colonnades, landscaped lawns with indigenous flora and an oasis of peace where the breath of Rajasthan’s princely past is open to the public.
At a prime plot of land facing the India Gate, was Bikaner House – of the princely state of Bikaner in Rajasthan. Bikaner House was designed as a residence of the rulers of the Princely State of Bikaner. It was built during the rule of Maharaja Ganga Singh. Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker were initially given the task to design the residence but the responsibility was handed over to Sir C. J. Blomfield. Built in the 1930’s, Bikaner house was positioned at a key vantage point on the main axis on India Gate along with Jaipur house, Patiala house and Hyderabad house. The building was designed by Charles Blomfield seeking as synthesis of Neo Classical and Art Deco wtih the Indo- Rajput architecture of Western India.
After Independence, this became the property of the government of the state of Rajasthan and Bikaner House was relegated to a bus terminal for public transport plying between Jaipur in Rajasthan and Delhi, and offices of government staff in New Delhi. Decades of ad hoc accretions to fit in clerical offices, ticket offices and tour guides resulted in many ad hoc sheds, barracks and sundry godowns being added to this complex. The grand building was unkempt and neglected for decades, its high ceilings covered in false ceilings and storage lofts, paan stained corridors unkempt and dirty.
In 2014, the revival and adaptive reuse of Bikaner House was initiated by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ms. Vasundhara Raje, to transform the run-down bus terminal into a cultural center, given its key location in heart of Lutyens’ Delhi – facing the India Gate circle. She reached out to private individuals, curators, writers, designers and architects to volunteer in their effort to transform Bikaner House from the shambles of neglect, into a public place and cultural center through a public private participatory effort.
A group of individuals not part of the government volunteered to participate in this initiative that was to help revive this erstwhile royal residence from the shabby hovel it had become, to rise as a phoenix from the depth of neglect and misuse. Malvika Singh, a local author, and art curator; Abha Narain Lambah – a conservation architect; Adil Ahmed – an interior designer; Rohit Khattar – a restauranteur, Vicky Sahni – a revivalist and entrepreneur; Festival directors, fashion and textile designers and many other such private citizens came together to volunteer, advise, or partner with the Rajasthan Government to create a unique public-private partnership. Bikaner House is thus a novel and unique project that has proven in the last decade, that a government building that has fallen into disrepair and mis use can be lifted through public participation of citizens, artists, designers, authors to reinvent itself. Over the last 9 years this has become the most iconic and popular cultural center at the center of India’s capital city, showcasing India’s contemporary and traditional arts, crafts, fashion, music, poetry, dance cuisine to the world and open its doors to the public.
From a run-down bus ticketing office, the ‘sarkari’ – or typically government offices with steel cupboards, dingy spaces with dusty tube-lights, cob-webs and paan stains have given way to some of the most iconic art spaces – with indoor and outdoor art galleries, café, seminar halls, public gardens, amphitheatres, restaurants, boutique, retail and cultural spaces in Delhi. This project adaptively reuses an erstwhile palace and then a bus ticketing office and government sheds and offices into India’s prime cultural experiment. It is a unique pilot that has proven to be an example for other state governments to follow, to convert their properties into cultural incubators.
The project followed the vision of Bikaner House to renovate the spaces to show different art and cultural expressions of not only Rajasthan but other parts of the country as well. The design is manoeuvred to provide an enchanting experience to the visitors by reviving the Indo-Deco architectural ethos with Rajput traditional design. The project has been rendered in a manner where a harmony between eclectic expressions of architecture has been successfully maintained.
In the past years since its revival, Bikaner House has hosted art and crafts exhibitions ranging from textiles, sculpture, traditional to contemporary art, photography to graphics, from traditional skills to modern art, from music recitals to fashion shows, dance performances, seminars, debates, panel discussions, book releases, to traditional “dastangoi” storytelling, film festivals to poetry readings and more, have been curated on a regular, carefully curated calendar over the past 9 years have made this space participatory for the young experimentalists as well as for the established practitioners. In 2022, after the pandemic lockdown, Bikaner House partnered the Delhi Art Fair, hosting young artists below 30, once again reinventing itself as the most popular cultural space within the center of Delhi.
The adaptive reuse of Bikaner House exemplifies the amalgamation of reviving not only the tangible built heritage but also creating a platform to revive the intangible heritage and the dying crafts forms and give them a resurgence and restore cultural heritage in the 21st century. Bikaner House served as a window of opportunities to the artists, craftsmen, and bridged the gap between the old and the new, contemporary and historic, tangible and intangible, to create a space reflective of the need to conserve our heritage as well as bring people together to use this space to create their legacy and heritage.
To restore a historic building with government funds is most often a one time capital expenditure and top down approach to restoration. In order to break away from this format, the entire project was envisaged as one that engaged with community and public participation as well as private funding right from its very inception. Thus, a core group of private individuals was created to aid and advise the project. The designers, curators, architects worked on the first part of the conservation and rethinking on a pro bono and voluntary basis. This informed the project structure and its fundamental identity. In order to raise funds for the project and to make it economically sustainable, private entrepreneurs such as the iconic Chor Bazaar eatery as well as Vayu – a design store specializing in contemporary and traditional Indian arts and crafts was roped in to create an economic model of public-private engagement. L’ Opera, a famous café and patisserie, the Chor Bazaar restaurant and Vayu remain some of the most popular outlets within the complex, attracting people to visit, have a meal or coffee and enjoy the cultural forum at Bikaner House. The entire functioning of Bikaner House has a range of reputed artists, entrepreneurs, designers chosen from the best of their fields to engage with the Rajasthan Government representatives to form the Advisory Committee that oversees the functioning.
In order to cater to people from all socio-economic groups, the complex has been designed to embrace people of diverse backgrounds. Apart from the more formal galleries and interior spaces hosting formal art, exhibitions, seminars and events, the entire design brief of the project has been crafted to offer different formats for the promotion of arts and crafts and to promote engagement with artists and artisans. The rear lawns house open ‘haat’ type spaces to host traditional craftsmen to showcase their wares to the public, promoting village industries and traditional and tribal artisans of Rajasthan. Every Sunday for over 7 years, the venue has hosted Organic food stalls and a regular Sunday Market where private entrepreneurs sell organic produce, homemade jams and chutneys, ice creams, hot breakfasts, flowers and plants, breads of all variety. The “Chandni Bagh” as it is called now saw many folk music and dance concerts to give a platform to Rajasthani and other folk musicians and performers, where kite makers taught children how to make and fly paper kites; magicians performed every now and again as do musicians and vocalists from nomadic tribes and rural communities. The lawns have been host to the Sculpture Park and offer dynamic and vibrant spaces for children, for conducting informal workshops, hold flea markets and lend a space in the heart of the Capital city welcoming all age groups.
BIKANER HOUSE, an experiment that has now proven itself for nearly a decade, has truly became an iconic cultural oasis in the heart of central Delhi, drawing large crowds of citizens every day.
- Conservation project’s goals and objectives (client’s brief)
Once, a historic house in the erstwhile Princes’ Park in Delhi, with the neighboring royal estates of Baroda, Hyderabad, etc., Bikaner House was designed by the famous architect Charles G Blomfield as the Delhi residence of the Maharaja of Bikaner in a style that combined Edwardian and Art Deco styles. The building eventually became the property of the Rajasthan state government post-independence after state took over the properties of the princely rulers and feudalism was abolished. However, over the period of time the architectural identity of the house had been reduced to a neglected, run down bus depot/ stop and ticketing office for buses to and fro from Rajasthan.
The project aimed to restore the building and its interiors to revive the historic Bikaner House as a Cultural Centre for the city of New Delhi re-energizing the space with a new lease of life and creating an identity of Rajasthan in Delhi. She reached out to private individuals, curators, writers, designers and architects to volunteer in their effort to transform Bikaner House from the shambles of neglect, into a public place and cultural center through a public private participatory effort. The Cultural center would boast of revival of crafts, providing for as a business center, crafts haat, exhibition and multipurpose space for the dissemination of knowledge of the crafts as well as lending the space as an art gallery, conference facility, seminar hall, etc., as well as the Office of the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
- Key conservation interventions
- Categorized as a Grade II heritage building by Delhi Government Heritage List, Bikaner House was meticulously restored to its original form in a recent past. The first part of the project addressed the issues of structural stability, waterproofing, removal of ad hoc additions of sheds and incongruous additions space was opened to the public on 18th November 2018. As re-iterated before, the intent was to have Bikaner House resonate the energy and ambience of not only Rajasthan, but also of India, and beyond.
- Today, Bikaner House has become a landmark cultural institution dedicated to the promotion of arts, crafts, and cultural interchange. Bikaner House is fulfilling its mandate of enriching, highlighting and promoting the current artistic trends and traditional art forms of India by providing a common platform to artists, artisans, communities and craftsmen.
- As a royal residence the ground floor hosted the reception suite, private rooms and guest rooms, while the private quarters were on the first floor. During India’s Independence, Bikaner House was a chosen venue for many important meetings between the Princess of India, deliberating on the future of a nation. It was an important meeting point where the policy of accession was discussed. Moreover, it hosted other historical events during the course of history. Its present form still retains the opulence, regal grandeur and well nuanced taste of its original patrons but creates greater public access for all walks of society.
- The aim was to achieve a cultural center of world class standard deeply rooted in the vernacular and cultural heritage of Rajasthan. Under the care of local craftsmen, and traditional techniques were adopted to in a modern and contemporary way reflecting the timelessness of the crafts and their applicability to the built form.
- The entire project was done in two phases with the first phase was to structurally restore the building along with the restoration of the gardens and landscape, the gateways and the removal of ad hoc additions on the site. The landscape restoration of the Chandni Bagh as it was originally called saw the removal of concrete pavers and the paving was done in indigenous sandstone with the pigeon breasted pattern traditional to Rajasthan, another element of the design language of the Rajasthan which was used in a contemporary language at Bikaner House. The design of the amphitheater space in the courtyard acts as a perfect baithak space to host small events. The main dining hall (originally) was transformed into this One Building Many Venues kind of a multipurpose space and serves as an exhibition space cum conference hall with chandeliers which are original and have been restored and put back in its place.
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- Layers of paint on the stone walls were carefully removed as was the ad hoc signage. With issues such as dampness and leakages, the historic renders were restored in lime as per the original materials and then painted with lime based breathable paints which act as a layer to fight dampness issues as well.
- The second phase of the project was to restore the first floor of the Bikaner house as an extension to the Cultural center to be fitted with the state of the art facility to function as Art Galleries and venues which can hold public events, with a fully equipped outdoor working space for young people. The site was completely depleted of its character as a princely state house and was reduced to a government office and the finishes, the articulation of spaces, the renders, the colours and the overall volume of the spaces were compromised with additions and alterations marring the integrity of the structure as well its purpose.
- The interiors were designed keeping the historic spatial integrity of the original volumes, removing ad hoc partitions and later additions. The interior finishes celebrate the indigenous crafts forms of Rajasthan such as “araish plaster”, “thikri work” etc., Rooted in ancient crafts and techniques, the interiors were inspired by infusing the essence of these crafts and techniques by working with skilled craftsmen which imparted a sense of place while being designed for a contemporary and modern restored space.
- The project entailed working with skilled artisans by redefining the existing local craft traditions in the form of “araish” plaster which was used as a render in the proposed conference hall in lime bringing the contemporary space together with original pigmentation in color.
- Time frame
The project for the Restoration of Bikaner house was divided in 2 Phases since the building is occupied by different users and works were executed while the premises were functioning. The 1st Phase of Restoration project began in 2014, which dealt with the structural conservation works for the building and interior restoration of the ground floor and dining hall and was completed in 2015. Phase 2 works which were focused on the Interior restoration of the First floor and expanding the avenues of the cultural centre to now house conference rooms and seminar halls for discourses and exhibitions along with an arm dedicated to the office of the Resident Commissioner. Govt. of Rajasthan was initiated in 2017 and the project was completed in 2018.
- Project size (ha or sqm) and cost (in US$)
The Bikaner house property sits on a plot of 3 acres and the palatial building is 30,000 sqft built up comprising of ground and first floor.
Project cost – 7 crores INR
- Explain whether the project is entirely a private sector initiative, or alternatively a joint public-private collaboration. Clearly state the contributions and role of each partner/stakeholder by using the table below (projects that are undertaken wholly by government entities are not eligible).
Bikaner House comes under Bikaner House Management Society[BHMS]. is an autonomous body, which is a public private partnership. It is a not for profit, self-sustaining organization which is aimed at promoting community engagement, supporting art, crafts and providing a platform for dialogue, engagement and promotion of women, promotion of awareness of art, crafts, cultural exchange. Whereas the building is owned by the Government, the cultural calendar and events through the year are supported by a public-private partnership, engaging with local communities, rural artisans, artists, and generating revenue through private sector sponsorships, a curated design store, a restaurant, and a café. Once a week, a crafts and organic produce market is organised to support local craft and sustainable living.
Max. 1000 words
B: Description of the cultural heritage property
The description of the cultural heritage property should include:
- Historical background of the property
Once, the plan of the capital of India was laid out with the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament house and other buildings at the heart of Lutyen’s Delhi, large plots were allotted to Indian princes based on their rank. The idea was to create a Princes’ Park area around what was called C –Hexagon and where India Gate was built later.
The princely estates were designed by British architects like the famed Sir Edwin Lutyens, C.G Blomfield, Walter George and others predominantly in western architectural style. The state of Rajputana had a number of princely homes and along the Shah Jahan road, Bikaner house, Dholpur house, Kota house, Bundi house, Jaisalmer house to name a few were built. Amidst the stately palaces situated in the Princes’ Park, stood Bikaner House with its crimson and gold flag which belonged to Maharaja Ganga Singh. The Bikaner house building was initially designed by Sir Edwin Lutyen’s himself, however the Maharaja later handed the job to design his palace o C.G Blomfield.
Bikaner House was designed in an architectural style that is predominantly western with a few elements of Rajput tradition, most notably the ‘chattris – The canopy style dome.’ Although the articulation is neo classical, the design reflects a play with Rajasthani elements integrated in the architectural vocabulary.
As a royal residence the ground floor hosted the reception suite, private rooms and guest rooms, while the private quarters were on the first floor. During India’s Independence, Bikaner House was a chosen venue for many important meetings between the Princess of India, deliberating on the futures. It was an important meeting point where the policy of accession was discussed. Moreover, it hosted other historical events during the course of history. Its present form still reflects the opulence, regal grandeur and well nuanced taste of its original patrons.
The ground floor had the reception suite, private rooms for the Maharaja and guest suites. The first floor was used as a “zenana” (for the women). All three units on the ground floor had separate entries through three spate porte-cocheres or carriage porches. The Viceroy and other dignitaries, whenever invited would arrive at the main entrance and have a direct access to the large dining hall after crossing the drawing room. The dining room opened on the rear side to the open loggia and sprawling gardens.
On the eve of Independence, Bikaner house became the main meeting venue for the princes to discuss complicated issues pertaining to partition, dissolution of the chamber of Princes, and the position of the princely states in Free India. Meetings with Lord Mountbatten with the royalty of different states would be conducted at Bikaner house. After independence, the Maharaja would receive requests for use of Bikaner house by friends and government officials. In 1950 Ravi Shankar (the world-renowned Sitar maestro) had requested the Maharaja for some rooms in New Delhi on the lines of India Culture center at Almora established by his brother Uday Shankar. The same could not be done at that time, but today Bikaner house has revived itself as a Cultural centre in the heart of New Delhi giving it the due and lease of life and setting an example for the other properties to follow suit.
Articulation of the property’s overall cultural significance and heritage values such as historical, social, cultural, architectural and other values (please see guidelines for explanation)
Bikaner House is a listed heritage building in Delhi and has great significance for its historical association with the royal house of Bikaner, as well as urban location in the heart of Lutyen’s New Delhi. Bikaner house building sits at the cusp of time when the buildings in India were breaking free from being heavily ornamented and adapting to the transition in terms of use of material, form, juxtaposition and creating a unique language of their own. With inspirations from neo classical architecture, the design is simplified and at the same time uses a very articulate Indian element “Chhatri” in the overall massing of the building placed above the porte-cochere’s as an ode to the state of Rajasthan.
Historically, the building has been witness to important historic events which have been critical in the India’s modern history and has been associated with the prominent personalities such as Lord Mountbatten and the other Kings of the princely states of India when Bikaner house served as a meeting place to conduct important discussions which shaped the future of the princely states in the country post-Independence.
- Use of the property
The original use of the property was that of a Royal Residence for the Maharaja of Bikaner on his visits to attend the Council of Princes at New Delhi. After Independence, when the royal privileges were abolished, the property moved into the custody of the government of Rajasthan. It then became a bus terminal and ticketing office for buses plying to Rajasthan, along with sundry governmental offices and storage godowns.
After the conservation and adaptive reuse, the property has regained its place as the prime cultural space in the heart of the Capital city. Through corporate, private and trust funding, various events held through the last 8 years demonstrate the robustness of the active public outreach, community engagement, public access and public private participation at Bikaner House.
Just some of events hosted post pandemic are listed to give a glimpse into the range of cultural activities. Bikaner House hosted many exhibitions and events in collaboration with International Embassies and Organizations like Embassy of Brazil, Italy, ICCR and UNESCO etc. In May 2022, ICCR, under its Distinguished Visitors Programme (DVP) hosted an exhibition of Spanish artist Cristobal Gabbaron.
In 2022-23, Bikaner House showcased a collection of cultural events and exhibitions that have been instrumental in creating a strong sense of social solidarity. Notable art exhibitions from this year were presented by Embassy of Brazil, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) which presented an open dialogue with internationally-recognized artists. Organizations like UNESCO in collaboration with Royal Enfield presented an exhibition documenting the living heritage of the Himalayas. Hyundai’s ‘Art for Hope’ also focused on artworks centered on community and environment.
Through regular Sunday Market, Artisans Bazaar, Rajasthan Foundation’s ‘India style Fashion Week’ and Teej Utsav we see Bikaner House’s commitment to support Rajasthan’s culture, woman artisans and rural arts and crafts. Bikaner House has provided a platform for rural women artisans and women self-help groups of Rajeevika (Rajasthan Grameen Ajeevika Vikas Parishad) to promote traditional crafts from Rajasthan.
A robust community engagement and public private initiative is a leitmotif of the activities of Bikaner House. CSR-based Social initiatives and private sponsorships support exhibitions of young artists such as the ANUMANA. Times of India supported artists under its theme "Diversity and Inclusion. Hyundai supported activities under its global vision of 'Progress for Humanity'. The Art for hope program aims to revive traditional art and create awareness among youth. The program endeavours to showcase India's rich art, craft and culture while helping elevate the lives of artisans and crafts persons.
Revival of craft and traditional heritage has been a major thrust, collaborating with for profit, corporates and business houses to celebrate Indian crafts and traditional craft industries. The Cultural Night by the House of Angadi a revivalist textile brand from South India is a celebration of the cross-cultural nature of textiles and essay the heritage tale in its most splendid form. The event witnessed exquisitely woven textile installations on display and a musical recital by an eminent performer to present the rich textile bastion of the country to the modern-day connoisseurs of luxe living. Glass art in India is connected to a long legacy of historical trade and courtly patronage, building community artisanship and craft of a very high level, particularly in blown glass techniques. Kama Ayurveda, a leading brand in Indian beauty and Ayurveda, organized the event 'Rupa Rasa' on the occasion of completing 20 years, at Bikaner House. The Glass Makers Club brought together artists, practitioners, writers, connoisseurs, and collectors exploring glass as a traditional craft and contemporary art medium to collectively address the infrastructural and other challenges that makers of glass continue to face. In 2022 Rajasthan Foundation celebrated handmade artistry from Rajasthan keeping in mind the idea of "Women empowerment", a fashion line presented by Ruma Devi with the India style fashion week.
Bikaner House initiated a sculpture park with its first open-air sculpture art show ‘Us and Nature’ in February, 2023, showcasing prominent works of India’s leadings contemporary sculptors like Satish Gupta, K.S. Radhakrishnan, Akhil Chandra Das, etc. Numerous events that establishes Bikaner House’s foothold in India’s Contemporary Art scene are the talk sessions named as ‘Bikaner House Dialogues’ organized to bring eminent personalities for panel discussions supporting art educations and democratic forum. Simultaneously Bikaner House’s venue collaboration with India Art Fair 2023 led to interchange of ideas between many young artists and young art collectors.
Cross cultural engagement and interchange is demonstrated through the activities last year. A contemporary art exhibition with a dialogue between a Brazilian and an Indian artist, Rodrigo Garcia Dutra and Samit Das was held with a panel for discussion between artists and curators last year. In December 2022 The Group Ionica Aranea performed live. Pizzica a popular folk dance from Apulia (South of Italy), engaged the audience with rhythms of Southern Italy. In February 2023 a book reading of Kameni Spavač/Stone Sleeper/Khak Mein Surate between Ambassador Mohamed Cengic of Bosnia and literary historian Rakhshanda Jalil, centered around his Hindi translation of Mak Dizdar's collection of poetry 'Stone Sleeper' at the Bikaner House.
March to Freedom in collaboration with the Indian Museum and the private Delhi Art Gallery celebrated the 75th year of Independence. Craft revival through exhibitions Kalinga Kraft focussing on the SANKALP Kendrapara project helped raise support for 3128 artisans across 35 villages in Odisha. ‘Sounds from Southern Italy’ brought international dance and concert music into the spaces. Similar cultural programs, plays, classical dance, music are showcased at many events here at Bikaner House.
Bikaner House takes pride in holding gender balanced activities, noteworthy events like Hans Sahityotsav, a Hindi Literature festival with focus on women’s writings. The sessions involved renowned women Hindi writers, thinkers, critics, publishers, theatre and film directors, and scriptwriters. There would be cultural programs like Kavita Path, Daastan Goye, Short Plays, classical dance, and music. It supported contemporary women in fashion through ‘The Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya’ celebrating the legacy of the first Indian to win an Academy Oscar. She was the only woman artist in the progressive artist group, the first woman to win a Gold Medal at the JJ School of Art. Age, gender barriers have been constantly challenged as part of the Bikaner House events. In March 2023, it hosted the book launch: 'Sepia Stories of Partition' celebrating the last generation of survivors of Partition, and an octogenarian woman author.
In 2023, established its stamp on India’s contemporary art scene and partnered with India Art Fair to host the Art Fair in Delhi. Private sponsorships for art include a retrospective on Jogen Chowdhury’s retrospective; Paresh Maity’s solo show ‘Infinite Light’ by Gallery Art Alive. Kiran Nadar Museum of Art presented Traversing Space Here and Beyond, the centennial exhibition of Sayed Haider Raza. Art Alive Gallery created a show The artists were Sakti Burman: Life is a Theatre Maite Delteil: The Garden of My Soul Maya Burman: Games of Life Curatorial Advisor: Ranjit Hoskote It was a multilateral show that was hosted parallel as three solo exhibitions paying a tribute to Sakti Burman and Maite Delteil. It featured a collection of the artists’ recent works who have a shared cultural heritage of French and Indian roots. Supported by Institut Français India, part of the celebration of 20 years of Art Alive. Bikaner House hosted in 2022 collaborated with Delhi Contemporary Art Week to establish a new paradigm, including young artists as well as masters of Indian contemporary. DCAW also included outreach initiatives for children, art professionals, collectors, and others who are interested in art. Manoj Arora's exhibition of photographs on Hampi celebrated Indian art history at its finest by curator Uma Nair.
In addition to its popular restaurant serving Kashmiri cuisine and L Opera as a café, Bikaner House also hosts Vayu, a lifestyle store based on tribal and traditional crafts. All these are privately run and demonstrate the public private collaboration at Bikaner House.
- Heritage protection status of the property
For its architectural, historical, cultural, urban and associational values, Bikaner house has been classified as a Heritage building, among the elite list of New Delhi’s modern built heritage in the early 20th century. The building has been assigned Grade 2 status as per the Bye-laws 23.1 and 23.5 of Delhi Building Bye-laws, 1983 read with sub-section (17) of Section 2 of the New Delhi Municipal Council Act 1994 and is part of the notified Heritage list for its architectural and historic significance.
Max. 1500 words
C: Description of the condition of the cultural heritage property before conservation
The description of the condition of the cultural heritage property before the conservation project was carried out should explain:
- Previous condition of physical features, structure, finishes, layout, setting, etc
- Factors that were affecting the condition of the heritage property (environmental, social, etc - please see guidelines for explanation)
With the abolition of princely privileges, princely palaces in Delhi became victims of neglect and lack of funds, as part of the rejection of its colonial legacy. As a result, some of these palaces were reduced to government offices, courts, bus terminals. Bikaner house was an address in Delhi where the interstate buses would ply to Rajasthan and back. Apart from that it also housed some sundry godowns and clerical offices of the Rajasthan government. Adhoc additions were done to the site and incremental alterations on an as and when basis was made over a period of time resulting in a host of issues which marred the architectural character and depleted the site of its historic integrity. It was being used and abused as a bus terminus and along with that, there used to be lawyers sitting in the courtyard with stacks of files and steel almirahs, pan stains on almost every wall, tube lights, aluminium and steel partitions, government offices and food stalls. The erstwhile royal palace of the maharaja of Bikaner had completely lost its significance and no one using it were aware of it either.
The building was completed in 1938 and employed the use of composite materials for the system with load bearing walls and sandstone chajja’s. The façade was articulated with moulded cornice in lime stucco, interspersed with stone jaalis (fretwork) along with teak wood paneled and glazed doors and windows. Over time, various additions of rooms on the terrace had created additional load, which was removed. The sandstone chajjas eaves were perilously weak and on the verge of failure and these were to be stabilized. Many of the slabs on the top level were weakened due to incessant leakages.
The building exhibited extensive leakages, rising damp, water seepage, as well as deterioration of its external plasters and renders. Many of the original high ceiling interiors had been covered with ad hoc false ceilings and there were many partitions in plywood, aluminum and brick added over the years, to divide large halls into smaller office cubicles. The building has also been subjected to insensitive. Its onces spectacular interior spaces such as the original dining hall, the guest suites were in desperate need to be restored. The heights of the spaces were reduced by inserting POP grid false ceilings with modular lights. The interior detailing on the walls were completely ripped off, offices had occupied all the rooms with adhoc furniture hiding the historic details such as fire places etc
Long overdue for repairs, the state of wood work doors & windows was appalling. Rot and termite infestation was a major cause of damage apart from layering of multiple paint coats. The stone jaalis were painted over with layers of paint and there was extensive deterioration and flaking of plasters, and loss of material strength. Inappropriate additions along with haphazard lighting, random electrical wiring, insertion of HVAC systems had marred the historic interiors creating not only a visual eye sore but also creating a non-conducive lighting. Decorative moldings and boss designs were missing and extensive study of the historic building yielded answers or clues to restoration.
The usage of the building was also key to its long term maintenance and zoning issues therefore were needed to be addressed in the holistic management planning.
D: Detailed description of the conservation work
The description of the conservation work should explain:
- Conservation philosophy and guidelines used for the project
The project methodology was based on a holistic approach to conserve and consolidate Bikaner House including the adaptive reuse of this historic property by giving it a new meaning as a public cultural center and thus a new lease of life. This also required a structural, interior and services upgrade and restoration of the interiors and exterior cohesively with the original historic material available on the historic property.
Archival pictures shed light on the exteriors and interiors and some rooms also gave cues to the historic details which were retained and restored. In places where the spaces were depleted of their historic interior character, the interventions were done based on references to the design and detail found on site and with reference to the archival images to restore the integrity of the historic interiors. Some historic furniture pieces were found in storage and both halls were bare of its historic fabric, the restoration process worked like a jigsaw puzzle fitting in the missing historic elements in the form of original teak wood furniture along with making provisions to function as a multicultural space. Piecing the surviving elements of history which were scattered in the building, digging them out from the hidden corners, creating an inventory and a design vocabulary which was drawn from the original design and informed by employing skilled craftsmen to enhance the interior spaces as an ode to the intangible art forms of the State of Rajasthan.
- Conservation methodology
Based on documentation drawings, and historic photographic evidence, the building was restored in like to like materials in lime renders and stucco, the paint which was used for the interiors and exteriors was also a lime based paint. In keeping with the need to maintain material authenticity, the structural repairs employed authentic materials used in the original construction - from like repair of wood in matching sections of teak, and repair of lime stucco, mortars and lime based breathable paints.
Elements as columns, plaster walls and ceilings, flooring, trim, fireplaces and mantels, paneling, light fixtures, hardware, decorative radiators, ornamental grilles, windows, doors, and transoms; plaster, paint, wall finishes, such as marbleizing and graining; and utilitarian (painted or unpainted) features, including wood, metal, were carefully restored. The design for the ground floor and first floor with respect to the proposed use as a cultural center included the documentation of all historic materials including the size, configuration, proportion and relationship with the existing spaces and their eventual use. The interior restoration was planned with a view to not only uphold the spatial integrity and design and material authenticity, but also that of its use as contemporary art spaces, conference rooms, art galleries, offices and spaces for interaction and cultural gatherings. The building was restored in congruence with its original design with the use of traditional materials while the interior restoration laid emphasis on the volume and features of an Edwardian classical interior along with repurposed spaces with a new state of the art gallery and a renovated conference room which shall function as an art and cultural hub whilst celebrating Rajasthani craftsmanship.
The project for was divided in 2 Phases since the building is occupied by different users and works were executed while the premises were functioning. The 1st Phase of Restoration project began in 2014, which dealt with the structural conservation works for the building, addressal of leakages, repair to the slab and weakened chajjas and interior restoration of the ground floor public spaces. Phase 2 works which were focused on the restoration of the First floor and expanding the avenues of the cultural center to now house conference rooms and seminar halls for discourses and exhibitions along with an arm dedicated to the offices.
- Compliance of the work with existing legislation/regulations, especially those concerning heritage protection
The entire project was fully compliant with the heritage regulations. No new structural changes or additions were made. In fact, ad hoc later additions of false ceilings, partitions and extra rooms on the upper floors were removed to bring the structure back to its original spatial integrity.
Max. 1000 words
E: Explanation of how the project meets the criteria for the Awards
This section should explain how the project meets each of the 14 criteria of the Awards, as follows. Detailed guiding questions for each criterion are provided in the official Guidelines for project description:
Understanding the Place – Max. 2000 words
a. How well the project reflects a sound understanding of the significance of the heritage place (cultural, social, historical, architectural, scientific and spiritual).
Modern India has often neglected its princely heritage or public buildings as heritage structures and in the bargain, some of them have lost the battle to time and some of them are on the cusp. The heritage place was located at the nerve centre of the New Delhi capital city, at the India Gate circle, a mark of its urban and cultural significance. This significance had been lost over 6 decades after Independence when it was relegated to just being a bus depot. This need for understanding the significance of Bikaner House as a cultural and historical landmark was precisely the motivation for the conservation of the Bikaner house. The project was able to salvage a property which nearly lost its significance and value over the years and the understanding of the place was limited to a bus depot, to revive its cultural significance as a public private partnership led cultural centre. The project of careful conservation and demonstrated revival and reuse as a cultural center over the past 8 years reflects the significance of its cultural, social, historical significance and recognition of being able to enrich this significance through public engagement and interchange.
a. How well the project conveys the spirit of the place.
After the conservation and adaptive reuse, the property has regained its place as the prime cultural space in the heart of the Capital city. Through corporate, private and trust funding, various events held through the last 8 years demonstrate the robustness of the active public outreach, community engagement, public access and public private participation at Bikaner House.
With the formation of the Bikaner House Management Society (BHMC), an autonomous not for profit organisation as a public private partnership between the Government of Rajasthan and a collective of individuals with the expertise to bring change.
With the framework in place, the heritage property has been restored to its historic use as a Cultural centre for literary, art exhibitions and cultural activities. The cultural significance of the building has been retained by the continued as of the heritage property as a cultural centre and public place. The conservation plan regarded appropriate use of the building as an important means of maintaining the vitality of the building in contemporary society and life and also as a means of promoting the restoration of the site and its values. Bikaner house is positioned at the nucleus of the cultural orbit and sets a precedence for other cultural activities in the city.
The project has been a torchbearer in setting an example that a dying historic precinct, building can be revived and put to a use in a self-sustaining model which not only keeps the building in use but is also relevant in the 21st century. The image transformation from a bus station to a cultural node in New Delhi has made the general public perceive heritage in a new light and also create awareness and exhibiting how an underutilized space can serve the purpose and be relevant in the present time. This movement also establishes the need to conserve the 20th century modern architecture in India and sets an example for the buildings which are not monumental but are significant and worthy of being preserved.
In the past 8 years since its doors were opened to the public, Bikaner House has become a unique pilot project of a state owned property in the Central Vista that engages with private, trust, corporate and general public to promote art, revive craftsmanship, support community engagement, art dialogue and collaborative art, crafts and cultural activities.
Bikaner House takes pride in holding gender balanced activities, encouraging women writers, thinkers, through its programming. In addition to its popular restaurant and café, Bikaner House also hosts Vayu, a lifestyle store based on tribal and traditional crafts. All these are privately run and demonstrate the public private collaboration at Bikaner House.
A hundred years ago, the building was the private estate of a princely ruler. Today, restored and reused, the Bikaner House does justice to its prime location at the heart of a democratic capital city by promoting public engagement for the promotion of its cultural values and encouraging public discourse and a celebration of art, crafts and gender balance.
b. How well the project communicates the significance of the place through appropriate interpretation, if necessary.
Since 2016 Bikaner House has showcased a collection of cultural events and exhibitions that have been instrumental in creating a strong sense of community engagemetn. It has collaborated with the embassies of Spain, Brazil, Italy as well as UNESCO, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to promote and give a platform for cultural engagements. It has received support from corporate sponsors such as Royal Enfield , Times of India, Good Earth, Hyundai to focused on artworks centered on community and environment. It has collaborated with Art India, NGOs and trusts for its Sunday Market, Artisans Bazaar, Rajasthan Foundation’s ‘India style Fashion Week’ and Teej Utsav to support woman artisans, organic farmers, rural arts and crafts. It has provided a platform for rural women artisans and women self-help groups to promote traditional crafts from Rajasthan.
A robust community engagement and public private initiative is a leitmotif of the activities of Bikaner House. CSR-based Social initiatives and private sponsorships support exhibitions of young artists and the theme diversity and inclusion. Its interior materials of Rajasthani crafts such as thikri, araish, stone inlay and lime plasters endeavours to showcase Rajasthan’s rich art, craft and culture and promote local artisans and crafts persons. Revival of craft and traditional heritage has been a major thrust, collaborating with for profit, corporates and business houses to celebrate Indian crafts and traditional craft industries.
Unlike the magnificently restored Hyderabad House that is only open to government dignitaries, or Patiala House where one wouldn’t want to visit save for a court summons, or Jaipur House that attracts art enthusiasts, Bikaner House is the only princely mansion on India Gate that is open to the general public without ticket, allowing free and open access to people of all walks of life. It is thus a truly democratic space. It’s also precious for the variety of facilities it offers in a city that is largely denied the use of its most interesting buildings.
Gone were the bus terminal, the kiosks and the sarkari daftars with their paan stains and Public Works Department gear. In its place are the original polished floors, luminous chandeliers dangling from impossibly high ceilings, impressive colonnades, landscaped lawns with indigenous flora and an oasis of peace where the breath of Rajasthan’s princely past is open to the public.
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