Swag-at! Delhi’s Pragati Maidan complex is G20 ready | Delhi News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The striking caramel coloured oval hovering over the landscape at ITO is only the first indication of modernity at Bharat Mandapam, the newly inaugurated convention complex at Pragati Maidan. Within are cutting-edge conference facilities, art items recalling India’s antiquity and modernity and enough space to accommodate over 7,000 participants.

It is, therefore, with pride that India will host the G20 Summit and other meetings at the world-class facility in September.

Divided into four levels, the complex is almost complete – just the finishing touches are being given. The first level has several medium to small meeting rooms with the capacity for 50-200 people. On the next level are two large halls and two auditoriums, one capable of holding 900 people, the other 600.

The seating in the main summit hall on the second level is configured around a large round table. Three grand paintings adorn the hall’s exterior wall, collectively representing the theme of “Incredible India”. The central painting depicts a thriving city with a fort while the other two celebrate the arrival of the monsoon winds. These are all painted in the traditional miniature style recalling Pala, Rajput, Deccan and the Mughal schools of art.
On the third level lies a multifunctional hall, with seating for about 4,000 people. Alongside is the plenary hall that can hold 3,000 participants. This level has the biggest halls in entire Bharat Mandapam with a moveable wall between them.

When one enters this hall, one sees seven large golden horses painted on the 52-metre wall to represent Surya Shakti (solar power). The artwork is closely associated with Indian mythology of seven horses and the chariot of the sun, each horse representing a spectrum colour and also a day of the week. According to officials the artwork is also a homage to India’s global initiative of the International Solar Alliance.
From the fourth level, one gets a view of Lutyens’ Delhi and India Gate from almost 80 feet above the ground. The passage to the balcony and the ‘Window to Delhi’ is decorated with a long, interconnected chandelier. A wall of Dholpur stone between the second and the third floors depicts 32 essential yoga asanas from the ancient Gheranda Samhita.

Interspersed among the various floors is a unique artwork called the ‘Tree of Life: Global Growth’. Hexagonal tiles intermix with the roots of the tree to form a map of the world from which the tree emerges. The sculptural art is metaphoric connectivity, efficiency and optimisation of collective knowledge, informed Pradeep Singh Kharola, chairman and managing director, ITPO.
According to Kharola, the new trade fair and conference complex has a helipad, a 5,000-vehicle parking lot and round-the-clock security. A covered amphitheatre at the ground level can fit 3,500 people on its wooden plank seating. The convention centre will be managed by a private management company, while ITC will take care of the catering.
There are 22 lifts and escalators to facilitate movement up and down the complex. Other facilities include 5G-enabled Wi-Fi, an interpretation room that supports 16 different languages and advanced AV systems with video walls.