The Jaipur Column stands at a height of one hundred and forty five feet on the Rashtrapati Bhavan Forecourt, at an approximate distance of five hundred and fifty five feet from the main gate. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and sponsored by Maharaja Madho Singh of Jaipur, the Jaipur Column was built to celebrate the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi and as a token of allegiance of the princely state of Jaipur to the British Crown.
The Dome that crowns Rashtrapati Bhavan is one of the most distinctive features of the building. Fifty-five meters above the level of the Forecourt, it has the National flag hoisted from its peak. The central dome is twice the height of the building. Bordering the dome are miniature pavilion roofs called chattris and inverted half-dome fountains.
The Choice of sandstones, pink and cream that were erstwhile put to use by the Great Mughals and Rajputs respectively, beautifully sync with Delhi’s climate. Upholding the belief that architecture must be constructive and expressive, he once famously said, “Climate is the architect’s colour.”
