How many bricks do you think went into building this colossal structure? We are standing before Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is the official residence of the President of India. This Presidential Palace stands as a symbol of national strength.
Rashtrapati Bhavan was formerly known as Viceroy’s House. It also was called Government House. The building served as the residence of the British viceroy to India. That was during the British Raj.
The decision to build this residence followed George V’s decree in 1911. He declared that the capital of British India would move from Calcutta to Delhi. Delhi was closer to the summer capital of Shimla.
Construction of Rashtrapati Bhavan began under Lord Hardinge. He wanted it completed within four years. World War I caused delays. The rocky hill was leveled. A special railway line moved construction materials. Subsoil water was pumped. About 300 families were removed from nearby villages. Around 4000 acres were cleared for construction.
Lord Irwin became the first occupant on April 6, 1929. Seven hundred million bricks went into making the building. More than 30000 laborers worked on the project. Contributions from India’s princely states and taxes paid by Indian people funded the construction.
Rashtrapati Bhavan is at one end of Kingsway. Kingsway was designed to be a ceremonial axis for the new city. The road ends at India Gate. Kingsway was renamed Rajpath after India’s independence. In 2022, it became Kartavya Path.
Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the main palace. Herbert Baker designed the Secretariat buildings. They are called North Block and South Block. These buildings frame Rashtrapati Bhavan when seen from Rajpath. Lutyens wanted a steady gradient leading to the palace. Baker wanted to keep the ground level. Baker won. Lutyens called the design his “Bakerloo”. The palace’s front is hidden until one crests the hill.
C. Rajagopalachari was the first Indian-born resident in 1948. He took over from Lord Mountbatten. Rajendra Prasad was the first president of India to live here. He was sworn in on January 26, 1950.
Lutyens incorporated Indian architectural elements. These included chhatris and carved elephant images. He invented the “Delhi order”. This fused Greco-Roman and Indian architecture. The building is made of sandstone. The dome is modeled on the Buddhist Sanchi Stupa. Beneath the dome lies the Ganatantra Mandap. It includes a statue of the Buddha dating to the Gupta era.
Rashtrapati Bhavan has 340 rooms. It includes the presidential office, guest rooms, and staff rooms. There is a banquet hall that can seat more than a hundred guests. You will also find a museum of gifts presented to India’s presidents. A staff of about 750 people runs the premises.
Lutyens and William Robert Mustoe designed the gardens. They used Mughal and English landscape styles. The gardens were known as the Mughal Gardens. They were renamed Amrit Udyan in 2023. They cover some 15 acres.
Rashtrapati Bhavan is one of the largest presidential residences in the world. It stands as a testament to history, architecture, and Indian democracy. Take a moment to appreciate the grandeur of this magnificent building. Think about the decisions made and the history witnessed within its walls.