PHOTOS: Inside the Amrit Udyan of the Rashtrapati Bhavan
FollowPresident Droupadi Murmu inaugurates Udyan Utsav 2023; rechristened Amrit Udyan to open for public on Tuesday
Image: President Droupadi Murmu at the Amrit Udyan. Photograph: Rashtrapati Bhavan
President of India Droupadi Murmu on Sunday inaugurated Udyan Utsav-2023, which will see the Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens being opened for public from January 31. The Mughal Gardens of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, now rechristened as Amrit Udyan, will remain open for visitors from January 31 to March 26 between 10 am and 4 pm.
Also Read: From the India Gate: Bengal camaraderie, truncated Rajasthani wedding invite list and more
Image: President Droupadi Murmu at the Amrit Udyan. Photograph: Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Amrit Udyan will be open for special categories from March 28 to 31. The gardens will be open for farmers on March 28, for differently-abled persons on March 29, for defence, paramilitary forces and police personnel on March 30 and for women, including tribal women's self-help groups, on March 31.
Image: President Droupadi Murmu at the Amrit Udyan. Photograph: Rashtrapati Bhavan
The garden at Rashtrapati Bhavan originally included Central Lawn, Long Garden, East Lawn and Circular Garden. More gardens were developed during the tenure of former presidents Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and Ram Nath Kovind. These included Herbal-I, Herbal-II, Tactile Garden, Bonsai Garden and Arogya Vanam.
Image: President Droupadi Murmu and her daughter Itishri at the Amrit Udyan. Photograph: PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan
This year, visitors will be able to see specially-cultivated tulips of 12 unique varieties which are expected to bloom in phases. The gardens -- Central Lawn, Long Garden, Herbal Garden, Bonsai Garden andCircular Garden -- will be open to the public for about two months.
Image: President Droupadi Murmu at the Amrit Udyan. Photograph: PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan
Rose remains a key feature of the famed gardens even today. The gardens boasts of growing 159 celebrated varieties of roses which blossom primarily in the month of February and March. The varieties of roses in the gardens include Adora, Mrinalini, Eiffel Tower, Modern Art, Black Lady, Paradise, Blue Moon, Scentimental, Taj Mahal, Oklahoma (also called black rose), Belami and Lady X.
Image: President Droupadi Murmu and her daughter Itishri look at pink roses in full bloom. Photograph: PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan
Besides roses, beautify the gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan are tulips, hyacinth, Asiatic lilies, daffodils, and other seasonal flowers. There are over 70 varieties of seasonal flowers, including winter flowering plants and exotic bulbous.
Image: Amrit Udyan. Photograph: Rashtrapati Bhavan
People can book their slots well in advance online. Booking can be made at https://rashtrapatisachivalaya.gov.in or https://rb.nic.in/rbvisit/visit_plan.aspx. Entry and exit for all visitors will be from gate number 35 of the President's Estate, close to where North Avenue meets Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Image: Amrit Udyan. Photograph: Rashtrapati Bhavan
Walk-in visitors can also get entry into the gardens. However, they will have to register themselves at the self-service kiosk near gate no 12 of Rashtrapati Bhavan and at the facilitation counters. According to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it is advisable to book a slot online in advance to avoid the rush and save time.
Also Read: iPhone tips: Want to customise your home screen? Here's how you can do it with iOS 16
