G V Joshi
The annual public opening of the Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan took place on 14 February, 2015.
Tulips have been selected to be the main attraction for visitors to the garden in 2015. Nearly 10,000 tulips in a vivid colour mix of red, orange, yellow, pink, purple and white are planned to bloom in phases up to 10th March. Visitors can find them growing in earthen pots throughout the gardens as well as in several beds in the Rectangular and Circular Gardens.
Rose, a flower found in the Mughal gardens throughout the year, will also play a key role. More than 120 varieties of roses will be in bloom.
The garden has more than 250 celebrated varieties of roses, which makes it one of the best Rose Gardens in the world. It has roses like Bonne Nuit, Oklahoma which are nearest to being black. In blues it has Paradise, Blue Moon land Lady X. There is a rare green rose too.
The Roses have some very interesting names. Few Indians who have found place here are Mother Teresa, Arjun, Bhim, Raja Ram Mohun Roy,Jawahar and Dr.B.P.Pal The international celebrities here are John F. Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Lincoln, and the like. The list is very long and the spectacle delightful. The addition of floral carpets a few years back will continue to be a big draw. A newly developed Lotus pond can be found in the Spiritual Garden.
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made objects.
Gardens may exhibit water features such as fountains, ponds (with or without fish), waterfalls and the like. Most gardens are for ornamental purposes only. Flower gardens combine plants of different heights, colours, textures, and fragrances to create interest and delight the senses.
The Mughal garden at Rashtrapati Bhavan is situated at the back of the main building. It incorporates both Mughal and English landscaping styles and feature a great variety of flowers.
The Mughal Gardens cover an area of 6 hectares They were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (architect for the then Viceregal Lodge now Rashtrapati Bhavan) inspired by the beautiful gardens of Kashmir, the garden around the Taj Mahal, Persian and Indian miniature paintings. Two channels running North to South and two running East to West divide this garden into a grid of squares. There are six lotus shaped fountains at the crossings of these channels.
The channels are so tranquil in their movement that they seem frozen. Reflections of the imposing building of Rashtrapati Bhavan and the flowers can be seen in the channels at appropriate times of day.
There are two longitudinal strips of garden, at a higher level on each side of the Main Garden, forming the Northern and Southern boundaries. The plants grown are the same as in the Main Garden.
At the centre of both of the strips is a fountain, which falls inwards, forming well. On the Western tips are located two gazebos and on the Eastern tip two ornately designed sentry posts.
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden or spacious public area.
Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides. They provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest. Some gazebos in public parks are large enough to serve as bandstands or rain shelters.
The Long Garden or the ‘Purdah’ Garden, so called because of its shape enclosed by about 4 metres high walls, lies to the west of the main garden. It has 16 square attractive rose beds hemmed in low hedges.
There is a red sandstone pergola in the centre over the central pavement which is covered with Rose creepers, Bougainvillea and Grape Vines. The walls are covered with creepers like Jasmine. A pergola is a garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area.
Around the circular garden there are rooms for the office of the horticulturist, a green house, stores, nursery etc. Here is housed the collection of Bonsais, (miniature trees) one of the best in the country.
Mughal gardens are a group of gardens built in India by the Mughals in the Persian style of architecture. This style was heavily influenced by the Persian gardens particularly the Charbagh structure. Significant use of rectangular layouts is made within the walled enclosures. Some of the typical features include pools, fountains and canals inside the gardens.
The founder of the Mughal Empire, Babur, described his favourite type of garden as a charbagh. Charbagh means dividing the garden in four rectangles or squares.
The first serious historical study of Mughal Gardens was carried out by one Mrs. Constance Villiers-Stuart, with the tide “Gardens of the Great Mughals” (1913). Her husband was a Colonel in Britain’s Indian army.
During their residence in India at Pinjore Gardens, she had an opportunity to direct the maintenance of an important Mughal garden.
Pinjore Garden (also known as Yadavindra Garden) is located in Pinjore, Panchkula district in the Indian state of Haryana.
Her book makes reference to Rashtrapat Bhavan Mughal Garden. She was consulted by Edwin Lutyens, and this may have influenced his choice of Mughal style for this project.
All tbe presidents who have occupied the Rashtrapati Bhavan have taken a keen interest in the maintenance and upkeep of the Mughal Gardens. -(PTI)
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