Bikaner House & its transformation into Delhi's most elegant cultural space

From modest princely palace to dusty bureaucratic outpost, Bikaner House in Delhi has had several, less-than-impressive avatars

These days, barely a week passes when my wife, or I, or both, do not find ourselves descending on the porch at Bikaner House, located on the India Gate hexagon in New Delhi. Over the last year, it has emerged as the city’s most exciting hub for art and culture with a power-packed calendar of events that constantly surprise — perhaps because they seem particularly well suited to the venue. Did we have such exhibitions earlier? Beautifully conceived soirées, well-curated art openings, book readings and music performances in the terraced back gardens? If we’re not at the Ekaya collaboration of