Glowing like a golden ziggurat against the deep blue Delhi night, the Maurya Sheraton rises in terraced splendor from the Diplomatic Enclave — its curved, stepped silhouette a striking piece of late-modernist architecture that became, from its 1977 opening, the address of choice for heads of state, foreign dignitaries, and the occasional rock band passing through the Indian capital. The WelcomGroup branding anchors the lower left of the illuminated sign out front, a reminder that this was an era of ambitious Indian hospitality partnerships with international chains. The warm floodlighting picks out every balcony and terrace of the buff stone facade, and a lone sculptural figure — likely a reproduction of a classical Indian form — catches the light near the entrance portico, adding a note of cultural grounding to what is otherwise a thoroughly international luxury establishment. The hotel's Bukhara restaurant, just barely hinted at in the glow of the lobby level, would go on to be named one of the fifty best restaurants in the world.