Ranked
as one of the top hotels in India, The Imperial New Delhi, in the heart of
Lutyen’s Delhi, offers utmost luxury, fantastic restaurants, an unbeatable art
collection and a space where history comes alive.
The most
charming aspect of Delhi is the way the old exists alongside the new. The broad
tree-lined avenues of Lutyen’s Delhi are interspersed with opulent gardens
built by the Mughals. Swanky neighbourhoods of New Delhi still preserve various
remnants of the past. Apart from the traces of the different dynasties that
ruled over Delhi at one time or another, you will still find many monuments
that were built during the British Rule. Whether Delhi prospered or was
plundered by the various rulers is a debate-worthy topic for another time and
place, for now we will stick to the premise that the city gets its inimitable
charm from its various layers of history.
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| An Art Tour through the hotel reveals the rich collection of noteworthy paintings and photographs portraying the rich history of Delhi. |
Historical Relevance
The
Imperial also enjoys its fair
share of historical relevance. Lady Willingdon, the wife of the 22nd Viceroy
and Governor General of India, Lord Willingdon, commissioned the construction
of this hotel. Unlike many other heritage hotels, this was one hotel that was
built as a hotel and at no point did it serve as a home for anyone. The hotel was designed by Blomfield to be one of the
finest monuments of Lutyens’ grand vision of the Capital City’s original master
plan presenting a unique blend of Victorian, Old Colonial and Art Deco styles. Located
on the prestigious Queensway, now known as Janpath, it was inaugurated by Lord
Willingdon in 1936, and was named and conferred the exquisite Lion Insignia by
Lady Willingdon. It is also said that Pandit Nehru, Mahatama Gandhi, Muhammad
Ali Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten met at The Imperial under congenial conditions
to discuss the partition of India and creation of Pakistan.
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| A couple of paintings up close. |
Even today, the grand façade,
painted a pristine white against the verdant lawns, the 24 king palms that lead
up to the porch, high ceilings and period furniture, and a treasure trove of
original art works and lithographs evoke a sense of nostalgia for guests. It’s no surprise then that the art tour
through the hotel is one of the best selling activities.
The walk that starts right at
the porch by viewing the lion insignia and goes through Lahore Lounge,
dedicated to the six Anglo-Sikh wars with the portraits of the two war
heroes Sardar Hari Singh and Shyam Singh along with the medals won in these
wars, transports you to a time warp. Then
there’s 1911, the popular all day dining, but did you know about the relevance
of this year? This was the year when Delhi was declared the capital of India, and also the year of
coronation of the King and Queen of India. The corridors leading up to the
restaurant are laden with beautiful paintings of the coronation, giving a
glimpse into the kind of preparations that went into the event and so on. There
is even a watercolour of the coronation ceremony of Queen Victoria that was
supposed to happen at the erstwhile Calcutta but was cancelled at the last
minute. This is also where one can see pictures of the Narendra Mandal, or the
Chamber of Princes, a gathering headed by the Viceroy General of
India, where all the Indian royalty would meet. Seeing the original
pictures of India Gate and Rajpath is literally like taking a virtual history
lesson. Besides the paintings on the walls, some select pieces of furniture are
also noteworthy. Almost all the tables at 1911 are made of wood, except for one
marble-topped table, which is even slightly longer than the other tables at the
restaurant. This was Gandhiji’s preferred table! And people in the know (very
few, we assure you) especially reserve a seat at this very table.
“The
Imperial, proudly displays a priceless art collection of ‘British Art on
India’. The collection includes the works of great artists who worked in India
in the late 17th and early 18th century and
produced etchings, wood engravings, lithographs, aquatints and mezzotints based
on sketches of landscapes, architecture, topography and life and times of India,”
shares Vijay
Wanchoo- Sr. EVP & GM, The Imperial New Delhi.
He adds that the hotel has three main art galleries and a collection of
life size oil paintings of the Princely Rulers of India. The entire northern
wing of the ground floor main Art Gallery adorns the established works of the
Uncle and Nephew duo - Thomas (1749 – 1840) and William Daniell
(1769-1837), including the famous ‘Oriental Scenery,’ published in 1808. The art
on the first floor is dedicated to the ‘Views in Lucknow’ based on the
siege and mutiny in Lucknow by Assistant Adjutant – General David Scott
Dodgson. The first floor of the southern wing houses James Fergusson’s (1808-86)
works titled ‘Rock cut Temples of India’ (1845). The Royal Ballroom, that
exudes the exuberance and grandeur of the first ball inaugurated by Lord
Willingdon, boasts of the 11 ft. by 22 ft. oil painting by Bourne and
Shepard, titled The Durbar of the Nawab of Maler Kotla, and vividly
depicts the generous luxury of the early 1900s.
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| The restaurants are not only aesthetically designed, but also contain many original works of art worth appreciating. |
Another point worth mentioning is that The Imperial has the
largest collection on display of land war gallantry awards in India and
neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan, Burma, Bhutan and China apart from
a sizeable record of orders and decorations bestowed by the King, the Emperor
of India as an honor to the local Maharajas and ruling Princes of different
states of India. You will find most of these at the blue room
called Lutyens and Baker Room at the 1911 Bar. The Patiala Peg is another bar
dedicated to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. There is an interesting
anecdote about how the Maharaja tricked his British opponents over a match of
tent pegging, a popular cavalry sport during the early 1900s. Thinking that his
team was sure to lose to the better-trained British team, he hosted a party for
his rivals a night prior to the game and served them copious amounts of
alcohol. Sure enough, the Patiala team won and thus was born the famous Patiala
peg. As an ode to Punjabi style of hospitality, even today the last drink of
the evening at this bar is served with an extra 15 ml alcohol.
There are many more anecdotes, history trivia
and beautiful art to marvel at during the tour through the hotel. In keeping
with the hotel’s hospitality style, the enriching walk culminates with a lavish
high tea at The Atrium.
Details: Rs 1,750 ++ without high tea;
Rs 3,000++ with high tea.
Ph: +91-11 41116306
This article was first published in a luxury lifestyle magazine in July 2019.
