Upper Loggia of Rashtrapati Bhavan, where tea and refreshments are served after functions

A monument, a political emblem and a home all rolled into one. It is but inevitable that the Rashtrapati Bhavan – the edifice that Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens envisioned in New Delhi as the official residence of the British Viceroys – should be the site where the Raj and independent India played out their fantasies. From polo matches and golf on a sunny morning and, parties by the pool to deciding that khadi would be the fabric of choice for all residents and domestic staff – here is a story of Indian officialdom that attempted to be sensitive and relevant to its people.