So many tourists travel to Delhi when they visit North India for holidays. A lot of them do the Delhi sightseeing tour. But do you know that you can visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan – the place where the President of India stays – and see its gardens, the wonderful museum inside, the opulence of the place!!
YES !! Tourists can enter Rashtrapati Bhavan – albeit with some restrictions and following certain rules and regulations.
Rashtrapati Bhavan built by famous architect Lutyens, covers an area of 5 acres on a 330 acre estate. This mansion has a total of 340 rooms spread over four floors, 2.5 kilometres of corridors and 190 acres of garden area. When constructed, it was called the Viceroy’s House. The name changed to Government House on August 15, 1947 when India became independent. Finally, its name was changed to Rashtrapati Bhavan during the term of President Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
Rashtrapati Bhavan has since independence hosted defence investiture ceremonies, swearing in of its leaders, honoured its bravehearts and achievers, has heard the speeches of world leaders, signed pacts and treaties with various countries, celebrated India’s Independence and Republic Day functions along with other festivals.
Many parts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan have been opened for public viewing now. You can visit the Main portions of the Bhavan or view the unique interactive Museum that has been built, or visit the world famous well manicured Gardens called as Amrit Udyan.
Visit the famous Darbar Hall where all big functions of national importance are held, the huge banquet halls where visiting dignitaries are hosted by the President, the large corridors, admire the architecture and the smart use of stones of various colours to create a beautiful façade.
Entry fees are Rs. 50 payable online , children below 8 years are free
Being a high security area, visitors are not allowed to carry Mobile phones, cameras, smart watches and other gadgets alongwith any backpacks, handbags or heavy luggage. Cloak Room facilities are available to store such items.
Rashtrapati Bhavan Main Building is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Last entry is at 4:00 PM. Timing of these visiting slots are : 0930-1030h, 1030-1130h, 1130-1230h, 1230-1330h, 1330-1430h, 1430-1530h, and 1530-1630h. Entry will not be allowed after 04:00 pm.
There is an online booking system to book tickets and passes for all of the above – accessible on https://visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in
RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN MUSEUM
A world class Museum in high-tech story-telling format, with contextual stories woven around original collections, the uniqueness of this Museum lies in its concept of an event-based history museum in contrast with traditional object-based museums in the country. Here the story of Rashtrapati Bhavan is told through virtual and augmented reality, interactive digital cascading table, video wall, three-dimension stereoscopic projection, holographic projection and sound-light-video synchronized stage settings. In another way, the Museum is unique in the country in its sensitivity to heritage issues. The 11,000 square meter of space has been designed and built completely underground with the heritage structures designed by the architect Lutyens in fact on top.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum is open for visitors from Tuesday to Sunday (except on Gazetted Holidays) . For bookings tourists must buy tickets (Rs. 50 per person) on https://visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in or on https://rbmuseum.gov.in/
AMRIT UDYAN
Summer Annuals of Amrit Udyan at Rashtrapati Bhavan is opening for public from 16th August, 2024 to 15th September, 2024. This edition of Amrit Udyan will be a landscaping marvel where visitors can witness Coleus, Celosia, Tuberose and many other rare seasonal flowers in full glory. The key attraction will be the beautiful new setups in Amrit Udyan and many other surprises in store for the visitors.
Further, visitors can spend time in multiple attractions, a specially curated garden for children called Bal Vatika with a story of a 225-year-old Sheesham tree, a treehouse, Nature’s classroom etc. Then there are the Bonsai, Circular Gardens with a diverse variety of flora and fauna. There is also a vibrant food court where visitors can have refreshments and witness ongoing exhibitions.
Visitors can visit the gardens from 1000 hrs to 1800 hrs (last entry 1715 hrs). Online Bookings Online Booking https://visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in Online Booking slots shall open 10 days in advance of the date of visit.
Change of Guard
If you are in Delhi on a Saturday (if it is not a Gazetted Holiday), then do take time out to visit the Change of Guards Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It commences at 8 am and ends at 9 am. Most importantly There is no ticket to witness this ceremony but online booking and registration is compulsory.
The Change of Guard ceremony is a military tradition whose origins are lost in antiquity. From time immemorial, guards and sentries at palaces, forts and defense establishments change periodically to enable a fresh body of troops to take charge. At Rashtrapati Bhavan the Ceremonial Army Guard battalion is responsible for providing ceremonial guards and sentries for the President of India.
The ceremony has been revamped and relocated to make it more visually appealing and public friendly. An equestrian display by the Presidents’ Bodyguard in their ceremonial regalia has been added. The thirty minute ceremony commences with the PBG troops, astride their caparisoned, powerful and well groomed steeds advancing from behind the Jaipur Column to the tunes played by the Army Brass Band. Thereafter the Parade Commander marches in, on whose ‘word of command’ the guard of 8th Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (Siachen), marches in. After inspection, the new guard takes position along the old guard and both the guards exchange the national salute. Thereafter the new guard takes over the duties of guards and sentries. The ceremony ends with an equestrian display by the PBG and playing of the National Anthem.
Online booking https://visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in .
