The capital city, New Delhi, had its foundation stone laid by George V, the then Emperor of India. In 1911, the event took place in the Delhi Durbar.

Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Edwin Lutyens, two British architects laid down the city’s architecture. Lord Irwin, India’s Viceroy, inaugurated New Delhi as the new capital of the country on 13 February 1931. Since then, with all the branches (legislative, judiciary and executive), New Delhi has become the center of government, required to run the country.

Kolkata had the privilege of being the country’s capital till 1911 after that New Delhi became the capital of India. However, Delhi had been the financial and political center of many empires that had earlier regimed India. The reign of the Delhi Sultanate as well as the reign of the Mughals from 1649-1857 are some of the best examples.

Many things changed with the coming of the British in India. It was in the early period of the 1900s that the British administration thought of changing the capital of the British Indian Empire from Calcutta to Delhi.

Location of Delhi was one of the main reasons that were cited for the capital shift. Delhi was located in the northern part, while Calcutta was situated in the eastern coastal part of the country. Ruling India from Delhi was easier and more convenient as it is felt by the British government of India. British Raj accepted the proposal by heartily. George V, the then ruling Emperor of India, along with Queen Mary, announced that the capital of India would be shifted from Kolkata to Delhi during the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911. The establishment of Coronation Park, Kingsway Camp was also laid down along with this announcement. This would be the Viceroy’s residence during that time.

Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens, the initial planning and architecture for Delhi were done by these two British architects. They were among the leading architects in Britain at that time. Once the plan was enacted, the contract of building the city was commenced on Sobha Singh. After the First World War the construction work began and the whole construction completed by 1931. Lord Irwin, then Viceroy of India inaugurated the city finally on 13 February 1931. Once the city was inaugurated, plans of extending the city also started coming up by different architects. All gave their ideas and inspirations but the majority of them got rejected by the Viceroy due to huge cost involved in new extension.

A temporary secretariat building was constructed in North Delhi in 1912, after the capital of the British Indian Empire shifted temporary secretariat building was constructed in North Delhi in 1912, after the capital of the British Indian Empire shifted to Delhi from Calcutta. General working would not be affected for that reason many of the important offices shifted to the place. Employees were brought from Madras Presidency, Calcutta Presidency for proper running of the various offices of the then British Indian Government. The employees lived in the nearby areas and later turned into one of the most posh residential areas of New Delhi at present.