VISITORS to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight will soon be able to undertake a journey through the life of Bhai Ram Singh – Queen Victoria’s secret Indian architect.

Students from the University of Southampton are running an exhibition from May 7 showcasing just how exactly this little known Sikh man rose from humble beginnings in a Punjabi village, to become star architect to London High Society as part of their second year degree course project.

Appropriately taking place adjacent to Bhai Ram Singh’s most celebrated work, Queen Victoria’s Durbar Room at Osborne House, the exhibition will map Ram Singh’s journey from the Punjab to the Isle of Wight, with a focus on how colonial interaction shaped the course of Indo-British architecture.

Guests to Osborne will be able to unravel the secrets of the man whose portrait hangs outside the opulent Indian room; a man who became the outstanding architect of his generation and whose work remains iconic of colonial rule in the Pakistani and Indian cities of Lahore and Amritsar, yet about whom still so little is known.

Students will be on hand on May 7 to share his story with visitors and help shed light on this fascinating man.

Michael Hunter, curator at Osborne, said: “We are delighted to have been approached by this group of students and have enjoyed working with them as they research Bhai Ram Singh and develop this exhibition.

"It is a fascinating story and they have some great insights which I’m sure our visitors will be interested to hear.”

He adds: “The Durbar room is such a striking design with its highly elaborate ceiling, it’s a great addition to the story to hear more details about the man behind it.”

Bhai Ram Singh received Royal Commission from Queen Victoria in 1890 to design an Indian room at her summer retreat of Osborne House.

The Queen wished for an Indian-style banquet hall to align with her role as Empress of India and as she could not travel to India herself, sought to bring India to her.

The stunning design of the Durbar Room epitomises the the eclectic architecture of the late 19th century, whilst demonstrating the spectacular craftsmanship of Bhai Ram Singh.

The room was designed in consonance with the Queen’s idea of ‘Indian’ and as such stands as representation of the colonial relationship between Britain and India.

Linus Harrington, a member of the group of students, explained: “As a group we have become enthralled with the story of Bhai Ram Singh and our research has uncovered so much about the incredible journey of this humble Indian architect.

"There is very little written about Ram Singh and over the past few months we have worked feverishly to produce an exhibition that enlightens the public to this masterclass of architecture and gives Bhai Ram Singh the credit he fully deserves.

"We are sure this story will be enjoyed by all as it truly is inspirational and as a group we are thankful to the people of Osborne House, who have given us this opportunity to display the exhibition outside the Durbar Room, giving the story a more than suitable location.”