New Delhi has many notable places to visit including Connaught Place Lajpat Nagar India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan which reflect the citys background and culture. It provides an opportunity for shopping dining or spending time with family and friends. These places make New Delhi an exciting busy city. Connaught Place in New Delhi is popularly referred to as the heart of Delhi. It is a place that is alive 24 hours a day. For young individuals wanting to have fun and for families wanting to shop discover things and eat at good restaurants Connaught Place is everyones first choice. This is why it is the heart of Delhi. But do you know the backstory of the development of Connaught Place? When how and why was it developed? Who decided to relocate the capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi? In 1911 by the orders of King George V of Britain it was decided to relocate the capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi. At that time when New Delhi was made the capital the area was largely a wild and undeveloped region. It was agreed to construct New Delhi on the model of London. Sir Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens were engaged as the architects of the city. They designed many significant buildings e.g. Council House (Parliament House) Viceroy’s House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan) Kingsway (now Rajpath) and Connaught Place inspired by Piccadilly Circus in London. After whom is Connaught Place named and why? Several books stated that the design of Connaught Place was based on the Royal Crescent in Bath London which is semicircular. Previously the entire area was wild and filled with wild animals. As the new city came to life there were shiny roads buildings main roads and large structures. And as the forests disappeared eventually the British began to take over and settle. When was Connaught Place constructed? Connaught Place was constructed in 1929 by the British following plans created by architect Robert Tor Russell. It became popular under British colonial rule and is named after Prince Arthur the Duke of Connaught a member of British royalty. Prince Arthur was the third son of Queen Victoria and uncle of King George VI and visited India in 1921 when the market was named in his honor during the colonial era. Connaught Places unique circular design radiating outwards was inspired by Georgian architectural styles in Britain. Connaught Place (CP) is a sought-after commercial real estate area. It is separated into several blocks with different individuals or families as landowners in the blocks. The Government of India manages the land and general administration of Connaught Place but the buildings within CP are privately owned. The individual ownership of shops/buildings varies so there will be a lot of ownership diversity. Currently the rents in Connaught Place are between Rs. 300 to Rs. 700 per square foot per month. But it was a different situation before independence. Most of these properties were rented at extremely low rents usually at a few hundred rupees a month. Due to the Old Delhi Rent Control Act many of these properties rents have only been able to be raised a little i.e. around 10 per cent of the original amount. Therefore even now some shopkeepers pay very low rents as the actual market value of those properties has soared. According to media reports the land and the majority of the buildings in the iconic CP are owned by the Government of India. Management and maintenance are performed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). This means many of the buildings in Connaught Place are now owned by private families who have held on to them for several generations. In addition while the architecture may speak of a colonial past and the rents echo the past the energy and the vibe of the place are contemporary.