New Delhi is the central & modern part of the greater metropolitan Delhi area in India.Throughout the ages, Delhi has seen successive waves of invaders sweep over it, each leaving their mark on its landscape. The British were the last of the lot. They also contributed greatly to the city, their most significant stamp on the city being, what is popularly known as, Lutyens Delhi.
When the capital of the country was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1912, the British wanted to create a city that would reflect their superiority and power. They envisioned grand monuments and spacious expanses and the creators of this vision were architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
New Delhi is the eighth addition to the earlier cities and is spread over 2800 hectares of land, a little less than 2 percent of the entire city area. Each of Lutyens’ creations is symbolic of colonial supremacy and some argue that the positioning of some of the buildings reflects the attitude of the British toward the Indians. It took 20 years to build and the British only enjoyed it for 16 years after that. However, it is still the heart of the city, arguably the most elegant and awe inspiring area of the city. See New Delhi's Sightseeing attractions.Along with these landmarks, the Parliament buildings and government offices, several of them designed by Herbert Baker, were also created as part of this new city. These were built in the traditional Mughal style and are made of red sandstone.
The space that Lutyens envisioned for this grand capital has wide, tree-lined avenues. He also included 112 residential bungalows, which can be found along the roads connecting to India Gate circle. These lovely rambling homes, now home to various members of the government, are set in one of the greenest areas in Delhi, made up by the trees along the roads as well as the large gardens around the houses. This part of Lutyens Delhi is, unfortunately, facing extinction with rapid commercial development in the area. Several of these bungalows have already been destroyed to accommodate hotels and office spaces, amid cries of protest.