Rashtrapathi Nilayam, the President of India’s retreat at Secunderabad has been thrown open for the public. The retreat will be open for the general public throughout the year.
It is for the first time that the iconic building is being opened for the public. Earlier, people could only visit the gardens, once a year, for a limited period.
Now, the visitors can enter the interiors of the building, including the Rashtrapathi wing and the dining area. They can enjoy the traditional paintings that adorn the underground passage that connects the kitchen with the dining area.
The public could also access the ‘Knowledge gallery’ to know more about the history of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan and the Rashtrapathi Nilayam, the Indian Constitution and also about the duties of the Indian President. Besides, they could click selfies near the buggy and the Presidential Limousine that are parked in front of the knowledge gallery.
The visitors could spend time at the Jai Hind ramp and Flag Post point while enjoying the scintillating sceneries in the yard.
The Jai Hind ramp is connected to the historic step well that had catered to the water requirements of the retreat, in the past. Meanwhile, the Flag Post was erected to commemorate the annexation of the Hyderabad state to the Indian Union in 1948.
The rock garden, herbal garden, butterfly garden and the star garden that are part of the legendary gardens of the Rashtrapathi Nilayam would be open to the public. Moreover, you could get information about the various trees, plants, flowers and fruits at the garden by scanning the QR codes here.
Opening the retreat to the general public, President Droupadi Murmu remarked that the Rashtrapathi Bhavan and the retreats belong to every Indian. She requested the public to visit the retreat and also to know more about the country, its rich history and culture too.
Meanwhile, tourism enthusiasts hope that opening the Presidential retreat to the general public would provide an impetus to the tourism sector of not just Hyderabad but Telangana too.
The famous Salar Jung museum, Golconda Fort, Charminar and other iconic tourist attractions often draw tourists to Hyderabad. The chance to visit the Rashtrapathi Nilayam would increase the flow of tourists into the city.
The heritage building that is situated in Bolarum was taken over from the Nizam of Hyderabad and handed over to the Secretariat of the President, after the independence.
The palatial mansion that was constructed in 1860 sprawls in ninety acres of land. Besides a single storey building, dining hall, cinema hall, durbar hall and a morning room there are eleven bedrooms too in the retreat.
The Indian President would visit the retreat at least once a year, during her southern sojourn. The retreat would be open to the public, except during the time of the Presidential visit.
The visitors could book online slots by logging into visit.rashtrapatobhavan.gov.in. Besides, walk in booking facilities are available at the reception of the Rashtrapathi Nilayam. People can visit the Nilayam, six days a week (except on Mondays and government holidays), from 10 am to 5 pm. Visitors wouldn’t be allowed to enter after 4 pm.
There would be a registration charge of Rs 50 per person for Indian nationals and Rs 250 per head for foreign nationals. Besides guided tours, parking facilities and cloak room, wheel chairs too are available. Moreover, cafes, souvenir shops, drinking water facilities and first aid too would be arranged for the visitors.
