After Independence, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) had the task to remove all symbols of the British Empire from Rashtrapati Bhavan. The main gate had 44 bronze crowns of various sizes which were valued at Rs 8,000. Also around the main gate were 16 additional crowns on the heads of English lions, valued at Rs 1,000. From the various nooks and corners of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, around 50 more crowns were removed.
India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During the Transfer of Power by Mountbatten, Pamela at AbeBooks.co.uk - ISBN 10: 1862057591 - ISBN 13: 9781862057593 - Pavilion Books - 2007 - Hardcover