Finding Aid for the Ravi Kalia Collection Relating to the Planning of Chandigarh, Punjab, India, ca. 1967-1983
Processed by Dan Luckenbill; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé
© 2004
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Finding Aid for the Ravi Kalia Collection Relating to the Planning of Chandigarh, Punjab, India, ca. 1967-1983
Collection number: 1364
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
Los Angeles, CA
- Processed by:
- Dan Luckenbill, December 1984
- Encoded by:
- Caroline Cubé
- Online finding aid edited by:
- Josh Fiala, February 2004
© 2004 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Ravi Kalia Collection Relating to the Planning of Chandigarh, Punjab, India,
Date (inclusive): ca. 1967-1983
Collection number: 1364
Creator:
Kalia, Ravi
Extent:
6 boxes (3 linear ft.)
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
Dept. of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
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 at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including
copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds
the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Ravi Kalia, purchase, 1984.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Ravi Kalia Collection Relating to the Planning of Chandigarh, Punjab, India (Collection 1364). Department
of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
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:
- Albert Mayer, E. Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, and Jeet Malhotra (Box 1).
- Le Corbusier, Jawaharlal Nehru, M.S. Randhawa (Box 2).
- Articles, clippings, blueprints, maps, brochures, and cassette interviews of city planning and Chandigarh (Box 3).
- Government publications (Boxes 4-5).
- Draft of Chandigarh regional plan and publications relating to Chandigarh and the Punjab (Box 6).
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Kalia, Ravi--Archives.
City planning--India--Chandigarh--Archival resources.
Punjab (India)--History--Sources.
Container List
Box 1, Folders 1-4
(Copies from the University of Chicago, Joseph Regenstein Library).
Creator/Collector: Meyer, Albert
Box 1, Folder 5
(Includes letter).
Creator/Collector: Fry, E. Maxwell and Drew, Jane
Box 1, Folder 6
Letter, enclosing paper on Chandigarh pollution.
Creator/Collector: Malhotra, Jeet
Box 2, Folder 1
(Photocopies from Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris).
Creator/Collector: Le Corbusier
Box 2, Folder 2
(Copies from the Prime Minister's Office).
Creator/Collector: Nehru, Jawaharial
Box 2, Folder 3
(Copies from the Chandigarh Museum).
Creator/Collector: Randhawa, M.S.
Box 2, Folder 4
Publications.
Creator/Collector: Randhawa, M.S.
Box 3, Folder 1
Articles, clippings, copies of correspondence on city planning and Chandigarh.
Box 3, Folder 2
Newspaper articles and clippings
re Chandigarh and the Punjab.
Box 3, Folder 3
Blueprints and maps of Chandigarh.
Box 3, Folder 4
Ranjitgarh new City descriptive brochure.
Box 3, Folder 6
Cassettes: interviews with those involved in planning[?].
Physical Description: Names illegible.
Box 4
Government publications, including the Chandigarh code.
Box 5
Government publications, including various acts, 1949-1966 and Plan, 1982-1983.
Box 6, Folder 1
Chandigarh regional plan (draft), 1982.
Physical Description: Photocopy.
Box 6, Folder 2
Publications relating to Chandigarh and the Punjab.
Scope and Content Note
Primarily
India Today Magazine, detailing conflicts affecting Chandigarh.
