00:00Rajapati Bhawan has removed the bust of British architect Edwin Lutyens and replaced it with
00:05India's first Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari.
00:09For decades, the bust of Edwin Lutyens stood inside Rajapati Bhawan as a reminder of the
00:13man who designed much of New Delhi in the early 20th century following the British shift
00:18of India's capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911.
00:22He planned the grand imperial layout including the Viceroy's house, now Rajapati Bhawan,
00:26India Gate and the ceremonial Rajapath, recently renamed Kartavyapath.
00:31Now in its place stands C. Rajagopalachari, also known as Rajaji, a freedom fighter, statesman
00:37and the only Indian to serve as Governor-General of Independent India and also a close associate
00:43of Mahatma Gandhi.
00:44The move was unveiled by President Draupati Murmu during the Rajaji Yudsa celebrations.
00:49The official message?
00:50Shedding the colonial mindset and foregrounding Indian icons in national spaces.
00:55Interestingly, despite designing India's capital, Lutyens is known to have held deeply
01:00imperial views.
01:01In personal letters, he often expressed dismissive opinions about Indian architecture and culture,
01:06favouring European classical styles instead.
01:09Lutyens' great-grandson reacted to the removal, saying it was sad.
01:13On social media, some users even argued the change ignored architectural history and context.
01:18Meanwhile, supporters call it mental decolonization.
01:22Long.
01:23Long.
01:24Long.
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