Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Viceroy’s House, now known as Rashtrapati Bhavan, the residence of the President of India is Lutyens’ magnum opus, with its subtle and graceful fusion of western classicism with Indian architectural features. Lutyens’ used red and cream sandstone in the building, clearly echoing the hues of the grand Mughal capital, Shahjahanabad.
Rashtrapati Bhavan, over 600 ft (180 m) from end to end, with its 340 rooms and its vast internal courtyards covering 200,000 sq feet, is indeed larger than Versailles. Girdling at two different levels is a wide Chhajja, which protects the building from heat and light and drains water during the monsoon.
The vast copper-clad dome, built over the Bhavan, is circled by a stone railing and surrounded by four saucer-shaped rooftop fountain to keep the building cool and to provide a shimmering reflection against the metallic surface of the dome. In the middle of the court in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan is the Jaipur column built from money donated by Maharaja of Jaipur.
