NEW DELHI, Jan 28: The Mughal Gardens has been renamed 'Amrit Udyan', the Rashtrapati
Bhavan announced on Saturday. The garden is spread across several acres in its
backyard.
“On the occasion of the celebration of 75 years of Independence as Azadi Ka
Amrit Mahotsav, the President of India has given a common name to the Rashtrapati
Bhavan gardens as Amrit Udyan,” the official announcement said.
‘Udyanotsav’, an annual event at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, will mark the opening
of the gardens. President Droupadi Murmu will open the event on Sunday. In the
current season, the gardens will be open for the public from January 31 till
March 26 (except on Mondays which are maintenance days and on March 8 on account
of Holi). From March 28 to 31, the gardens will be open for special categories
of people. It opens every year for over a month this time of the year for the
public.
Visitors can book their slots online
Visitors can book slots for visiting the gardens online. They are allowed in
six hourly slots between 1000 hrs and 1600 hrs.The capacity for the two forenoon
slots (1000 hrs to 1200 hrs) will be 7,500 visitors during weekdays and 10,000
visitors in each slot on weekends. The capacity for the four afternoon slots
(1200 hrs to 1600 hrs) will be 5,000 visitors in each slot during weekdays and
7,500 visitors on weekends.
Booking of slots can be made on https:// rashtrapatisachivalaya.gov.in or https://rb.nic.in/rbvisit/
visit_plan.aspx. Walk-in visitors can also get entry to the Gardens. However,
they will have to register themselves at the facilitation counters as well as
at the Self Service Kiosk near Gate No. 12 of Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is advisable
to book a slot online in advance to avoid rush and save time.
Entry and exit for all visitors will be from Gate No. 35 of the President’s
Estate, close to where North Avenue meets Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Do's & Don'ts
Visitors are requested not to bring any briefcases, cameras, radios/transistors,
boxes, umbrellas, eatables etc inside the Gardens. They can carry mobile phones,
electronic keys, purse/handbags, water bottles and milk bottles for infants.
Provision for drinking water, toilets and first aid/medical facilities will
be made at various places along the public route.
Apart from the Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan, people can also visit Rashtrapati
Bhavan five days a week (from Wednesday to Sunday) and Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum
six days a week (from Tuesday to Sunday) as well as witness the Change-of-Guard
Ceremony on every Saturday except on Gazetted Holidays. More details are available
at http://rashtrapatisachivalaya.gov.in/ rbtour/
5,000 seasonal flowers
The garden was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who was the architect of the
city of Delhi, in 1917. Spread over 15 acres, the garden displays exotic and
rare varieties of flower plants. There are around 5,000 seasonal flowers to
be seen and hundreds of types of roses and thousands of tulips. There are terraces,
canals and flower beds. Mughal and English garden styles are predominant.
The Mughal Gardens draws inspiration from the Mughal Gardens of Jammu & Kashmir,
the gardens around the Taj Mahal and miniature paintings of India and Persia,
according to the Rashtrapati Bhawan website.
There are several gardens within, named like Mughal Garden, Persian gardens,
East Lawn, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden.
Ruling party BJP's leaders hailed the decision saying India was coming out
of “slave mentality”.
However, several others criticised the renaming of the Mughal Gardens. “Who
knows, they might now want to rename the Eden Gardens and call it Modi Gardens!
They should focus on creating jobs, controlling inflation ...," Trinamool Congress
parliamentary party leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien said.
