Raisina Hill

South and North Blocks on Raisina Hill.

Raisina Hill, often used as a metonym for the seat of the Government of India, is an area of Lutyens' Delhi, New Delhi, housing India's most important government buildings, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India and the Secretariat building housing the Prime Minister's Office and several other important ministries. It is surrounded by other important buildings and structures, including the Parliament of India, Rajpath and India Gate. The term "Raisina Hill" was coined following acquisition of land from 300 families from local villages. Land was acquired under the "1894 Land Acquisition Act" to begin the construction of the Viceroy's House

The hill is a slightly elevated portion 226 metres (741 ft) high, about 18 metres (59 ft) higher than the surrounding area.

History

In 1911 to transfer the capital of British India from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to Delhi, a planning committee was formed, and a site 3 miles (5 km) south of the existing city of Delhi, around Raisina Hill, was chosen for the new administrative centre. A well-drained, healthy area between the Delhi Ridge and the Yamuna River, it provided ample room for expansion.

Raisina i.e. Rao Simha (Rao = Aristocrat, Simha = Lion/brave) was the title of jagirdar/estate ruler Kalda Rao (descendent of Maharaja Karna Singh of Alwar) consisting of Delhi city and its surrounding areas in late 1600's to mid 1700's. Delhi city was called Raisina during this period. Only Raisina Hill, Raisina road, etc remain today. The descendents of Rao Simha saheb carry the surname Vaisoha.

Public use and demonstrations

On December 22, 2012, Raisina Hill became the venue for protest against series of gang rape incidents in Delhi including 2012 Delhi gang rape case, where the protesters made allegations of mis-governance which had made the city highly unsafe for women. Over 20000 people gathered to draw immediate attention of government to address such incidents.