The Hindu : New Delhi News : Take a walk in the Mughal Gardens

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Saturday, Feb 13, 2010
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Take a walk in the Mughal Gardens

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Thrown open to the public for a month from today

— Photo: S. Subramanium

RIOT OF COLOURS: Pride of place for miniature cactus at the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. The gardens will be open to the public from Saturday.

NEW DELHI: The splendour of pansies and roses notwithstanding, the cacti corner and the bonsai segment at the sprawling Mughal Gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan here occupy pride of place this year.

The gardens, which are being thrown open to the public for a month from this Saturday, will have on view cacti in different sizes and colours apart from exquisitely crafted bonsai plants this year.

In the main Mughal Garden, visitors can see a wide range of flowers such as roses, lilies, tulip and pansies in full bloom. A lush green carpet of grass complements the riot of colours that the flowers together create.

“This year the special attraction will be the cacti corner and the bonsai segment which will add to the beauty of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Visitors while walking in the gardens will be able to experience how the green surroundings and water bodies can add to an eco-friendly environment by attracting fauna,” said a Rashtrapati Bhavan official on Friday.

The Mughal Gardens, contiguous to the main building of Rashtrapati Bhavan, cover an area of 15 acre. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and inspired by the Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, the gardens around the Taj Mahal and Persian and Indian miniature paintings, the Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens have three parts. The first is the rectangular garden adjacent to the main Rashtrapati Bhavan building, which is divided into four quarters, each with terraced gardens on either side.

“The rectangular garden has several winter seasonal bulbous and flowering beds with a prominence of a variety of roses in full bloom. They include Adora, Mrinalini, Taj Mahal, Modern Art, Oklahoma, John F. Kennedy, Virgo, Mr. Lincoln and Folklore. In addition, dahlias, tulips, Asiatic lilies, daffodils, hyacinth and other seasonal flowers suitably incorporated add beauty to the central garden,” the official said.

Following the central park, the long garden also has roses like Christian Dior, Queen Elizabeth, Iceberg, Pasadena, Montezuma, Summer Snow, First Prize and Century Two on display.

The circular garden at the western edge is lined with various flowers including violas and dahlias, phlox, poppy and larkspur. “Winter flowers like calendula, antirrhinum, alyssum, dimorphotheca, larkspur, gerbera, brachycome, verbena, viola and pansy grow well here.”

The bio-diversity park with deer, ducks, turkeys, guinea fowls, turtles, parakeets, rabbits and migratory birds is an added attraction. “This park is also full of peacocks. Important medicinal and aromatic plants depicting their use can be seen in the educational-cum-conservation herbal garden. The bio-diesel producing plant jatropha, stevia which provides safe sugar for diabetics, isabgol (plantago), damask rose, ashwagandha, brahmi, mints, tulsi, geranium and 33 other types of herbs can be seen in the herbal garden,” the official said.

The gardens will be open for public viewing up to March 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all weekdays except Monday, the weekly holiday.

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