On Thursday, April 20, President Droupadi Murmu graced the opening of Rashtrapati Niwas, Mashobra, in Himachal Pradesh for public viewing.
Rashtrapati Niwas will be open for visitors from April 23, 2023 between 10 am and 5 pm, except Mondays and other government holidays.
During the tour, visitors can glimpse the 173 year-old heritage building from inside. They can also walk through its lawns, orchards and nature trails. For visitors' convenience there will be toilets, wheelchair access, a cafe, a souvenir shop, water dispensers and a first aid set up.
One can book a slot for a guided tour of Rashtrapati Niwas here (external link)
Earlier in the day, the President visited the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla.
Built by the British as a home for the viceroys, the building was called Viceregal Lodge before Independence. It was where the historic decision to Parition India was taken in June 1947.
It was renamed Rashtrapati Niwas after the British left India, where, like the British viceroys, the President of India could spend some part away from Delhi's sweltering summer in cooler Shimla.
During his term as India's second President, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan -- philosopher and statesman -- enabled the then Rashtrapati Niwas to be transformed as the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, to promote high-quality academic work in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
Rashtrapati Niwas was moved to Mashobra.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
