Finding Aid for the Ravi Kalia Collection Relating to the Planning of Chandigarh, Punjab, India LSC.1364

Finding aid prepared by Dan Luckenbill, December 1984; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2004.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
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Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Ravi Kalia collection relating to the planning of Chandigarh, Punjab, India
Creator: Kalia, Ravi
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1364
Physical Description: 3.0 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Date (inclusive): circa 1967-1983
Abstract: With the partition of India in 1947, Lahore, the ancient capital of the Indian state of Punjab, became part of Pakistan. As other towns served as the temporary capital, a site at the center of the Indian state was chosen to create an entirely new capital city. The first Chandigarh plan was prepared by Albert Mayer, a New York architect who had spent time in India in World War II. From his basic plan, the French architect Le Corbusier continued, assisted by his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, and the English couple E. Maxwell Fry and Jane B. Drew, in turn assisted by various Indian professionals. Meyer's plan incorporated neighborhood sector concepts and green belts. The collection consists of government publications and photocopies of memos, documents, contracts, correspondence, and articles from journals relating to the development of Chandigarh and the theory of urban planning.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

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Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Ravi Kalia Collection Relating to the Planning of Chandigarh, Punjab, India (Collection 1364). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Ravi Kalia, purchase, 1984.

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UCLA Catalog Record ID

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 9919729423606533 

Biography

With the partition of India in 1947, Lahore, the ancient capital of the Indian state of Punjab, became part of Pakistan. As other towns served as the temporary capital, a site at the center of the Indian state was chosen to create an entirely new capital city. The first Chandigarh plan was prepared by Albert Mayer, a New York architect who had spent time in India in World War II. From his basic plan, the French architect Le Corbusier continued, assisted by his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, and the English couple E. Maxwell Fry and Jane B. Drew, in turn assisted by various Indian professionals. Meyer's plan incorporated neighborhood sector concepts and green belts.

Biographical Narrative

With the partition of India in 1947, Lahore, the ancient capital of the state of Punjab, went to Pakistan. After temporary capitals, a site at the center of the state was chosen - for its central location, natural features, and inspiring setting - to create an entirely new city. This offered various planners and architects the opportunity to put into practice their theories of urban planning and prived later theorists with a project for study. The first Chandigarh plan was prepared by Albert Mayer, a New York architect who had spent time in India in World War II. From his basic plan, the French architect Le Corbusier continued, assisted by his cousin, Piere Jeanneret, and the English couple E. Maxwell Fry and Jane B. Drew, in turn assisted by various Indian professionals.

Scope and Content

Collection consists of government publications and photocopies of memos, documents, contracts, correspondence, and articles from journals relating to the development of Chandigarh and the theory of urban planning. Includes blueprints, maps, brochures, audiotape interviews with planners, and publications relating to political problems and conflicts of Chandigarh and the Punjab.

Expanded Scope and Content

These materials were assembled by Ravi Kalia for his dissertation, completed in the UCLA Department of History, 1984. The materials consist of government publications and photocopies of memos, documents, contracts, correspondence, and articles from journals relating to the development of Chandigarh and the theory of urban planning. There is a small amount of correspondence iniitiated by Mr. Kalia, notably a letter from Maxwell Fry, detailing his attitudes toward the work of Le Corbusier. The papers document the reality of this city which Jawaharlal Nehru saw as "symbolic of the freedom of India unfettered by the traditions of the past." Mayer's plan incorporated neighborhood sector concepts and green belts and the architects sought (in Drew's words) to "combine something of the philosophic detachment of the east with the industrialization of the west." later items in the collection give details of the present-day political difficulties.

Organization and Arrangement

Arranged in the following series:
  1. Albert Mayer, E. Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, and Jeet Malhotra (Box 1).
  2. Le Corbusier, Jawaharlal Nehru, M.S. Randhawa (Box 2).
  3. Articles, clippings, blueprints, maps, brochures, and cassette interviews of city planning and Chandigarh (Box 3).
  4. Government publications (Boxes 4-5).
  5. Draft of Chandigarh regional plan and publications relating to Chandigarh and the Punjab (Box 6).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Punjab (India) -- History -- Sources.
City planning -- India -- Chandigarh -- Archives.
Kalia, Ravi--Archives.

box 1, box 1-4

(Copies from the University of Chicago, Joseph Regenstein Library).

box 1, box 5

(Includes letter).

box 1, box 6

Letter, enclosing paper on Chandigarh pollution.

box 2, box 1

(Photocopies from Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris).

box 2, box 2

(Copies from the Prime Minister's Office).

box 2, box 3

(Copies from the Chandigarh Museum).

box 2, box 4

Publications.

box 3, box 1

Articles, clippings, copies of correspondence on city planning and Chandigarh.

box 3, box 2

Newspaper articles and clippings re Chandigarh and the Punjab.

box 3, box 3

Blueprints and maps of Chandigarh.

box 3, box 4

Ranjitgarh new City descriptive brochure.

box 3, box 5

Guide/map of Haryana.

box 3, box 6

Cassettes: interviews with those involved in planning[?].

General Physical Description note: Names illegible.
box 4

Government publications, including the Chandigarh code.

box 5

Government publications, including various acts, and Plan, 1949-1966 1982-1983.

box 6, box 1

Chandigarh regional plan (draft), 1982.

General Physical Description note: Photocopy.
box 6, box 2

Publications relating to Chandigarh and the Punjab.

Scope and Contents note

Primarily India Today Magazine, detailing conflicts affecting Chandigarh.