The Hindu : National : President begins her first J&K visit today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 23, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

President begins her first J&K visit today

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil is set to experience the splendour of the magnificent gardens that inspired Sir Edward Lutyens to replicate the design in the erstwhile Viceregal Lodge that is now her official residence here.

Ms. Patil, who begins her maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir as President on Friday, is expected to tour the Mughal Gardens in Srinagar, which is considered the inspiration behind the much talked about Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Also on the First Citizen’s itinerary are the famous Dachigam Sanctuary, home to the rare Hangul (Kashmir Stag), and the Dal Lake, which stands surrounded by mountains on three sides.

The President has instructed her office to ensure there is minimal disruption of life for the local people and the tourists because of her visit.

“The President wants to visit these places without causing any inconvenience to the general public. She will visit the Dal Lake on a working day instead of a Sunday, because she is aware that it is a popular tourist destination which attracts the maximum visitors on weekends. She does not want her own visit to disturb the other tourists,” said a Rashtrapati Bhavan aide. Her other engagements in the Valley include a banquet being hosted in her honour at the State’s regal Raj Bhavan, presiding over the Sainik Sammelan in Baramulla and addressing the troops in Tangdhar near the Line of Control, an area that was ravaged by the earthquake in 2005.

“The President will also preside over the convocation at Sher-e- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences. She will inaugurate a university complex in Badherwah, inaugurate the Institute of Kashmir Studies in Kashmir University and attend the convocation of the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Agriculture and Technology,” an official said.

The President will leave for Jammu on May 27, where she is expected to visit the shrine of Vaishno Devi in the Trikuta Hills.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National