Rastrapati Bhawan (amazing facts)

Facts About Rashtrapati Bhavan 1. The Marble Hall has some majestic displays of rare portraits and statues of the Viceroys and British Royalty. But what stands out from among all these displays is the extremely lifelike wax statue of our current President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, created by an Asansol based artist. 2. The grand Darbar Hall lies directly under the large dome, the iconic feature of Rashtrapati Bhawan that is visible from miles afar. If you follow the line running through the centre of the Darbar Hall, you will reach India Gate, that is located in a straight line from the Durbar Hall. 3. At the back of Durbar Hall is a statue of Gautama Buddha, belonging to the golden age of India's history and art, the Gupta age (4th-5th century AD). The height level at which the statue is placed is level with the height of India Gate. 4. The Gift Museum, with a host of gifts received by different Presidents, also displays King George V's silver chair weighing 640 kg on which he sat at the Delhi Durbar 1911. The Marble Hall also has a similar chair, but lighter, used by Queen Mary at the Delhi Durbar. The Gift Museum also has a special exhibit - a dried flower that once covered the mortal remains of Gandhiji after his assassination in 1948. 5. The Mughal Gardens are perhaps the most visited part of the estate, spectacular in Spring. Laid out along the lines of the gardens in Kashmir and Agra, the Mughal gardens are known for their large varieties of flowers, especially the beautiful tulips, humongous dahlias, giant roses in so many colours - including green, grand lilies and the rare but stunning Iris. But the most mesmerising sight of them was the Circular Garden, with its terraced bowl flower beds, each blooming with a different variety and burst of colour. 6. The impressive Banquet Hall can seat upto 104 guests at one time and has played host to some of the most important dignitaries from the world over. What is most interesting about this place is not just the secret galleries for the musicians, but the system of lights situated over the portraits of former Presidents, that serve as a signal to the butlers about when to serve, when to stop and when to clear the hall. 7. And how was all that food prepared? The Kitchen Museum has a fascinating collection of implements like a large coffee maker, copper ladles, primitive slicers and large utensils. Given pride of place under a tiered chandelier is the Star of India crockery, with crystal stemware and shining silver cutlery. The exhibits roughly cover the period from 1911, when King George V and Queen Mary announced at their Coronation Durbar that the capital would move from Calcutta to Delhi till India's independence. 8. It is the largest residence in India. 9. The Mughal Gardens, behind the Rashtrapati Bhavan are open to the general public each year in February. 10. In the Rashtrapati Bhavan, a ceremonial ‘Change of Guard’ happenes every Saturday at 10 am. It is a 30 minute ceremony, open for all. To attend the ceremony, you just need to produce your photo ID to get entry. 11. Surprisingly, more than 29,000 people worked in the construction of the site. 12. The Presidential Palace or Rashtrapati Bhavan has two galleries for children. One is ‘By the Children’ to showcase the work of children and another is ‘For the Children’, to display variety of items that would interest children. 13. According to news reports, the Government of India spent more than Rs. 100 crore for the maintance of the presidential palace i.e. Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2007. 14. Rashtrapati Bhavan has a strength of 750 staff. source:internet