Nehru to 'Gandhi': The history of the iconic Ashok Hotel in New Delhi

A brainchild of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, The Ashoka, as it was then called, was among the most iconic hotels in the country

The central government has decided to license The Ashok Hotel for 60 years through the operate-maintain-develop (OMD) model. The government will also monetise its 6.3-acre spare land in New Delhi for commercial purposes.

Luxury apartments will also be built on the land through a public-private partnership (PPP), Business Standard reported on Thursday. The makeover is expected to cost Rs 450 crore.

The hotel, standing tall in the heart of the national capital, has its own story.

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History of The Ashok Hotel

Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1955, attended a UNESCO forum in Paris as the Prime Minister of India. Eager to make the country's mark, Nehru invited the organisation to conduct the following forum in India.

However, India did not have any such high-class hotels in New Delhi with five-star quality stays, security, and food.

Nehru then decided to build a five-star hotel and a convention centre for the event. The Ashoka later renamed The Ashok Hotel, thus came into being.

During those days, according to a report by The Better India, the former rulers of the princely states also contributed to the project.

"Panditji said the princes should contribute money to make a good hotel in Delhi. We have nothing to count. He said I will give you land but will you all put in your money? And so we did," Karan Singh, Kashmir's former governor and son of the last ruler, had said.

Out of the total cost of Rs 3 crore, former rulers gave Rs 10-20 lakhs, and the government gave the rest. It became India's first state-owned five-star hotel.

BE Doctor, an architect based in Mumbai, was tasked with designing and executing the construction of the 25-acre hotel. Nehru rode on horseback and kept a close eye on the smallest details.

The hotel had arches styled like Mughal monuments, Kashmir Suites, Rajput Suites, a Natraj Suite and a presidential suite. It had Delhi's largest pillar-less convention hall and 550 rooms.

A mango tree planted by Nehru can still be found on the premises. It is used to make jams and pickles in the hotel.

At the UNESCO Summit, several dignitaries visited India. Later in the 1980s, the hotel was used to shoot the movie, Gandhi. Through the years, the hotel has played host to people like Queen Elizabeth II, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Che Guevera, and Fidel Castro.

Several private hotels have now sprung up in New Delhi, but the history of The Ashok Hotel remains fascinating and iconic.