Rashtrapati Bhavan

Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the President of India located on Raisina Hill in New Delhi, originally built as the Viceroy’s House during the British colonial period. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and completed in the late 1920s, it is one of India’s largest governmental residences.

The complex comprises the main presidential mansion with about 340 rooms, extensive offices, and formal reception halls used for state functions. The grounds include the long-established Mughal Gardens, terraces and service buildings that together form a significant civic and architectural ensemble.

Constructed between the 1910s and 1920s as the centrepiece of the new Imperial capital of New Delhi, the building was repurposed as the presidential residence after India became a republic in 1950. The Mughal Gardens are a seasonal public attraction when opened for a few weeks each year.

Rashtrapati Bhavan stands on Raisina Hill near India Gate and the Parliament complex in central New Delhi, forming the ceremonial heart of the capital and easily reachable from major city arteries.

• Building size: The main building contains roughly 340 rooms and was completed in the late 1920s as the Viceroy's House before becoming the presidential residence of independent India.
• Public access: The Mughal Gardens are normally open to the public seasonally, most often during February and March, under the Udyanotsav garden festival programme.

What to See #

• Mughal Gardens: Formal Mughal-style gardens designed within the presidential estate, featuring terraces, water channels and seasonal flower displays that are opened to the public for a few weeks annually.
• State rooms: Ceremonial rooms and state reception areas within the main building, including halls used for official functions and receptions hosted by the head of state.