In 2013 a new pavilion was construction on a plot adjacent according to the development project Cité 2025. It was completely financed by the Indian government. Designed by Intégral Lipsky+Rollet architectes, this new residence has 66 individual rooms and 6 double rooms. Compact, innovative and ecological, is spans 7 floors in prefabricated wood. In 2014 it was awarded the Trophée Bois Île-de-France for its innovative wooden architecture. A meeting room, dedicated to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a scientist and former president of India, is adorned with portraits of renowned Indian researchers. On every floor there is a communal kitchen that is decorated with Warli paintings.
Thirty years since its independence from the British empire, the donation act for the construction of a maison de l’Inde was signed in January 1960 by the Indian government thanks to the push from Nedyam Raghavan, the Indian ambassador in Paris, and in the presence of the professor Humayun Kabir, the then minister of scientific research and Indian cultural affairs. One of the three trees from the region of Kashmir, planted for the occasion, now stands like a majestic guard for the building. The house was inaugurated in June 1968.
The house holds the status of a foundation and is recognised as a public utility of which the board of directors is chaired by the Indian ambassador in France.
Two Indian architects, J.M. Benjamin et H.R Laroya, aided by the Frenchman Gaston Leclaire, designed the Maison de l’Inde.
This building is distinguishable by its red brick panels, which alternate with small balconies covered in green mosaic. The gables are covered in mauve mosaic. The house has 104 rooms spread out over six floors, 1 studio and an apartment for senior researchers. The rooms are located in the main section of the building as well as the hall, the conference room and the spectacle room, with a 200-person capacity with seats arranged with a projected section. This room is dedicated to Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India and one of the first women in the world to be democratically elected as a Head of Government.
Since its creation, the house has played an important role in the diffusion of Indian culture in Paris. Over time, it has acquired works of art depicting traditional Indian culture such as a bust of Gandhi, a wheel or Shakra and a bas-relief sculpted to evoke those in the Buddhist caves of Ratnagiri. Every year it promises a rich programme, punctuated with traditional celebrations such as the Autumn Festival (Durga Puja) that spans four days, the Festival of Lights (Deepavali), international students’ (Saraswati Puja), international children’s day etc.
Chandrika Kumaratunga is a woman from the State of Sri-Lanka. She was the Prime Minister then president of the republic of Sri Lanka from 1994 until 2005.