Akbar Bhawan
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox hotel
| hotel_name = Akbar Bhawan
| logo =
| logo_width = 125px
| image = Akbar Hotel New Delhi (cropped) Ummu 06 00680 full 3669 2416 0 default.jpg
| caption = Akbar Bhawan when it was the Akbar Hotel
| location = New Delhi, India
| address = Satya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110 021
| chain = India Tourism Development Corporation until 1986
| coordinates = {{Coord|28|35|07|N|77|11|25|E|display=inline,title}}
| opening_date = 27 January 1972
| developer =
| architect = Shiv Nath Prasad
| operator = South Asian University, Ministry of External Affairs
| owner = New Delhi Municipal Council
| number_of_rooms = 318
| number_of_suites =
| number_of_restaurants=
| floor_area =
| floors = 13
| height =
| parking =
| website =
}}
Akbar Bhawan, formerly the Akbar Hotel, is a building in the Chanakyapuri locality of New Delhi, India which houses the South Asian University and offices of the Government of India's Ministry of External Affairs. Designed by Shiv Nath Prasad in collaboration with Mahendra Raj, it is one of Delhi's best known examples of brutalist architecture and bears semblance to the Unité d'habitation in Marseille, France. Inaugurated in 1972, it was a hotel of the India Tourism Development Corporation before its conversion into an office complex in 1986. The Akbar Hotel was noted for its use of innovative decor that blended contemporary designs with traditional Indian art and handicrafts.
Location
The building is located on Satya Marg in the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.{{cite book |last1=Ridge |first1=Betsy |last2=Madsen |first2=Peter Eric |title=A Traveler's Guide to India: A Complete, Up-to-date Guide for Student and Tourist |date=1973 |publisher=Scribner |isbn=978-0-684-13336-2 |page=97 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8omAQAAMAAJ&q=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010501/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/A_Traveler_s_Guide_to_India/z8omAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=How to reach |url=http://www.sau.int/~icmmc/howtoreach.php |website=www.sau.int |publisher=South Asian University |access-date=30 July 2022 |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080910/http://www.sau.int/~icmmc/howtoreach.php |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Chankaya's lost glory |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/chankayas-lost-glory/article7449697.ece |access-date=30 July 2022 |work=The Hindu |date=21 July 2015 |language=en-IN |archive-date=22 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722221211/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/chankayas-lost-glory/article7449697.ece |url-status=live }}
Design
Akbar Bhawan was designed by architect Shiv Nath Prasad and built by Mahendra Raj.{{cite news |last1=Reyar |first1=Akrita |title=The man who believed in taming the forces of nature to create iconic structures of modern India |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/the-man-who-believed-in-taming-the-forces-of-nature-to-create-iconic-structures-of-modern-india/526007 |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=www.timesnownews.com |date=12 December 2019 |language=en |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507164816/https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/the-man-who-believed-in-taming-the-forces-of-nature-to-create-iconic-structures-of-modern-india/526007 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Balasubramaniam |first1=Chitra |title=A structural engineer who redefined design |url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/a-structural-engineer-who-redefined-design/article30036488.ece |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=The Hindu |date=21 November 2019 |language=en-IN |archive-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531150108/https://www.thehindu.com/society/a-structural-engineer-who-redefined-design/article30036488.ece |url-status=live }} It mirrors the architectural style of Le Corbusier and is one of India's best known examples of brutalist architecture.{{cite journal |last1=Basera |first1=Jaya |title=Architecture in India |journal=Yojana |date=1 January 2022 |volume=66 |page=62 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AG1YEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA62 |access-date=1 August 2022 |publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010502/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Yojana_January_2022_English_Special_Edit/AG1YEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA62&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Jarzombek |first1=Mark M. |last2=Prakash |first2=Vikramaditya |title=A Global History of Architecture |date=4 October 2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-470-90248-6 |page=780 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HL2I_t_ZyQoC&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA780 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010502/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/A_Global_History_of_Architecture/HL2I_t_ZyQoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA780&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Shiv Kapoor |first1=Varun |title=Delhi's Brutalism: Here are 11 historical structures we'll regret losing. Because, memories |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/delhi-architecture-landmarks-history-brutalism-nehru-place-ficci-976734-2017-05-12 |access-date=30 July 2022 |work=India Today |issue=May 2017 |language=en |archive-date=2022-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080958/https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/delhi-architecture-landmarks-history-brutalism-nehru-place-ficci-976734-2017-05-12 |url-status=live }} Built with prestressed concrete, the building has few decorative motifs keeping in line with the brutalist aesthetic. It has a raw concrete finish, uses brise soleils and features an exposed staircase at its far end. The use of a transfer girder in the transitional floors of the building allowed for the creation of a column free lobby, a feature that came to be adopted widely in hotel design. The use of pure geometric forms in the building has been attributed to the influence of rationalist architecture whereas the exposed nature of the building material is thought to have been due to financial austerity rather than the brutalist aesthetics.{{cite web |title=Structural narrative of Indian Modernity as an oeuvre of Mahendra Raj |url=https://thinkmatter.in/2020/12/15/structural-narrative-of-indian-modernity-as-an-oeuvre-of-mahendra-raj/ |website=MATTER |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |date=15 December 2020 |archive-date=16 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116080427/https://thinkmatter.in/2020/12/15/structural-narrative-of-indian-modernity-as-an-oeuvre-of-mahendra-raj/ |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Tiwari |first1=Piyush |last2=Rao |first2=Jyoti |title=Delhi's Changing Built Environment |date=22 December 2017 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-44136-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pitEDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PT310 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010502/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Delhi_s_Changing_Built_Environment/pitEDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PT310&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Mascarenhas-Mateus |first1=João |last2=Pires |first2=Ana Paula |title=History of Construction Cultures Volume 1: Proceedings of the 7th International Congress on Construction History (7ICCH 2021), July 12-16, 2021, Lisbon, Portugal |date=1 August 2021 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-000-46875-5 |page=307 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AkhQEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA307 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010503/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/History_of_Construction_Cultures_Volume/AkhQEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA307&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=An Ode To Shivnath Prasad: The Le Corbusier Of India |url=https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/cmzgp/an-ode-to-shivnath-prasad-the-le-corbusier-of-india.html |website=World Architecture Community |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010504/https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/cmzgp/an-ode-to-shivnath-prasad-the-le-corbusier-of-india.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Mahendra Raj, and his oeuvre of structural expressionism in Indian architecture |url=https://www.stirworld.com/inspire-people-mahendra-raj-and-his-oeuvre-of-structural-expressionism-in-indian-architecture |website=www.stirworld.com |publisher=STIR World |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=English}}
Comprising 13 storeys, a service floor separates the common rooms from the accommodation and amenities such as its restaurant, a garden and a theatre were on the roof and the building's floor plan closely resembles the Unité d'habitation in Marseille.{{cite book |last1=Rehman |first1=Habib |title=Borders to Boardroom: A Memoir |date=15 November 2014 |publisher=Roli Books Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5194-053-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M3tsBQAAQBAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22&pg=PT93 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010504/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Borders_to_Boardroom_A_Memoir/M3tsBQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22&pg=PT93&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} The interior design for the building was done by Laila Tyabji and Dale Keller.{{cite book |last1=Lang |first1=Jon T. |title=A Concise History of Modern Architecture in India |date=2002 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-7824-017-6 |page=78 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gxyGbhlKQXQC&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA78 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010537/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/A_Concise_History_of_Modern_Architecture/gxyGbhlKQXQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA78&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}
The Akbar's interior design and decor were noted for their blend of western and Indian elements.{{cite news |title=Link |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sm1DAAAAYAAJ&q=ITDC+has+set+the+pattern+of+indigenous+decor+in+the+spectacular+Akbar+Hotel+with+bangles+,+earthenware+pots |access-date=30 July 2022 |publisher=United India Periodicals |date=1980 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010504/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Link/sm1DAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=ITDC+has+set+the+pattern+of+indigenous+decor+in+the+spectacular+Akbar+Hotel+with+bangles+,+earthenware+pots&dq=ITDC+has+set+the+pattern+of+indigenous+decor+in+the+spectacular+Akbar+Hotel+with+bangles+,+earthenware+pots&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=The Illustrated Weekly of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hteLoL0REp4C&q=bamboowork+were+utilised+to+%C3%A7reate+a+decor+that+was+contemporary |access-date=30 July 2022 |publisher=Published for the proprietors, Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press |date=1976 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010504/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Illustrated_Weekly_of_India/hteLoL0REp4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=bamboowork+were+utilised+to+%C3%A7reate+a+decor+that+was+contemporary&dq=bamboowork+were+utilised+to+%C3%A7reate+a+decor+that+was+contemporary&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} The hotel's logo was taken from the design in a lattice screen at Sikandra, Agra.{{cite book |last1=Mukhopadhyay |first1=Durgadas |title=Folk Arts and Social Communication |date=20 June 2017 |publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |isbn=978-81-230-2488-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ju8oDwAAQBAJ&dq=akbar+hotel+taken+over+by+itdc&pg=PT38 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010505/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Folk_Arts_and_Social_Communication/Ju8oDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=akbar+hotel+taken+over+by+itdc&pg=PT38&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} The windows in the lobby were decorated with wooden beads from Channapatna, Karnataka and its walls featured swords and scimitars from Rajasthan. The interior decoration also featured kalamkari prints in its conference room, Birbal, and used Rajput, Mughal and Kangra miniature paintings and Tibetan thangkas in the suites.{{cite book |last1=Mukhopadhyay |first1=Durgadas |title=Folk Arts and Social Communication |date=20 June 2017 |publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |isbn=978-81-230-2488-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ju8oDwAAQBAJ&dq=akbar+hotel+taken+over+by+itdc&pg=PT38 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010505/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Folk_Arts_and_Social_Communication/Ju8oDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=akbar+hotel+taken+over+by+itdc&pg=PT38&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} The trends set in interior decor at the Akbar became widespread in India's hotel and hospitality industry in later years.{{cite book |last1=Seth |first1=Rabindra |title=Tourism In India: An Overview (2 Vols.) |date=2005 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7835-328-9 |page=220 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Nbcv_yGpl8C&dq=hotel+akbar+itdc&pg=PA190 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en}} Its coffee shop, Madhuban, was noted for the Mithila murals decorating its walls which was a pioneering attempt to commercialize and give the artform a modern identity.{{cite book |last1=Mrazek |first1=Jan |last2=Pitelka |first2=Morgan |title=What's the Use of Art?: Asian Visual and Material Culture in Context |date=3 December 2007 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=978-0-8248-6558-0 |page=86 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=844BEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA86 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010628/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/What_s_the_Use_of_Art/844BEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA86&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Wadley |first1=Susan S. |title=South Asia in the World: An Introduction: An Introduction |date=18 December 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-45959-0 |page=248 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xDzfBQAAQBAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA248 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010628/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/South_Asia_in_the_World_An_Introduction/xDzfBQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA248&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Chaitanya |first1=Krishna |title=A History of Indian Painting |date=1976 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-310-6 |page=98 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=McSbSMhArFgC&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA98 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010638/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/A_History_of_Indian_Painting/McSbSMhArFgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA98&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}
The structure has however been criticized as being squalid and visually unappealing whereas the use of concrete and glass causes high indoor temperatures during power outages.{{cite book |last1=Sengupta |first1=Ranjana |title=Delhi Metropolitan |date=1 January 2008 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-93-86057-80-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=52BCDQAAQBAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PT54 |access-date=30 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010648/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Delhi_Metropolitan/52BCDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PT54&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=REVIEW: The Making Of A City |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/421917/review-the-making-of-a-city |access-date=30 July 2022 |work=DAWN.COM |date=4 October 2008 |language=en |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080907/https://www.dawn.com/news/421917/review-the-making-of-a-city |url-status=live }}
History
The Akbar Hotel was built as part of the Fourth Five Year Plan.{{cite book |title=Socialist India |date=1973 |publisher=Indian National Congress. All India Congress Committee. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8xoJo-GQUIC&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=RA17-PA22 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010648/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Socialist_India/z8xoJo-GQUIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=RA17-PA22&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} The building is owned by the New Delhi Municipal Council. Construction of the building began in 1966 and was completed by 1969–70.{{cite web |title=Council's Meeting No. 14/2012-13 dated 10.04.2013 AT 3-30 P.M. |url=https://www.ndmc.gov.in/council/Resolutions%202007/year%20wise/2013/10_04_2013.pdf |publisher=NDMC |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010654/https://www.ndmc.gov.in/council/Resolutions%202007/year%20wise/2013/10_04_2013.pdf |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=New Delhi Municipal Committee vs Tirath Ram Ahuja (P.) Ltd. And Anr. on 19 December, 1979 |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/420682/ |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010659/https://indiankanoon.org/doc/420682/ |url-status=live }} It was inaugurated by Dr. Karan Singh, the then Union Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation on 27 January 1972.{{cite book |last1=Tigunait |first1=Rajmani |title=At the Eleventh Hour: The Biography of Swami Rama |date=2001 |publisher=Himalayan Institute Press |isbn=978-0-89389-212-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7zjavfN2XukC&dq=akbar+hotel+five+star&pg=PP16 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010653/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/At_the_Eleventh_Hour/7zjavfN2XukC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=akbar+hotel+five+star&pg=PP16&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Shekhar |first1=Rajendra |title=Memories are Made of This |date=10 May 2018 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-64324-025-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DWNaDwAAQBAJ&dq=akbar+hotel+five+star&pg=PT250 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=hi |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010731/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Memories_are_Made_of_This/DWNaDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=akbar+hotel+five+star&pg=PT250&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Sabha |first1=India Parliament Lok |title=Lok Sabha Debates |date=1986 |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat. |page=159 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7lJPAQAAMAAJ&q=akbar+hotel+five+star |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010731/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Lok_Sabha_Debates/7lJPAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=akbar+hotel+five+star&dq=akbar+hotel+five+star&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Lok Sabha |first1=India Parliament |title=Lok Sabha Debates |date=1975 |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat. |page=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r1lPAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=RA4-PA195 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010734/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Lok_Sabha_Debates/r1lPAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=RA4-PA195&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |title=Malaysia Trade & Industry |publisher=Malaysian Enterprises |page=76 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KfEcAAAAIAAJ&q=%22akbar+hotel%22+inaugurated+karan+singh |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010731/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Malaysia_Trade_Industry/KfEcAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22akbar+hotel%22+inaugurated+karan+singh&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+inaugurated+karan+singh&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} Leased and operated by the India Tourism Development Corporation, the hotel remained profitable throughout the 1970s.{{cite web |title=India Tourism Development Corporation Limited vs Miss Susan Leigh Beer |url=https://www.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/pdf_upload-378929.pdf |website=LiveLaw |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010750/https://www.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/pdf_upload-378929.pdf |url-status=live }}{{cite book |title=Data India |date=1977 |publisher=Press Institute of India |page=236 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SXtDAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA236 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Undertakings |first1=India Parliament Committee on Public |title=India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd., Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation |date=1983 |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat |page=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u7VPVWDKvWoC&q=akbar+hotel+taken+over+by+itdc |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010752/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/India_Tourism_Development_Corporation_Lt/u7VPVWDKvWoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=akbar+hotel+taken+over+by+itdc&dq=akbar+hotel+taken+over+by+itdc&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Dhawan |first1=Vijay |title=Food and Beverage Service |publisher=Frank Brothers |isbn=978-81-7170-455-2 |page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lnzglTerRC8C&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA13 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010749/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Food_and_Beverage_Service/lnzglTerRC8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&pg=PA13&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} However, by the early 1980s it began to incur losses and ITDC suffered low occupancy in its hotels following the construction boom in the run up to the 1982 Asian Games. In the changed business environment and the government's decision to exit the business of running luxury hotels, the ITDC decided to hand over the building to the Ministry of External Affairs to house its offices.{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Ramindar |title=MEA to house its new offices in ITDC's prestigious Akbar Hotel |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/economy/story/19850930-mea-to-house-its-new-offices-in-itdc-prestigious-akbar-hotel-801986-2014-01-10 |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=India Today |date=30 September 1985 |language=en |archive-date=2021-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508192023/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/economy/story/19850930-mea-to-house-its-new-offices-in-itdc-prestigious-akbar-hotel-801986-2014-01-10 |url-status=live }}
Akbar Bhawan
The hotel was shut down in April 1986, and the building was turned into a government office building and renamed Akbar Bhawan.{{cite book |last1=Undertakings |first1=India Parliament Committee on Public |title=India Tourism Development Corporation Limited: (Ministry of Commerce and Tourism-- Department of Tourism) : Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations Contained in the 61st Report of the Committee on Public Undertakings, Eighth (Lok Sabha) : Third Report |date=1990 |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat |page=46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DzmyXHA56PgC&q=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010750/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/India_Tourism_Development_Corporation_Li/DzmyXHA56PgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&dq=%22akbar+hotel%22+delhi&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} The Foreign Service Institute under the Ministry of External Affairs used to function from the building.{{cite book |last1=Gupta |first1=Om |title=Diplomacy: Initiatives and Responses |date=2005 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7835-326-5 |page=124 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cZkuDXXo_1YC&dq=akbar+bhavan&pg=PA179 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809010749/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Diplomacy/cZkuDXXo_1YC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=akbar+bhavan&pg=PA179&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Rajesh Swami: one of the gentlest Indian diplomats |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-commentary/rajesh-swami-one-of-the-gentlest-indian-diplomats/ |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=Economic Times Blog |date=18 March 2020 |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080956/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-commentary/rajesh-swami-one-of-the-gentlest-indian-diplomats/ |url-status=live }} The Government of India planned to redevelop the building into a five-star hotel with private partnership in the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, but it was never implemented.{{cite news |last1=Jha |first1=Mayur Shekhar |title=Govt to redevelop Akbar Bhawan |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/govt-to-redevelop-akbar-bhawan/articleshow/2529866.cms?from=mdr |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=The Economic Times |date=9 November 2007 |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080956/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/govt-to-redevelop-akbar-bhawan/articleshow/2529866.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=ITDC targets topline of Rs900 cr by 2010 |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/7m98zfDXMhVkiYsofjtJzK/ITDC-targets-topline-of-Rs900-cr-by-2010.html |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=mint |date=11 May 2008 |language=en |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080909/https://www.livemint.com/Politics/7m98zfDXMhVkiYsofjtJzK/ITDC-targets-topline-of-Rs900-cr-by-2010.html |url-status=live }} The South Asian University has been housed in the building since 2010 pending relocation to its permanent campus at Maidan Garhi, Delhi.{{cite web |title=HOME - SAU - South Asian University |url=http://www.sau.int/ |website=www.sau.int |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=2 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802194417/http://www.sau.int/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=India will bear cost of setting up South Asian University campus: V K Singh |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/india-will-bear-cost-of-setting-up-south-asian-university-campus-v-k-singh-2848074/ |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=The Indian Express |date=12 June 2016 |language=en |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080956/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/india-will-bear-cost-of-setting-up-south-asian-university-campus-v-k-singh-2848074/ |url-status=live }} The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs was located in the building before its merger with the Ministry of External Affairs.{{cite news |last1=Mitra |first1=Devirupa |title=At South Asian University, India Finds it Takes Hard Work to Exercise Soft Power |url=https://thewire.in/diplomacy/south-asian-university-held-first-convocation-ceremony-but-problems-persist |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=The Wire |date=13 June 2016 |archive-date=24 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424181311/https://thewire.in/diplomacy/south-asian-university-held-first-convocation-ceremony-but-problems-persist |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Bhattacherjee |first1=Kallol |title=Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry, MEA merged |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Overseas-Indian-Affairs-Ministry-MEA-merged/article13986483.ece |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=The Hindu |date=7 January 2016 |language=en-IN |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080908/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Overseas-Indian-Affairs-Ministry-MEA-merged/article13986483.ece |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Ministry of overseas Indians merged into external affairs |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/8Sg5vdAThxigtYba4o7FbK/Ministry-of-overseas-Indians-merged-into-external-affairs.html |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=mint |date=7 January 2016 |language=en |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080956/https://www.livemint.com/Politics/8Sg5vdAThxigtYba4o7FbK/Ministry-of-overseas-Indians-merged-into-external-affairs.html |url-status=live }} Following the death of the former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, demands were made to rename the Akbar Bhawan after her.{{cite news |title=Twitterati demand 'Akbar Bhawan' be renamed as 'Swaraj Bhawan' |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/aug/08/twitterati-demand-akbar-bhawan-be-renamed-as-swaraj-bhawan-2015621.html |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=The New Indian Express |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801080956/https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/aug/08/twitterati-demand-akbar-bhawan-be-renamed-as-swaraj-bhawan-2015621.html |url-status=live }}