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The Rashtrapati Bhavan, formerly called Viceroy’s House, in Delhi. By Ronakshah1990 – Own work,

TOP 10 Amazing Facts about Rashtrapati Bhavan

Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the President of India. It is located at the western end of the Raj path in New Delhi, India. It is one of the most iconic monuments in India. It includes Gardens,  Museums, a Ceremonial hall, large open spaces, and residences of bodyguards and staff. 

Its structure and architecture were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. Sir Lutyens conceptualized the H-shaped building. Rashtrapati Bhavan is the largest building in India.

Here are the top 10 amazing facts about Rashtrapati Bhavan that will inspire you to visit the place;

1. It is the second-largest residence in the world

Rashtrapati Bhavan which is also referred to as the presidential house is the second largest residence of the head of state in the world after the Quirinal palace which is located in Rome, Italy, and the largest residence in India. It has more than 300 rooms which include the staff room.

It may be about 320 acres of the presidential estate that include the presidential gardens, large open spaces, residences of the bodyguards and staff, a stable, and other office utilities in the perimeter wall. The palace is said to have been with about 700 million bricks and 3 million cubic feet of stones.

2. It is built on Raisina hills

The sloping approach from the east, hides the lower part of the building, as Lutyens feared. By Anupam sarmah – Own work,

Raisina hills were named after two villages that is Raisin and Malcha.  it is a place of Lutyens’ Delhi, New Delhi, housing  India’s most important government building which also includes the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The area was cleared so that the Rashtrapati Bhavan could be built. 

It is also surrounded by other important building structures which include the parliament of India, Raj path, Vijay Chowk, and India Gate. 

3. Marble Hall serves as the museum

In the Marble Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, there are some rare portraits and statues of the viceroys, British Royalty. It also displays the wax statue of the previous president of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. It was created by Asansol, therefore the Marble Hall serves as the museum of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

4. The stables-Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex

Earlier, the gifts received by the Indian Presidents since the independence were stored in the Toshakhana, which is a storage space in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and were later displayed in the gift galleries. However, the stable and the coach houses were conserved and converted into a state-of-the-art museum. 

Therefore the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex is a symbol of Indian freedom, democracy, and unity, it was officially inaugurated on July 25, 2014, and it is the final place to preserve and display the numerous gift that was received by the president of India over the year. The museum’s collection also includes arms, furniture, sculptures, textiles, photographs, and archival material.

5. Navachara Gallery

Navachara Gallery is a unique way to encourage innovation and technological advancement in India. It was inaugurated by  President Mukherjee on August 4, 2015.

Navachara houses five exhibits, which include the following; ‘Clumsy’, the Robotic Dog, Virtual Tabla, stringless piano, D Printer, planet wall, and Navachara’s Talking wall.

6. It was known as Viceroy’s house

A photo of the then newly constructed Viceroy’s House
By Anonymous Boii – Own work, Wikipedia

Before India became an independent country, Rashtrapati Bhavan was known as the Viceroy’s House when it was built. It derived its name from the British Viceroys that ruled India in the final years of the Raj.

However, it has served as home to Viceroy Lord Irwin and other viceroys of India like Lord Mountbatten, who was the last British Viceroy and the first Governor-General of independent India in 1947. It later became the government house of Rajagopalachari in 1948, during the term of President Dr.Rajendra Prasad, its name was finally changed to Rashtrapati Bhavan which is an official residence of the president of India.

7. The Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan

The Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan which is used for holding ceremonial functions is a rectangular room of about 32x20m. It is considered the most beautiful of all the halls. It consists of amazing paintings like that of  Fate Ali Shah, Persiarsia, the Persian represents a royal hunting expedition and other paintings thamadere mad by an Italian painter Colonel of forest them.

8. The Banquet hall

The Banquet Hall also called the State Dining Room, is used by Presidents to host banquets for their visiting counterpart. It was earlier used by the Prime Minister to host Banquets for other Heads of Government, it was later discontinued after the venue was shifted to Hyderabad House in the 1980s. It is therefore a witness to the word of wisdom, brotherhood, and international cooperation of many leaders of the world.

The Banquet Room is 104 feet long, 34 feet wide, and 35 feet high, it, therefore, overlooks the Mughal Garden. It has a seating up of about 104 people at a time. There is also a musicians’ Gallery that is used for playing live music during the banquets.

The walls of the Banquet Hall are decorated with Burmese teak paneling while the floors are patterned in grey Kota stone and white Makrana Marble.

9. Mughal Garden-Soul of the Presidential Palace

Mughal Garden which has an immense expanse of about 15 acres, has been portrayed as the” soul of the presidential palace”. It draws its inspiration from the Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, the gardens around the Taj Mahal, and miniature paintings of India and Persia.

The garden is usually opened to the public only during the annual festival ‘Udyanotsav’  is a long-standing tradition of Bhavan, which is usually held from February to March. The prime attractions of the Mughal garden are the 159 celebrated variety of Roses.

10. change of the guard ceremony

Indian President’s Bodyguard marching at Rashtrapati Bhavan
By Mohit 00767 – Own work,

The change of Guard ceremony is a military tradition whose origins are lost in antiquity.  From the ancient, guard and sentries at palaces, forts, and defense establishments changed from time to time to ensure that a fresh body of troops take charge.

At the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the  Ceremonial Army Guard battalion is responsible for providing ceremonial guards and sentries for the president of India. The ceremony takes place every Saturday at 10 am. The event is usually relocated to make it more visual and appealing to the public.