President Droupadi Murmu ceremonially inaugurated the Summer Edition of Amrit Udyan for the year 2024 on Wednesday, as announced by the President’s House. The opening event marks the commencement of the garden’s annual summer display, a cherished occasion for both locals and visitors alike.
The famous Amrit Udyan, located within the Rashtrapati Bhavan compound, will be open to the general public from August 16, 2024, up to September 15, 2024. It would remain open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the last entry would be allowed up to 5:15 p.m. However, the garden will remain closed every Monday for routine maintenance and upkeep.
This year’s edition includes special observance days by dedicating the day of August 29 exclusively to sportspersons because it will be National Sports Day and the day of September 5 to be dedicated to teachers on account of it being Teachers’ Day. These days will highlight and celebrate the contribution that said groups have made to society.
Access to Amrit Udyan has to be made through online registration in advance without any charges. Therefore, one can reserve a time slot from home by registering on the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s website. For those willing to register in person, self-help touch screen kiosks are excellently situated outside Gate No. 35 of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. This means all the visitors will have no trouble visiting the garden.
The main entrance for Amrit Udyan is through Gate No. 35, at a distance very close to North Avenue Road. To provide convenience, a free shuttle bus service is running between Central Secretariat Metro Station and Gate No. 35 to facilitate the comfort of the visitors.
Amrit Udyan, previously referred to as the Mughal Garden, is an enormous garden covering 15 acres within Rashtrapati Bhavan’s premises. Some of the historically significant components within the garden are the East Lawn, Central Lawn, Long Garden, and Circular Garden. Renaming the garden to Amrit Udyan invokes the significance of the continued mission to preserve the rich legacy harbored within these great grounds and at the same time open it to visitors.
Besides this inauguration, President Droupadi Murmu recently received the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the highest civilian accolade of the nation, during her three-nation tour covering Fiji, New Zealand, and Timor-Leste. The recognition came on August 10 for the considerable contribution that President Murmu had made towards international diplomacy and relations. During her visit to Fiji, she was also honored with another award by the state—Fiji’s highest civilian honor, the ‘Companion of the Order of Fiji.’ President Murmu responded that the awards represented the warm and close friendships between the two nations.
