Mukherjee declares Mughal Gardens open for public viewing

President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the month-long annual 'Rashtrapati Bhavan Udyanotsav' at the famed Mughal Gardens in New Delhi, and thrown it open for public viewing.

Mukherjee took a stroll in the lawns on Saturday, enjoying the visual treat of floral designs.

The gardens will be thrown open for the public from February 16 to March 17, except on Mondays, which are maintenance days.

Visitors would be able to take home souvenirs and gifts from the gardens. Richly endowed with rare varieties of flowers like Roses, Lillies, Tulips and Double Pansies, arrangements at the historic gardens inside Rashtrapati Bhavan were reviewed by Mukherjee on Saturday.

The gardens this year have a white and yellow theme with dahlias being given the pride of place. Different types of floral carpets will be added to the gardens once they are open to the public.

Visitors will be shown round the estate that has been demarcated on the basis of its design and variety.

The horticulture department of the President's Estate has pulled out all stops to create a riot of colours across illustrious gardens with 250 varieties of bonsai plants added to the Bonsai Garden. The Herbal Garden boasts of 33 varieties of medicinal and aromatic plants.

A vertical garden (a new concept of developing a green/floral wall) and a cactus corner are the special features at the green estate during the month-long period.

The Gardens cover an area of 15 acres and consist of three parts. The first part is the Rectangular Garden, divided into four quarters, each with terraced gardens on either side.

Central Lawn is the venue of numerous receptions and 'At Homes' hosted by the President and provides a view of the garden. It is covered by Doob grass which was brought from the Belvedere Estate in Kolkata and still retains its sheen.

The Rectangular Garden also has several winter seasonal bulbous and flowering beds, with a variety of Roses such as Mrinalini, Taj Mahal, Modern Art, Oklahoma, John F Kennedy, Lincoln and Folklore.

Also, dahlias in different colours and 2500 in numbers are not left behind in seeking attention of the viewers. A floral wall of Dahlias more than eight feet in height can be seen encircling the circular garden. Different types of floral carpets, the designs of which are revised almost weekly can be seen during the entire period. China Oranges are seen in great proliferation for the first time in many years.

The visual appeal of the Mughal Gardens has been remarkably enhanced this year by the combination of yellow and white colours, which dominates the colour scheme of the flowers.

The Mughal Garden, contiguous to the main building of presidential residence spreads over 330 acres house, covers an area of 15 acres. Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the beautiful gardens.