Top 10 Facts About Rashtrapati Bhawan
The Rashtrapati Bhawan is the Official residence of the president of India located in New Delhi including gardens, museums, ceremonial hall, etc. It is one of the most iconic monuments in India. While the most prominent and distinguishing is the dome superimposed on the building here are some unknown facts about Rashtrapati Bhawan you never knew.
1. The Marble Hall has some majestic displays of rare portraits and statues of the Viceroys and British Royalty. But what stands out from among all these displays is the extremely lifelike wax statue of our current President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, created by an Asansol based artist.
2. Rashtrapati Bhawan or as is known the Presidential palace is the second largest in the world after Quirinal Palace in Rome.
3. The grand Darbar Hall lies directly under the large dome, the iconic feature of Rashtrapati Bhawan that is visible from miles afar. If you follow the line running through the centre of the Darbar Hall, you will reach India Gate, that is located in a straight line from the Durbar Hall.
4. At the back of Durbar Hall is a statue of Gautama Buddha, belonging to the golden age of India's history and art, the Gupta age (4th-5th century AD). The height level at which the statue is placed is level with the height of India Gate.
5. It is built on Raisina Hills which is named on the two villages Raisini and Malcha which were cleared to build this extraordinary palace. It was constructed by the architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens.
6. The Gift Museum, with a host of gifts received by different Presidents, also displays King George V's silver chair weighing 640 kg on which he sat at the Delhi Durbar 1911. The Marble Hall also has a similar chair, but lighter, used by Queen Mary at the Delhi Durbar. The Gift Museum also has a special exhibit - a dried flower that once covered the mortal remains of Gandhiji after his assassination in 1948.
7. The Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan used for holding ceremonial functions like swearing ceremonies of officials, etc was actually a ballroom of the Viceroys, complete with a wooden dance floor with springs underneath. On the ceiling are intricate paintings - a combination of oil-on-canvas and frescoes, the centre of which is a painting showing an equestrian portrait of Fateh Ali Shah, the second of the seven Qajar rulers of Persia, hunting with twenty-two of his sons. The rest of the paintings are by an Italian painter, Colonnello, who inspired by the central Persian painting extended its forest theme with four more hunting scenes with inscriptions in Persian.
8. The Presidential palace has two galleries for children one showing the work by the children and the other showing work for the children (of their interests).
9. The Mughal Gardens are perhaps the most visited part of the estate, spectacular in Spring. Laid out along the lines of the gardens in Kashmir and Agra, the Mughal gardens are known for their large varieties of flowers, especially the beautiful tulips, humongous dahlias, giant roses in so many colours - including green, grand lilies and the rare but stunning Iris. But the most mesmerising sight of them was the Circular Garden, with its terraced bowl flower beds, each blooming with a different variety and burst of colour.
10. There is a ceremonial 'Change of Guard' ceremony, held every Saturday at 10 am. This 30 minute ceremony is open to the public and you only have to produce a photo ID at the place of entry to Rashtrapati Bhavan (from Gate No. 2 near Prime Minister's Office). After the assumption of office by President Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the ceremony has been revamped and relocated to make it more visually appealing and public friendly. An equestrian display by the Presidents' Body Guard (PBG) in their ceremonial regalia has been added and the venue has been shifted to the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, with easier public access.
1. The Marble Hall has some majestic displays of rare portraits and statues of the Viceroys and British Royalty. But what stands out from among all these displays is the extremely lifelike wax statue of our current President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, created by an Asansol based artist.
2. Rashtrapati Bhawan or as is known the Presidential palace is the second largest in the world after Quirinal Palace in Rome.
3. The grand Darbar Hall lies directly under the large dome, the iconic feature of Rashtrapati Bhawan that is visible from miles afar. If you follow the line running through the centre of the Darbar Hall, you will reach India Gate, that is located in a straight line from the Durbar Hall.
4. At the back of Durbar Hall is a statue of Gautama Buddha, belonging to the golden age of India's history and art, the Gupta age (4th-5th century AD). The height level at which the statue is placed is level with the height of India Gate.
5. It is built on Raisina Hills which is named on the two villages Raisini and Malcha which were cleared to build this extraordinary palace. It was constructed by the architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens.
6. The Gift Museum, with a host of gifts received by different Presidents, also displays King George V's silver chair weighing 640 kg on which he sat at the Delhi Durbar 1911. The Marble Hall also has a similar chair, but lighter, used by Queen Mary at the Delhi Durbar. The Gift Museum also has a special exhibit - a dried flower that once covered the mortal remains of Gandhiji after his assassination in 1948.
7. The Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan used for holding ceremonial functions like swearing ceremonies of officials, etc was actually a ballroom of the Viceroys, complete with a wooden dance floor with springs underneath. On the ceiling are intricate paintings - a combination of oil-on-canvas and frescoes, the centre of which is a painting showing an equestrian portrait of Fateh Ali Shah, the second of the seven Qajar rulers of Persia, hunting with twenty-two of his sons. The rest of the paintings are by an Italian painter, Colonnello, who inspired by the central Persian painting extended its forest theme with four more hunting scenes with inscriptions in Persian.
8. The Presidential palace has two galleries for children one showing the work by the children and the other showing work for the children (of their interests).
9. The Mughal Gardens are perhaps the most visited part of the estate, spectacular in Spring. Laid out along the lines of the gardens in Kashmir and Agra, the Mughal gardens are known for their large varieties of flowers, especially the beautiful tulips, humongous dahlias, giant roses in so many colours - including green, grand lilies and the rare but stunning Iris. But the most mesmerising sight of them was the Circular Garden, with its terraced bowl flower beds, each blooming with a different variety and burst of colour.
10. There is a ceremonial 'Change of Guard' ceremony, held every Saturday at 10 am. This 30 minute ceremony is open to the public and you only have to produce a photo ID at the place of entry to Rashtrapati Bhavan (from Gate No. 2 near Prime Minister's Office). After the assumption of office by President Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the ceremony has been revamped and relocated to make it more visually appealing and public friendly. An equestrian display by the Presidents' Body Guard (PBG) in their ceremonial regalia has been added and the venue has been shifted to the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, with easier public access.
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