The President's Garden - 'Mughal Garden'

The Mughal Garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan, filled with the fragrance of colorful flowers, is a wonderful example of a blend of Mughal and British architectural styles. A glance at the architecture, sculpture, fountains, and decoration of this garden creates the illusion that the Mughal Garden must be an excellent masterpiece from the Mughal period. However, a look at its history reveals that about 100 years ago, Lady Hardinge, the wife of the British Raj representative Viceroy Mr. Hardinge, was influenced by the style of gardens built in the Mughal style in Kashmir like Shalimar, Nishat, Roshanara, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, and expressed a desire to create a beautiful garden similar to those in her residence, which is today's Rashtrapati Bhavan. The responsibility for this was given to the English architect Edward Lutyens, who designed the map of Rashtrapati Bhavan and New Delhi. After a detailed inspection of the gardens of Kashmir and the Mughal era, the creation that Lutyens prepared is now spreading its precious beauty in the form of the Mughal Garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

How this garden is influenced by the Mughal style is evident from the fact that it was built at the back of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, in line with the tradition of building gardens behind palaces due to the 'purdah' system of Mughal queens. Due to its style being in line with Mughal traditions, it is known as the Mughal Garden as well as the 'Pardah Garden'. Although the delightful charm of this flower garden remains throughout the twelve months, from January to March, the bloom of flowers is at its peak to such an extent that this garden of the country's highest citizen opens its doors to the common man for a few days in February and March. This is so that everyone can enjoy this colorful world of flora.

But before independence, the pleasure of strolling in this garden could only be enjoyed by the representatives of the British Raj and a few select Englishmen. However, after independence, when the Viceroy's House was named Rashtrapati Bhavan, this garden, spread over 330 acres at its rear, was also handed over to the Presidential Estate. Seeing the beauty and delightful craftsmanship of this garden, the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, decided to open it not just for the entertainment of special people but for the general public to see as well. However, to maintain the security and upkeep of the garden, it was decided to open it only in winter during the spring season because at this time the flowering season is at its peak and the garden appears delightful, filled with colorful butterflies and the fragrance of fruits and flowers.

Due to its connection with Rashtrapati Bhavan, all presidents from the first president to the present have shown a special interest in it. All the presidents have contributed to the beautiful collection of this garden by planting flowers, trees, and fruit trees of their choice. Dr. Rajendra Prasad planted jasmine and night-queen creepers, Dr. Zakir Husain planted varieties of roses and cacti, Shri V.V. Giri and Smt. Pratibha Patil planted bonsai, Sanjiva Reddy planted gladiolus, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed planted carnations, and Dr. Abdul Kalam had a herbal garden planted, not only providing eye-pleasing beauty to this colorful and delightful garden but also giving completeness to the collection of different varieties. Tulips, daffodils, dahlias, poppy doubles, pansies, lilies, roses, and more than 50 types of trees, along with 70 varieties of seasonal colorful fragrant flowers, contribute to the more than 300 flower varieties of this garden, expressing its beauty and placing it among the few best-known gardens in the world.

In addition to flowers, the height and depth of the garden's ground, winding paths, division into length and circular shapes, and geometric subdivisions, along with flowing water and fountains, velvety turf grass, and small flower beds laid along the paths, also testify to being part of the garden's completeness. The praise would be incomplete if, among the 159 varieties of roses, the names of the roses were not mentioned along with the mention of the amazing blue and black roses, because here some rose varieties have been named after nationally and internationally renowned personalities such as Mother Teresa, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth, Christian Dior, Arjun, and Bhim. To give the garden a special dignity, more than 300 permanent and temporary employees, including gardeners, are engaged in its irrigation, pruning, trimming, seeding, and planting throughout the year. But when the flowers bloom in the garden, they have to be especially vigilant and cautious because this garden is a special attraction not only for the banquets held in its grounds on Independence Day, Republic Day, and Army Day but also for the country's guests coming from abroad. When the late Princess Diana came on a tour of India with Prince Charles, she was so mesmerized by the beauty of this garden that she could not help but compare it to Hyde Park in London, one of the most beautiful parks in the world.

Ordinary people like you and me may not be able to enjoy strolling in this garden every day, but once a year when this garden is opened to the public for a month between February and March, one can surely enjoy feeling special by spending a few moments in its beauty.