Coronation Durbar Delhi 1911, Official Directory with maps
Printed at Superintendent Government Printing, Calcutta
Exactly a hundred years back, on 12th December 1911, the Coronation of King George V – who became the first British monarch to visit India – was held in the durbar of Delhi. And the Capital of British Empire was moved from Calcutta to Delhi without public knowledge. The conglomeration for the event witnessed every ‘Who’s Who’ of British Empire and their Princely Allies. The sheer scale at which the event was held meant that planning to the minutest of scale and resources to be used were detailed out as specifically as possible. The directory serves as the official document for planning and organization of the coronation and one sees the eye for details of the organizers. All ceremonies, receptions, parades, awards, routes, places and people involved, sports, and departure are precisely detailed out with maps where required. The document serves as an important resource to appreciate the planning and resource-management of British of those times.
PS: Indeed the centenary of the event is not even talked about – let alone being celebrated – in the country today. The Coronation Park in Northern Delhi, today, remains neglected, unmarked and locked.
The document can be downloaded from archives.org here
