Ceremonial hall to receive foreign dignitaries in R Bhavan

A huge ceremonial hall that can host formal ceremonies for visiting heads of state and government during rainy seasons is to come up in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Work on this structure, where even swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister with a larger gathering, will start soon, President Pranab Mukherjee said today.
In an informal interaction with journalists on the occasion marking two years of his Presidency, he said the ceremonial hall was being planned to avoid situations when visiting dignitaries get drenched during formal welcome ceremonies.
Referring to his two-year stay in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said his attempt was to de-mystify the historic structure by making it an open house to the extent possible.

In a new initiative, the President said a first-ever residency programme for a period of upto one month to innovators, writers and artists selected through a national level screening process was started.
He had also hosted an array of dignitaries from abroad in the Rashtrapati Bhavan resuming an old practise.
Referring to his foreign visits, the President said he had made only 5 visits abroad including one to attend the funeral of late Nelson Mandela.
He said he had told the External Affairs Ministry that he has travelled abroad enough as minister of the government and they should think of suggesting a foreign visit for him only on very rare occasions.