Glory days to graveyard: The story of north Delhi's Coronation Park

Sir Edward Lutyens was commissioned to build New Delhi cheek by jowl with Shahjahanabad, or purani (old) Dilli, as if to rival the crumbling majesty of the great Mughal necropolis.

(Image via Wikimedia Commons 4.0)

King George’s role in the creation of New Delhi was honoured with a massive 49-feet statue that lorded over the roundabout at Kartavya Marg, nee Rajpath, nee Kingsway.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. In the '60s, Subhas C. Bose, a Calcuttan, knocked the king off his pedestal and banished him into exile at Coronation Park, thus avenging the demotion of the erstwhile first city.

A graveyard of statues

And that is where King George is to this date, unknown and unwanted, much like his resting place, Coronation Park. Besides the tall Coronation Memorial, keeping him company in that graveyard of statues are four Viceroys in stone — Lord Hardinge, Lord Willingdon, Lord Irwin, and Lord Chelmsford.

The desolate park stands in stark contrast to the heavy traffic of northern Delhi's urban sprawl as people are generally unaware of its place in the history of the country.

Says Delhi-based architect Gautam Bhatia, “By itself, the Coronation Park has no value. When you assemble marble figures in a single location and call it Coronation Park, it is as good as placing Freedom Fighters in a Freedom Fighters Park, and expecting it to be a great public commemoration of our history. This is as good as warehousing important ideas, so they die a slow natural death. It’s like putting important aspects of our past into a store and throwing away the key."

The desolate park stands in stark contrast to the heavy traffic of northern Delhi's urban sprawl as people are generally unaware of its place in the history of the country. (Image by HarshanH via Wikimedia Commons)

What's the key to the success of such spaces?

“The key is to spread history all over the streets, sidewalks, metro stations, and parks” adds Bhatia.

Around 2011-12, the park was landscaped and some work was done to conserve the pillars and statues. An interpretation centre was set up to help people understand the history of the place, but for some reason that never opened. The structure is still there though.

An official from DDA’s (Delhi Development Authority) horticulture department says on condition of anonymity: “Nothing new has been done in the last one and a half years. We are not aware of any plans of the landscape or engineering department either.”

Confirming this, a spokesperson from DDA’s landscape department says on condition of anonymity: "There is no additional development planned by DDA. Right now, we are just maintaining the status quo.”

Developed in 1877, Coronation Park covers some 55 acres in North Delhi and can become a prime public space and ground for cultural activities. (Image source: Intach)

The way forward

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has been pushing for the development of Coronation Park.

Ajay Kumar, Director, Projects, INTACH, says, “It’s a very big area, approximately 55 or 58 acres. Why don’t we make it a nicely landscaped space people can enjoy, maybe spend half a day at? Then they will also see the structures and the statues.

"Take the case of Lodhi Garden. People go there for two reasons — one is for the built heritage, and secondly for the natural heritage. If you have this at Coronation Park, people will start going there as well."

Moreover, Kumar adds, since Coronation Park covers a huge area, it can become an open-air cultural centre with food, an amphitheatre, water bodies, and beautifully landscaped spaces. "If you do this, it will have everything going for it. Thereafter, it only needs to be maintained and promoted well.”