I am reminded that governor's palaces are out now. Jefferson knew this when he designed the University of Virginia, modeling it on Marly outside of Paris, which used to have flanking buildings on both sides of a long axis, the way Brasilia has and then in the center Marly had the King's house. In the new American democracy, instead, it is the library. There must be a function that can bring civic excitement back to that great Chandigarh space so that it becomes part of the urban fabric and its great imagery can burn its way into future generations' consciousness. I think it is an asset that is both economic as well as visual.
Cultural tourism is now big business around the world.
I know that India earns foreign exchange just because of the Taj Mahal. Chandigarh is equally important in terms of the history of world architecture and it needs proper promotion. Yesterday I had one of the greatest aesthetic experiences of my life - going into the assembly building. I used to think that Ronchamp was perhaps the greatest building of the 20th century. As a result of yesterday, I may have changed my mind.