North And South Blocks- Reflecting Power, Glory and Legacy

  • 16 years ago
North and South Blocks are built on the Raisina Hill, and they flank the wide Rajpath. Together they are termed as Secretariat Building. These buildings reflect the regal colonial architecture and houses important ministries like Defense Ministry, Ministry of Home Affairs, Finance Ministry, External Affairs Ministry and the office of the Prime Minister of India.

The North and the South Blocks are located in the vicinity of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Vijay Chowk lies between the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the North and South Block. The construction of Rashtrapati Bhawan and these North and South Blocks took place during the British rule. When they transferred their capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911, they decided to remodel this old city, and one of the reflections of this endeavour is embodied in the North and South Blocks.

One of the most majestic state office buildings in the whole world, North and South Blocks resonate an unmistakable British legacy. The famous British architect, Herbert Baker constructed, or rather created these buildings of seminal architectural appeal. He got the inspiration for these buildings from Christopher Wren’s Royal Naval College, which is at Greenwich. Today, these stately buildings act as edifices of power and governance of independent India.

Recommended