Unlike every week, instead of food cafeterias, restaurants and youth hangout places, this time we go to a different genre of places of Delhi, that are the living testimonies of India’s rich cultural heritage and glowing history; the places that’ve seen and survived the dramatic transition of Indraprastha to New Delhi.
One of such places is the Rashtrapati Bhavan of India. Located in the heart of modern day Delhi, the 340 acres palace is open for public viewing for the ongoing month.
The online booking to see the splendid Bhavan interiors can be done in available slots on payment of nominal fee on the website. Once the application is accepted, the desired visitors have to report at the Bhavan reception where groups are made, headed by guides who provide detailed information about all wings of the House.
The reception opens into the ‘Hall of Fame’ that carries the photos of all former presidents of India and a digital screen that showcases the activities so far in the two year reign of current president Sh. Pranab Mukherjee. Next is the Marble House that carries statues and paintings of famous English lords and viceroys. After this, the group is directed to the lavish Banquet halls where the dinner for foreign dignitaries is hosted.
Also in the sequence, are beautiful halls where the swear- in ceremony of Rajendra Prasad and Jawahar Lal Nehru took place. There is a special room full of gifts received by presidents in office from all over the world that displays lunar stones, the tricolor hoisted at Mt. Everest by Tenzing Norgay, silver embroidery blazer, flowers from Mahatama Gandhi’s last rites, gold sword and several other things.
There is a special room, centre of which divides the House into two symmetrical halves, standing in which is equivalent to standing atop India Gate (vertically, in height).
All this and much more, an amazing place to visit to taste the history, and explore a little about the past of India. It’s a beautiful, well preserved architectural specimen . Another excitement is the Mughal Gardens, known for the water streams running in all four directions and wide variety of beautiful rare blossoms like the Black pearl rose.
Go to view the scenic beauty and you never know when you end up seeing Mr.President waving at you from his balcony!
Ticket – 25 rupees per person
Nearest metro station – Central Secreteriat, Yellow line.
Instructions – Authorities don’t allow any eatables, water bottles, electronics, cameras, phones or remote car keys inside premises.
For further information contact –
www.presidentofindia.nic.in/
Image Credits: www.presidentofindia.nic.in
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