Secretariat Building

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The Secretariat Building in New Delhi. The building on the right is the North Block and the building on the left is the South Block.

The North Block

The South Block

Situated on Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India, the Secretariat Building is a set of two buildings on the opposite side of Rajpath that are home to some of the most important ministries of the Government of India.

The Secretariat Building houses the following ministries:

The Secretariat Building consists of two buildings: the North Block and the South Block. Both the buildings flank the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The South Block houses the Prime Minister Office, Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs

The North Block primarily houses the Ministry of Finance and the Home Ministry

[edit] Design

The Secretariat Building was designed by the prominent British architect Herbert Baker. The building adopts from Moghul and Rajputana style of architecture. Examples include the use of Jali - decorated stone screens, Chajja - screens slanting outside from a building to protect from scorching sun and monsoon rains of India. Another feature of the building is a dome-like structure known as the Chatri, a design unique to India, used in ancient times to give relief to travelers by providing shade from the hot Indian sun.

The style of architecture used in Secretariat Building is unique to Raisina Hill.