Wrapped in fog in day time and wearing a sombre look, Coronation Park, the birthplace of New Delhi was plunged into darkness by sundown Saturday, the only irony being the day coinciding with the capit
Wrapped in fog in day time and wearing a sombre look, Coronation Park, the birthplace of New Delhi was plunged into darkness by sundown Saturday, the only irony being the day coinciding with the capital city’s 104th anniversary.
The historic ground had hosted one of the grandest imperial durban ever in 1911, where King George V and Queen Mary were coronated as the Emperor and Empress of India and the British capital was officially shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
Local residents oblivious to the importance of the place, let alone the day, wandered about in the park, while graffiti scrawled up on the iconic Coronation Pillar, that marks the site of the durbar, only added to the overwhelming irony.
“Is December 12 a historic day for Delhi. I don’t know. I was born in the vicinity and have seen this place from my childhood days. We used to play cricket here, and now come here on and off. But, I don’t know what this place is, whose those statues are of and December 12’s importance,” said 17-year-old Aditya Jha, when enquired about the place.
The historic land falling under the DDA, was taken up by Sheila Dikshit regime to be redeveloped as a ‘Coronation Park’, and work was to be completed by 2011, to coincide with New Delhi’s 100th anniversary.
But, the DDA has been missing several deadlines since then and on Saturday, it added just another to that list.
As per the plans, the whole area has been redesigned keeping the Coronation Pillar as nodal point. A majestic statue of King George V, which once adorned the canopy opposite the India Gate stands amid four other statues (of Indian viceroys) placed at the four corners around the obelisk.
