This story is from December 5, 2016

Lost glory of Bikaner House restored

Lost glory of Bikaner House restored
Bikaner house in Delhi. (Image courtesy/ Princely Palaces in New Delhi)
NEW DELHI: Once a symbol of pride of the Bikaner state, Bikaner House had, over the years, lost its sheen. This was primarily due to the perception that it was just a stop to board a luxury bus to a Rajasthan city. Things changed in 2015 when the building was restored. Now, it’s fast becoming a cultural hub.
Sumanta Bhowmick, author of Princely Palaces in New Delhi, said, “It is one of the oldest and simplest of the princely palaces of Delhi with its beautiful lamps, high ceiling and tastefully done interiors, jaalis and chajjas.
One speciality of this building is that the main door leads directly to the dining hall, as the Maharaja didn’t like to keep his guests waiting.”
The restoration brief of the Rajasthan government—which had its offices in the building—said the building and its environs had to be modernised without altering its old look. “So we had to make ornamental changes,” said Priya Pall, curational director, Bikaner House.
About 4.6 acres of the 7-acre complex were worked on. Before that, all the offices were vacated. Pall said a small portion of the ball room’s wooden flooring had to be repaired due to termite damage, walls were painted with lime, and the jaalis were also restored. “The large chandeliers are the original ones, and some new ones had to be put with the same cut glass lamps and steel chains,” Pall said.
“It has now become the gateway to Rajasthan,” Pall added.
The ball room, conference room and rear lawns known as Chandni Bagh, have hosted several events in the past few months—from musical evenings to book launches.
On Monday, the iconic themed restaurant chain, Chor Bizarre, opened its outlet at Bikaner House as well. There’s also a designer store called Vayu, which is run by designers Vivek Sahani and Dev Chang, and which showcases the best of Rajasthan’s crafts.
Bikaner House was designed by Charles G Blomfield as a palace befitting a king that Maharaja Ganga Singh was.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA