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Coronation
Park is
a
park
located
on
Burari
Road
near
Nirankari
Sarovar
in Delhi, India.
The
park
is
sometimes
referred
to
as
the
Coronation
Memorial;
it
was
the
venue
of
the Delhi
Durbar of
1877
when Queen
Victoria was
proclaimed
the Empress
of
India.
Later
it
was
used
to
celebrate
the
accession
of King
Edward
VII in
1903,
and,
finally,
it
was
here
that
the Durbar commemorating
the
coronation
of King
George
V as Emperor
of
India took
place
on
12
December
1911,
subsequent
to
his
coronation
at Westminster
Abbey in
June
1911.
This
last
celebration
had
all
the princely
states in
attendance.
The
decision
to
hold
the
Coronation
Durbars
in
Delhi
at
the
vast
open
ground
at
Coronation
Park
was
a
move
to
emphasise
the
historical
significance
of
Delhi
as
the
former
capital
of
the Mughal
Empire.
Also,
Coronation
Park
has
the
largest
and
tallest
statue
of King
George
V.
The
statue
was
moved
here
in
the
mid-1960s
from
a
site
opposite India
Gate in
the
centre
of New
Delhi.
It
is
opposite
the Obelisk called
the
Coronation
Memorial,
which
commemorates
the
1911
Durbar,
when
George
V
laid
the
foundation
stone
for
the
new
capital
city
of
New
Delhi.
Delhi was
chosen
as
the
site
of
the
park
because
the
city
boasted
a
great
historical
legacy
for
such
royal
activities.
The
site
was
developed
as
a
park
and
venue
to
hold
the
first
Durbar,
or
imperial
pageant,
in
Delhi
under
the
supervision
of
the British
Raj.
Durbars
were
an
"invented
tradition"
to
showcase
the
prowess
of
the
British
by
perpetuating
a
tradition
of
previous Hindu,
Muslim
and Mughal rulers.
Three
Durbars
were
held
by
the British
monarchy during
a
period
of
forty
years
in
the
park,
which
was
located
near
the
soon
to
be
created New
Delhi,
just
south
of Shahjahanbad.
The
three
Durbars
were
held
near
a
ridge
where
the
British
won
a
great
victory
during
the Indian
rebellion
of
1857.
In
addition,
the
location
helped
emphasise
the
grandeur
of
the
British
monarchy
to
the
native
rulers
and
the
people
who
attended
the
Durbars.
First
Durbar,
initiated
by Lord
Lytton (1831–1891),
the
then Viceroy
of
India,
was
held
on
1
January
1877
at
the
Coronation
Park
in
Delhi
to
mark
the
proclamation
of Queen
Victoria as Empress
of
India.
Lord
Lytton
conceived
the
procession
in
order
to
represent
the British
Raj as
bringing
“order
and
discipline,
which
was
in
(his)
ideology
part
of
the
whole
system
of
colonial
control”.
The
Durbar
was
an
extravaganza
of
pomp
and
ceremony
including
a
parade
on
a
decorated
elephant
by
Lord
and
Lady
Lytton
in
the
presence
of
nearly
70,000
people.
The
imperial
gathering
consisted
of
royalty
from
all
the
provinces
of
India
and
the
most
senior
British
dignitaries.
The
second
and
third
Durbars
were
held
at
the
same
location
to
celebrate
the Coronation of British
Monarchs.
The
second
Durbar
was
organised
for
1
January
1903
to
celebrate
the
Coronation
of King
Edward
VII. Lord
Curzon,
the
Viceroy
and
the
chief
architect
of
the
show,
planned
meticulously
what
was
considered
an
extravagant
display
of
pomp
and
splendour.
Lord
Curzon
converted
the
drab
and
dry
land
of
the
park
into
a
virtual
tented
city
by
establishing
huge
encampments
with
colourful
tents.
In
this
city
of
tents
there
was
a
variety
of
infrastructure
including
water,
drainage,
sanitation,
electricity
and
rail
communications
supplied
to
the
venue
from
different
locations
in
the
nearby
city.
Firework
displays,
exhibitions
and
glamorous
dances
were
organised.
Special
postage
stamps
were
issued
on
the
occasion.
Post
offices,
telegraph
and
telephone
communications
were
provided. Field
Marshal Lord
Kitchener, Commander-in-Chief,
India (C-in-C,
India),
organised
daily
parades,
band
practice
and
polo
matches.
The
élite
of
the
world
media
were
present,
but
the
intended
Chief
Guest,
the King-Emperor himself,
did
not
attend
the
celebrations
held
in
his
honour.
Instead, His
Britannic
Majesty was
represented
by
his
brother, H.R.H. Field
Marshal The
Duke
of
Connaught
and
Strathearn.
The Duke arrived
from Bombay with
a
large
contingent
of
dignitaries.
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