These 9 Lesser Known Facts About Rashtrapati Bhavan Will Leave You Amazed!

Have you visited the Indian President's house, Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi?

Photograph: Shutterstock

The Rashtrapati Bhavan is one of the most iconic monuments in India and has been a testimony to several events that changed the face of Indian history, right since the early 1900s. It is the residence of the President of India and is the largest residence in the country. Very many world leaders have walked through the haloed corridors of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Here are nine interesting facts about the Rashtrapati Bhavan that will most definitely blow your mind away!

1. If you walk straight outside the Darbar Hall in Rashtrapati Bhavan (located right under the huge dome), you’ll reach the India Gate.

2. There is a museum in the Rashtrapati Bhavan that houses all the presents received by the presidents of India. It also houses the silver chairs that King George V and Queen Elizabeth sat on, while at the Darbar Hall. The one used by the king weighs 640 kg, and the one used by the queen weighs slightly less than that.

Photograph courtesy: presidentofindia.nic.in

3. The Rashtrapati Bhavan is the third biggest Presidential Palace in the world after Turkey and Austria.

4. It is said to be on the Raisina Hill, named after one of the two villages (Raisini and Malcha) that were cleared in order to build this mansion.

5. When late Dr. APJ Kalam was president, a small hut was built on the premises where he’d spend most of his free time. It was demolished after his tenure ended.

6. The Mughal Gardens behind the Rashtrapati Bhavan has hundreds of different types of flowers and is open to the public in February each year, the festival is called Udyanotsav.

Photograph courtesy: presidentofindia.nic.in

7. The Rashtrapati Bhavan took 17 years to be built, over 700 million bricks were used, around 29,000 people have worked for the President’s Residence and over 300 families were vacated for the construction to commence

8. The Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed by the British architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens who traveled between England and India while the Viceroy’s House in both nations were being built simultaneously. He did this for around two decades.

9. At the end of the Darbar Hall, there is a statue of the Buddha that dates back to the 4th century. The statue is exactly on the same level as the India Gate.