Coronation park: legacy of the raj

I want to share my experience of an educational trip where we were transported back to the age of British Viceroys. On November 18, we went to Nirankari Colony from our school. The place was very crowded.

There were four teachers to guide us. The students were divided into two groups, each group having two teachers for guidance. They told us about the British rule and about the person who had shifted the capital of India to Delhi. There were statues of various Viceroys who were given the Indian title ‘Kaiser-e-Hind’. King George V came to Delhi on December 12, 1911, to announce that he henceforth the monarch.

There was noone to protect the monument. Grasses were overgrown in the area and it was very unpleasant. The colour of the statue had also turned yellow. The government should not only take care of the major monuments in our city, but also preserve these lesser known ones. We should take all measures to protect it.

Neha bhatia, Class-ix

LOOKING BACK AT THE BRITISH RAJ

The heritage of India is world-famous, with many famous monuments. Among them is the statue of George V, who was responsible for shifting the capital of India to Delhi from Kolkata. This statue was placed at the Nirankari Colony. Me and my friends from Abhinav Public School got an opportunity to visit this place. We were told about the coronation of George V, that took place here. A Durbar was organised for this purpose in 1911. We also came to know that the coronation was started by Queen Victoria as she decided to give the British Viceroys an Indian title — ‘Kaiser-e-Hind’, meaning the pride of India. We came to know about the various periods of British rule.

There were guides to tell us about the history of the Coronation Park. We came to know about that history of India which we could not know by just sitting inside a classroom.

I, however, wonder how people can be so careless. These statues are in derelict condition due to lack of proper maintenance.

It was unfortunate to see that these monuments are already turning yellowish in colour. On the other hand if we see the Qutab Minar, all measures for proper maintenance is taken over there.

The government is only taking care of major monuments. Our cultural heritage should be saved, whether it is a small rock or the great Taj Mahal. The statue of at least the person who is responsible for Delhi becoming the capital of India should be saved.

The heritage, for which India is world famous, should to saved

aarushi ranjan, Class-IX

BACK to THE AGE OF the KAISER-E-HINDs

It was a very special educational trip on November 18. We came to know about the person who was responsible for Delhi becoming the capital of India. His statue was placed in Coronation Park, Nirankari Colony — King George V. This place was unpleasantly unkempt, but was a storehouse of facts. There were two guides who told us many amusing facts about the Park — as the place was called. We were told about various Viceroys who were given the title of ‘Kaiser-e-Hind’. It was an Indian title given to British Viceroys. As King George V was crowned here, his statue was placed in the front. There were total seven statues, but their condition was deplorable.

It was really sad to see how the monument had been completely ignored. Out of a total of 15 statues, only seven are left. Also, the statues had graffiti all over them, and were surrounded by overgrown grass. A Nirankari colony has been built around the park and a function had ended a day before. There were many tents and people from different states had gathered to attend the function. People were sitting all around the coronation statue, with no security arrangements in place.

Apurva vats, Class-IX

HISTORY IN CAPITAL LETTERS

On visiting the Coronation Park, we came to know of our rich and cultural heritage. It is one of the famous buildings were built by the British. In 1863, the British occupied Delhi after defeating Marathas, who had been in control of the city. Three Durbars were held at the Coronation Park — the first in 1887, the second in 1903, and the final one in 1911. In 1911, King George V and Queen Mary themselves came here to make two important declarations. All major rulers of India at that time were present at this Durbar. It was held in December. The first one was that the Capital of British India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi, and the other was the annulment of the Partition of Bengal. They also declared that India would now be ruled directly by the King and Queen of England, thereby ending the rule of the East India Company. So a new British Residency was built in Delhi. Coronation Park contains the statue of King George V, along with some the Viceroys of the British, including Lord Willingdon and Lord Hardinge. There were supposed to be many statues but only seven of them are left now, thanks to Indians. It is a good memorial place. But the main entrance to this place is poor. Government must take some steps to preserve it.

Divya, Class-IX

Quest is a project conducted by The Indian Express in schools in and around Delhi. It covers more than 50 schools in Delhi and NCR.

Quest aims at stirring awareness and opinions. Today, when all that children see are shopping malls and cineplexes, we at The Indian Express want to show a completely different picture of this city to them. Delhi has changed beyond nostalgia and recognition since Independence. How many of these kids know of the ‘Seven Cities’ of Delhi or the stories of the pigeon fliers of Old Delhi?

The idea behind such an activity is to create awareness about the various structures and monuments that the students do not know about. This is a specially designed programme, which will help the students appreciate the rich culture and background of this city. In association with INTACH and ASI, this is a small effort on our behalf to depict a phase of our national life and the decay of a whole culture, a particular mode of thought and living. The visit is followed by the students sending in articles, pictures, poems, paintings, and collages to express their experiences about the heritage walk.

We invite schools to be a part of this Express Group initiative.

For queries mail to heritagewalks@expressindia.com