11-01-2011 : Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
The Rashtrapati Nilayam has received more than 63,000 people within ten days from its opening on January 1, 2011. Above 10,000 people visited the premises on a single day alone on January 2.
Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the President of India, in one of her people friendly initiatives, for the first time, has opened the premises of the Nilayam for general public. The President also during her stay in the Nilayam has opened a Herbal Garden which has 116 species of medicinal and aromatic plants. Ever since her first visit to the Nilayam in 2007, a number of environment friendly initiatives have been put in place such as solar lights, drip irrigation system, percolation pond etc. for efficient and judicious use of natural resources and fruit gardens have also been developed on an area of about 35 acres of land.
The Rashtrapati Nilayam building was constructed by His Highness Nizam Nazir Ud Dowla in 1850 and Sir Salar Jung was the Prime Minister of Nizam Government. Bolaram was one of the military cantonments of Nizam Sarkar and the building was the residence of the chief military officer. Later, the building was occupied by the British.
After the Independence of India, the building was taken over by the Government of India in 1948 from the Nizam and since then this building has been kept for the President of India and has been named as Rashtrapati Nilayam.
This release issued at 1630 hrs.
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