Rashtrapati Bhavan, located at New Delhi, is the official residence of the President of India. Earlier, it was known as the “Viceroy's House” and was the residence of the Governor General of India.
This building is an eminent monument of the British Empire and is a real masterpiece.
It was designed and conceived by the British architect Edwin Landseer Lutyens.
Back in 1931, the city of New Delhi was officially inaugurated. The idea of constructing this building was first undertaken by the British, when they shifted their capital to Delhi from Calcutta. The Rashtrapati Bhavan at Delhi was constructed with two shades of sandstone. Approximately Rs1.4 million total cost was incurred on the construction of the building.
When India attained independence, the Viceroy's house was renamed as Government House. Later in 1952 when the country became a republic, it was again renamed as Rashtrapati Bhavan. A perfect blend of classical European and Mughal architecture is evident here. There is a Durbar Hall inside the building and the beauty of the hall lies in the colored marbles which have been used for its construction. An exquisitely carved, several years old sculpture of the Ashokan bull is at the entrance of the Durbar Hall. Its significance is further enhanced as it is the venue for organizing all the official functions of the President, inclusive of all the National Award Ceremonies. For the past many years, the hall also served as a museum, till the present venue of the national Museum came into existence.
Rashtrapati Bhavan, has a rectangular Ashoka Hall which was earlier the State Ball room. This room is now used for formal gatherings for occasions like the swearing in ceremony of the ministers, acceptance of credentials from foreign diplomats and other such purposes. You can get splendid views of the Mughal gardens from the room. Several beautiful chandeliers can be seen hanging from the ceiling of the room. Formal conferences are organized in the Council Room while the state dining room is known to accommodate 104 people at a time.
Another prominent feature of Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi is the elegant Mughal Garden. This garden was also designed by Lutyens and it occupies an area of 13 acres. Both Mughal and British style are evident in the gardens. During the blossoming season, the garden is at its prime. Different flowers like marigold, roses, bougainvillea, viscaria, all can be found here, along with different varieties of trees. There is also a polo ground, nine tennis courts, a grove of different trees and a cricket field within the bounds of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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