he rotary around India Gate christened Princes' Park is dotted with buildings that provide a link between the modern metropolis and the colonial heritage that it inherited. One of the buildings, Bikaner House, over the past few decades, had been reduced to a bus station from where one could catch luxury buses to Rajasthan. Hundreds of passengers would enter the eight-acre premises, buy a ticket at the counter, grab a bite at one of the kiosks and board their bus oblivious to the inner grandeur of the building.
Fortunately, about a year and a half ago, the Rajasthan Government that owns the building came up with a plan to turn the property into a gateway to the land famed for its culture, heritage and palaces.
The Bikaner House was reopened on Wednesday post renovation and visitors were left awestruck seeing the interiors of the building and absorbing the ambience of a colonial structure restored to its original glory.
The high ceiling and the tastefully done interiors brought back the opulence of private residence of ruling States during the British Raj and the chandeliers glistened giving the rooms a warm, welcoming glow.
Priya Pall who is the curatorial Director of the renovation project says the building was in perfectly good shape, all they had to do was fix a few seepage issues, change the pipes, relay the lawn and give it a coat of paint. “The chandeliers, the flooring and the layout of the rooms are all the same, we have not changed much,” says Priya.
The venue will now be open to the public and will be used as a boutique art and cultural hub and hopes to host niche events that will not only showcase the culture of Rajasthan but other parts of the country as well. It has been designed in such a way that there are multiple spaces that can be used for different types of events.
A permanent feature will be a design shop, Vayu, run by designer Vivek Sahani that will be a boutique showcasing the best of Indian crafts and design sourced from the ateliers of skilled craftsmen and finished by contemporary designers.
An art space, Spirit of India, is currently hosting an exhibition of photographs by Maharaja Ram Singh II of Jaipur and promises to be a hub for those looking for a space to exhibit visual art.
The premises has an open courtyard called Chandini Bagh that is surrounded by the fragrance of blooming jasmine and frangipani that will be used as a concert venue every weekend to host cultural performances. Adjoining it is a baithak that can be used to host book launches, private dinners and other small events.
Bikaner House will also have a cafe and a fine dining restaurant by February next year.
The cultural hub was inaugurated with the announcement of two cultural events that are taking place in Rajasthan in the coming days. A festival of music, yoga and meditation titled The Sacred to be organised in Pushkar between November 22 and 24 and Handmade in Rajasthan an event organised by the Khadi Board and Government of Rajasthan that will be a part of the ‘Rajasthan Heritage Week’ in the first week of December.
The chandeliers, the flooring and the layout of the rooms are all the same, we have not changed much
