The All-India War Memorial Canopy 1936 Delhi Photograph © Medha Malik Kudaisya -- may be used without prior permission for any educational or scholarly purpose.

Adjacent to the War Memorial is a 22.25 meters' high canopy which stands in a circular basin in a square pool. During the colonial period a white marble statue of King-Emperor George V stood in the canopy which could be seen by the Viceroy from the roof of his palace. This was seen a symbol of imperial domination and was removed after India gained independence and now stands at Coronation Park. One plan was to replace it with a statue of Mahatma Gandhi which was commissioned but looked so peculiar that it had to be removed. No agreement exists on what should be done with the empty canopy.

References

Chaudhuri, Nirad C. Thy Hand Great Anarch : 1921-1952. London, 1987.

Dalrymple, W. City of Djinns -- A Year in Delhi. London, 1993.

Frykenberg, F R (ed). Delhi Through the Ages. Delhi, 1986.

Gupta, Narayani. "Kingsway to Rajpath : The Democratization of Lutyens' Central Vista". Asher, Catharine B and Metcalf, T R (eds). Perceptions of South Asia's Visual Past, pp. 257-269. Delhi, 1994.

Gupta, Narayani. Delhi Between two empires, 1803-1921. Delhi, 1986

Irving, R G. Indian Summer : Lutyens, Baker and Imperial Delhi. New Haven, 1981.

Metcalf, T R. An Imperial Vision. Indian Architecture and Britain's Raj. Berkeley, 1989.