The Hindu : National : It’s bloom-time in the Mughal Gardens

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Friday, Feb 15, 2008
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It’s bloom-time in the Mughal Gardens

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

As the flowers spell colour, the gardens are set to open for the public

— Photo: V.V. Krishnan

VIBRANT BULBS: President Pratibha Patil admiring tulips at the Mughal Gardens on the grounds of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: A sharp dip in temperatures has sent the people of Delhi scurrying for cover. But it has spelt bloom-time for the tulips in the Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The exotic flowers from Holland have lit up. The gardens will be thrown open to the public on Saturday, following an annual practice.

However, as these flowers in hues of bright yellow and red will last only for a few more days, they will be soon replaced with multi-coloured hybrids from Kashmir. “The cold weather… has helped them thrive. But they can be seen only up to February 22. After that visitors can look forward to a hybrid variety from Kashmir,” explained a Rashtrapati Bhavan official.

The expansive Presidential Estate will offer nature lovers a visual treat. Apart from the hundreds of blooms, they can look forward to the new Nakshatra Garden, the Herbal Garden, the Musical Garden, the Spiritual Garden and the Biodiversity Park.

Seven new varieties of roses have been added to the earlier number of 128. “The rosary will have all the 135 varieties on display, fragrant and non-fragrant varieties have been segregated. There is a separate corner for 60 varieties of cacti, apart from hundreds of colourful flower beds,” an official explained.

Spread over 6 hectares, the gardens designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens comprises three sections. The Rectangular Garden adjacent to the main Rashtrapati Bhavan building has several beds of tulips. This garden, with eight different varieties of tulips, will be the centre of attraction this year.

The Long Garden, or the “Purdah Garden,” has several beds of roses with a dwarf-trimmed hedge, giving the effect of coloured knots on a vast carpet. The Circular Garden, also known as the “Pearl Garden” or “Butterfly Garden,” has on offer a riot of colours. Here, each tier overflows with annual flowers and is separated from the next by a patch of green with a central fountain.

“Though the cold weather did delay flowering, we still have annual blooms according to their heights and colours to produce a harmonious effect and provide longer period for the bed to be full of blooms,” the official said.

The Musical Garden will provide special music along with the visual treat — the garden has three fountains, which dance to the music of the shehnai and the tunes of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s ‘Vande Mataram.’

“Visitors can also look at the different kinds of medicinal plants in the Herbal Garden that has over 33 varieties of herbs. The Biodiversity Park, which has deer, ducks, guinea fowls, turtles, parakeets, rabbits and migratory birds is another attraction. This park features peacocks. Organically grown seasonal vegetables are on display too.

In the Spiritual Garden, “plants cut across their religious connectivity, together requesting visitors to take a simple lesson from them,” said the official.

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