Amrit Udyan open for public viewing from January 31 to March 26

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday inaugurated Udyan Utsav 2023, opening the Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens, including the recently rechristened Amrit Udyan, to the public from Tuesday

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday inaugurated Udyan Utsav 2023, opening the Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens, including the recently rechristened Amrit Udyan, to the public from Tuesday.

President Droupadi Murmu at Amrit Udyan in New Delhi on Sunday. (HT Photo)

Amrit Udyan will stay open for visitors from January 31, 2023, to March 26, 2023, between 10am and 4pm, the Rashtapati Bhavan said in a statement. Besides, from March 28 to 31, special groups of people will be able to view the gardens. “(The gardens will be open to) Farmers on March 28, for differently abled persons on March 29, for defence, paramilitary forces and police personnel on March 30 and for women, including tribal women’s self-help groups, on March 31,” the statement said.

President Murmu on Saturday renamed the six gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan, including the famed Mughal Gardens, to Amrit Udyan, in line with national celebrations for the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.

Spread over 15 acres, the sprawling Mughal Gardens, now part of the Amrit Udyan, are one of the key attractions for visitors to Rashtrapati Bhavan. They were named after Mughal Gardens in Srinagar.

“Rashtrapati Bhavan is home to a rich variety of gardens. Originally, they included East Lawn, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden. During the term of former Presidents Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Ram Nath Kovind, more gardens were developed--Herbal-I, Herbal-II, Tactile Garden, Bonsai Garden and Arogya Vanam. On the occasion of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the President of India is pleased to give a common name to the Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens as ‘Amrit Udyan’,” said a communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.

Earlier, the government renamed three other landmarks in the national capital — Raj Path became Kartavya Path, Race Course Road was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg, and Aurangzeb Road at the India Gate hexagon was named after late President and Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam.