President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday reached Shimla in Himachal Pradesh on a four-day visit, where she would officially open the 173-year-old heritage building — the ‘Rashtrapati Niwas’, formerly called the ‘Presidential Retreat’, at Mashobra, for the public on April 23.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accorded a warm welcome to the President at the Kalyani helipad. Later, the President graced the inauguration of the ‘tulip garden’, which along with the main building of Rashtrapati Niwas, its lawn, and orchards shall be open to the public from April 23.
This is being done on the analogy of Rashtrapati Nilayam (Niwas), Hyderabad, and the President’s House, New Delhi, which have already been open to the general public and are witnessing a footfall. The key attractions for the visitors would be the main retreat building, enabling glimpses into the life of the Presidents, official dining halls, and artefacts. Apart from this, the lush green lawns with a wide range of attractions like curated tulips and other flower beds, would be an added attraction.
According to a statement, the nature trails and the orchards at Rashtrapati Niwas would also be open for visitors and adventure enthusiasts, and the reservation to visit them could be made through the official website of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The visitors and tourists would be able to visit the retreat throughout the year except on Mondays, government holidays, and during the President’s stay. The visit of government school children would be free till June 30, 2023.
