Rashtrapati Bhawan or President House Delhi

Rashtrapati Bhawan or President House Delhi

Nov 02 2022 Attractions Delhi President House

About Rashtrapati Bhawan

Rashtrapati Bhawan was formerly known as ‘Viceroy’s House’ and was occupied by the Governor-General of India, until independence. Also known as President’s House, the building holds a prominent position in New Delhi. President House i.e Rashtrapati Bhavan (a sanskrit word) is the official residence of the President of India, located in New Delhi. Designed by the British architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, this classical building uses colors and details peculiar to Indian architecture. It was completed by 1929 and was officially inaugurated in 1931.

It was in 1950 that President started living in this ceremonial building and the ‘Viceroy’s House’ was renamed as ‘Rashtrapati Bhavan.’ It has 340 decorated rooms and a floor area of 200,000 square feet.

The Rashtrapati Bhawan comprises of the following:

The Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi is the official residence of the President of India. The building was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens as the residence of the British Viceroy. Lord Irwin was the first occupant of the building.Once the viceregal palace of the British era, the Rashtrapati Bhawan is a must visit on a tour of Delhi. Located in central Delhi, situated at the crest of the Raisina Hill, the Rashtrapati Bhawan was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens.

Rashtrapati Bhawan, spread over an area of about 330 acres, is a marvellous structure and a tourist’s delight comprising 340 rooms. The official residence of the First Citizen of India– the President, it was completed in 1929 at a cost of 12,53,000 pound sterling and inaugurated in 1931.Rashtrapati Bhawan has 340 rooms. Famous Durbar Hall is used for conferring Padma Awards and various other ceremonies. Another room is Ashoka Hall which was originally built to be a ballroom and looks like a jewelery box with its adornments and size (32 by 20m).

It has wooden floor, leather ceiling with a Persian style painting, central dance space and three vestibules.To the west the palace overlooks an enormous Mughal garden designed by Lutyens. Here the principles of hierarchy, order, symmetry and unity are extended from the house into the landscape. A series of ornamental fountains, walls, gazebos and screens combine with scores of trees, flowers and shrubs to create a paradise so delightful that Indians called the garden ‘God’s own Heaven’.

The Irwins supervised the planting of the garden which grew in tropical profusion softening the formal pattern of lawns and waterways. Popularly known as the Mughal Garden, it is open to public every spring but be prepared for the tight security check.”In India that replaced the Raj, Lutyens’ Palace has managed to keep some of its glory. …As the home of a modern democratic President, it is certainly on the large side, but the Indians have been wise enough to maintain a Presidential establishment worthy of the setting. Scarlet-clad guards still sit on their chargers beneath the stone sentry boxes, khitmagars in white, red and gold line the corridors.”

The beautiful works that make the architecture of the Parliament House so special include the layout of fountains both inside and outside the building, statues, murals and marble ‘jali’ (mesh) that adorn its windows. It houses Lok Sabha (House of the People), Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the erstwhile Library Hall (formerly the Princes Chamber). Along with this, there are well-planned garden courts, accommodation for Ministers and Chairmen, Parliamentary Committees, Party Offices, important offices of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha here. Secretariats and the offices of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs are also located here.

The present day Rashtrapati Bhavan was the erstwhile residence of the British Viceroy. Its architect was Edwin Landseer Lutyens. The decision to build a residence in New Delhi for the British Viceroy was taken after it was decided in the Delhi Durbar of 1911 that the capital of India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in the same year. It was constructed to affirm the permanence of British rule in India. This building gave the impression, in the words of a critique, the setting of a perpetual Durbar.

The building and its surroundings were supposed to be ‘an empire in stone’, ‘exercising imperial sway’ and containing in it, “the abode of a disinterested elite whose rule was imposed from above”.Apart from all such excellent architectural patterns, the Rashtrapati Bhawan is known for its colourful gardens. Filled with a variety of flowers, these gardens are open to public view between mid-February to mid-March. The place is a photographer’s paradise during the months of late January to March.

The first Lt. Governor General of India found the master bedroom too luxurious so he shifted to the smaller Ashoka room. Every president till date has followed his example.Rashtrapati Bhavan is grand in every sense, whether it is the ceiling with its amazing design or the beautifully carved furniture. The extensive lawns of the Rashtrapati Bhavan include the Mughal gardens, which are opened to the public in February-March every year. The gardens are famous for their prize-winning roses, herb garden, spiritual garden and collection of plants from all over India and the world.

Special or Annual Event

Republic Day Parade/ Visitors can also see the change of guard ceremony on every Saturday between 10.35 am to 11.00 am in winter and 8.30 am to 9.15 am in summer.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

India Gate, Parliament House, National Museum, Jantar Mantar, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Hanuman Mandir are the nearest tourist attractions from the Rashtrapati Bhawan or President House Delhi.

Nearby Restaurant To Eat

Hotel Le Meridien, Imperial Hotel, Hotel Inter-Continental, Parikrama Revolving restaurant, Gaylord, El Rodeo, Bercos, Zen restaurant, Delhi Darbar, Nizam’s Kathi Kebabs and Standard Restaurant. For snacks and fast foods: Bengali Market (sweets and chat), Kake da hotel (Indian food), Wenger, Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, Nirula’s, Ruby Tuesday, Sona Rupa, Starbeans, Barista, Café Coffee Day and innumerable roadside foodstalls and many others are the nearby eating place to Rashtrapati Bhawan or President House Delhi.

Nearby Shopping Venues and malls

Connaught Place offers everything from jewelry, books, art, leather goods and a wide choice of Indian and international clothes stores. Central Cottage Industries Emporium has Indian handicrafts and curios. Baba Kharak Singh Marg houses the emporia of all the states of India, dedicated to each state’s unique art and craft created by traditional and skilled artisans. Janpath offers clothes, low priced gifts and souvenirs and Palika Bazaar offers a wide range of electronic items.

General Fact about President House

• Location:Built on Raisina Hill, less than a mile from Connaught Place at the western end of Rajpath.
• Time to Visit: Entry into President House requires official permission.
• Preferred Timings:Anytime, any day but is out of bound for the visitors.
• Day Closed:open all days
• Admission Fee: Free but prior permission required
• Photography Charges:none (prior permission required)
• Nearest Railway Station:New Delhi Railway Station
• Nearest Metro Station:Central Secretariat
• Nearest International Airport:Indira Gandhi International Airport
• Time required for sightseeing:2 hours
• Famous As :Official Residence of the President of India
• Designed By :Sir Edwin Lutyens
• Special Attraction: Change of Guard Ceremony on every Saturday
• Best Season: February-March
• Highlight: Mughal Gardens