Many ordinary citizens are drawn by a sense of history and India's remarkable journey from bondage to freedom which culminated in this monumental building.
"Imagine you are standing on India Gate. The elevation of this room is as high as the top of India Gate," says Rosy Gupta, the volunteer guide showing us around Rashtrapati Bhavan, India's grandest house that stands on Raisina Hill in New Delhi.
"This Gantantra Mandap [earlier called Durbar Hall] is not only the centre of this house, but also the centre of Delhi," she continues, taking us around the magnificent building with 340 rooms constructed 96 years ago.
We had arrived on an overcast morning through Gate number 37 leading to that all too familiar impressive red-earth forecourt where the presidential cavalry guard assembles each Republic Day to escort the President to the parade on Kartavya Path.
The ceremony is telecast live, so one has seen that majestic staircase and the handsome horse cavalry on telly, but being there puts you in that spot of history.
It is thrilling.
A path inside the H-shaped building is specially made with interlocking wood blocks to facilitate the movement of horses as they trot to and fro from the stables. Alas, there were no horses in sight then.
That day the Tiranga was absent on the majestic dome, the most recognisable feature of Rashtrapati Bhavan because the President was not in residence.
Visitors were allowed to take photographs at the bottom of the sweeping 32 steps in the forecourt or in front of the Jaipur Column with the Star of India at the top.
A barrier restricts one from getting a closer look at the column gifted by the maharaja of Jaipur. According to information on the Rashtrapati Bhavan Web site, the words inscribed on the base of the pillar are what architect Edwin Lutyens had proposed --
'Endow your thought with faith
Your deed with courage
Your life with sacrifice
So all men may know the greatness of India.'
And it is here that many ordinary citizens are drawn by a sense of history and the greatness of India's remarkable journey from bondage to freedom which culminated in this monumental building.
Built as a crowning glory of the British Empire, it became a symbol of its end when Independent India's first government took oath in its grandest hall.
From then on, Rashtrapati Bhavan has had a pivotal role in the nation's life, and is the grandest of residences ordinary Indian can visit and see.
A middle-aged couple from West Bengal dressed in their best made a cute photograph as they experimented with different angles to get that perfect shot near the Jaipur Column.
The coming together of ordinary Indians at places that unite us as citizens is a warm, comforting feeling. Just outside, traffic had stopped for a group of tiny tots holding each other's hands making their way to the famed Amrit Udyan, bursting with flowers in every colour.
Although Amrit Udyan, formerly known as Mughal Garden, has always been open to visitors every winter, entry inside Rashtrapati Bhavan was only permitted after then President Pranab Mukherjee opened its doors to visitors.
Bookings can be made online. Tickets are priced at Rs 50 both for Indians and foreigners. The tour is an immersive experience that should not be missed. Imagine being in the same room where India's first Cabinet was sworn in and where the highest gallantry awards and the Bharat Ratna are awarded.
[Gantantra Mandap or Durbar Hall is right under the dome where the flag flies. The double dome design is borrowed from the Taj Mahal and has a large round opening at the centre for natural light.]
Photographs were not allowed inside the building which keeps you alert so that the brain can remember what the eyes see.
[It would take up to 3 hours if one walked around all the rooms, corridors, staircases etc, according to the Rashtrapati Web site.]
The most exquisite of all rooms is the ornate Ashok Mandap. Gaze at the ceiling and you won't be able to look away till the neck starts aching. At the centre is a leather painting gifted by the ruler of Persia to King George IV. Lord Irwin, the first viceroy to live here, had the painting shipped from the India Office Library in London and fixed on the ceiling of the hall which was a ballroom.
Later on, an Italian painter along with 12 Indian artists painted hunting scenes on the rest of the ceiling. It took them more than a year.
The hall has wooden flooring with springs underneath to make it suitable for dancing. The Kashmiri carpet is one of the largest in the world and is said to have been made by 500 weavers. It took them two years to knit. It is a beauty!
In keeping with the opulence of the hall, the President conducts ceremonial events like meeting foreign guests and accepting the credentials of ambassadors of foreign countries in this room.
Another fascinating piece one encountered was a silk canopy with gold and silver embroidery. It was believed to be gifted to the viceroy during the Delhi Durbar where the story of this grand house had begun.
The most important announcement at the Durbar at which King George V -- the only monarch to visit British India -- was present was the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi and the construction of the viceroy's residence and capital city.
The bust of Edwin Lutyens, the celebrated architect who designed the presidential palace and much else of the capital's buildings, is placed on top of a grand staircase.
It is the only statue of a foreigner that one sees in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Incidentally, the house that Lutyens lived in -- now located at 10, Rajaji Marg -- was home to A P J Abdul Kalam and Pranab Mukherjee after their tenures as president came to an end.
The Banquet Hall can seat 104 guests. During President Pratibha Patil's term, the arms and weapons displayed on the walls were replaced by oil paintings done by award winning artists.
At State dinners, a rose is placed in front of vegetarians to help the serving staff during meal service.
The best spots for photographs are the forecourt and Amrit Udyan, earlier known as Mughal Garden. It is also the most crowded of all places, but the flowers and rose beds are gorgeous and that's what finally matters.
Unfortunately, the tulips had withered but the winter blooms and gurgling water channels made up for it.
On the way out, we stopped at the museum shop which had some interesting memorabilia.
Make sure to wear walking shoes and carry a cap for the outdoors. One cell phone per family is allowed. Pictures are allowed outside, not inside.
Find time to chat with fellow Indians who could be waiting alongside you or rubbing shoulders with you as you crouch by a rose bush for a selfie.
"Aap kahan se aaye hai", ask that and you will realise that India is here.
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