The glory of the British Raj in India lives on at the Imperial Hotel in Delhi. It's a lovely old building, dating back to the 1930's. Its acres of white marble pave grand, wide corridors, whose walls are packed with memorabilia, photos, ink drawings, oils and statues. There are depictions of the Indian landscapes, temples, colourful village scenes, busts of kings and queens, vicoroys, and other important souls, mainly Brits with a few nawabs and rajahs thrown in.
And in particular, lots of paintings of glorious pommie victories - the union jack rampant above the scene of battle, the "hindoo" native crushed beneath the imperial heel.
Above is a bust of Lord Harding, viceroy at the time of the "Grand Durbar" or assembly to mark the arrival of George V and Queen Mary in India in 1911. Its in the foyer adjacent to the bar, seen below.
There are over 3000 works on display, and more than that again in storage. It's a living museum and provides a great memoire of a mob who never thought they couldn't or shouldn't rule here forever. The public areas are beautiful. They are decorated in a mixture of colonial and Indian styles with a lot of art deco features as well. The dining room is particularly splendiferous, supported by pillars that are detailed in royal blue and gold. There is art deco stained glass aplenty and of course, a suitable sprinkling of brass pots full of kentia palms. The lawns are manicured and criss crossed with little paths, lined with flowering plants in terra cotta pots. The overall impression is grand, majestic, ...imperial.
Here are some more photos:
Central corridor, ground floor.
Front lift area.
Guess Who? Wearing the "Star of India" medal. Lovely painting isn't it?
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