National News
Mughal Gardens to open for public tomorrow: Timings and special attraction this year
The garden is open to the public from February 6 to March 9 between 9:30 am and 4.00 pm. It will remain closed on Mondays for maintenance and on March 2, on account of Holi.
Rashtrapati Bhavan’s iconic Mughal Gardens will open to the public from Tuesday. The garden, said to be the ” soul” of the Presidential Palace, will be open to the visitors from February 6 to March 9. President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the Mughal Gardens, as part of the ‘Udyanotsav’, on February 4.
What is Mughal Gardens?
Inspired by the Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1917. Spread over an area of 15 acres, the garden is a mix of Indian and Western architecture. The garden boasts of growing 159 celebrated varieties of roses and 50 varieties of trees, shrubs and vines. Tulips, Asiatic lilies, daffodils, hyacinth and other seasonal flowers are the other attractions for the visitors. The beautiful lawn also includes Circular, Spiritual, Herbal, Bonsai, Tactile and Musical gardens.
A large Number of Flowers valued for their splendid colours are an important attraction of Mughal Garden. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)
When to visit the garden?
The garden is open to the public from February 6 to March 9 between 9:30 am and 4.00 pm. It will also be open on March 9 exclusively for special category people including farmers, differently-abled persons, defence/paramilitary forces and Delhi Police personnel. The garden will remain closed on Mondays for maintenance and on March 2, on account of Holi.
The Tactile Garden will be open exclusively for visually challenged people on March 9, 2018, from 11.00 am to 4.00 pm. The garden comprises plants having a specific texture and fragrance that can be easily identified through touch and feel by the visually challenged visitors.
The guests, however, cannot carry water bottles, briefcases, handbags to Mughal Gardens and will have to deposit them at the entry point.
President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the Mughal Gardens, as part of the ‘Udyanotsav’, on February 4. (Ravi Batra)
What is special about the garden this year?
About 10,000 programmed Tulip bulbs in eight varieties of different colours – red, white, and yellow mixed with red, pink and purple – were imported from the Netherlands and have been planted in the Mughal Gardens. Flower Carpets in magnificent designs will be on display in the Central Lawn, revealing the skill and craft of the gardeners of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The dominant colour scheme of this year’s ornamental flowers is various shades of yellow, red, orange and white, a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan read.
The water fountains in the Musical garden perfectly synchronise to the tunes of the Shehnai and Vandemataram of a pre-recorded digital device during Udyanotsav.
Mughal Gardens will be open for visitors from February 6, 2018, to March 9, 2018 (Source: Rashtrapati Bhavan)
How to reach Mughal Garden?
Entry and exit for the general public will be from Gate No. 35 of the President’s Estate, close to where North Avenue meets Rashtrapati Bhavan.
For Tactile Garden, the entry and exit will be from Gate No. 12, situated on Church Road (next to the North Avenue).
