Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum.
Went to see the Museum of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Entry is from gate number 30 of Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate.
Gate Number 30 Presidents estate.
The entry gate for Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum.
On either side of the gates, iconic lampshades designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, made in red sandstone are installed in well-maintained flower beds in complexly laid pathways. They look pretty good.
gate number 30.
Rashtrapati Bhavan is the home of the President of India. The Largest democracy in the world. As a home, in its grandeur, vast scale, area of its estate, its beautifully laid and maintained gardens Rashtrapati Bhavan will be the envy and put to shame royal places of erstwhile Indian Royalties. It is as good as, if not Better than the Royal Palaces of European and British royalty.
Like all those Royal places of erstwhile Indian Royalties, Royal Palaces of European and British royalty and the White House, the home of the President Of the US Of A Rashtrapati Bhavan is also open to the public.
Permission to visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan can be obtained online.
After properly booking, visitors are taken on conducted tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Being vast sprawling property visit has been divided into "circuits".
Conducted tour for Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex( RBMC )is included in "Circuit - 2" of visiting programmes.
Circuit - 2, The RBMC includes three buildings, namely,
1. The Clock Tower,
2. The Garages; and
3. The Stables.
(Note:
1. Conducted tours with a qualified and appointed guide are conducted as per the published programme and timetable. When we reached RBMC we had a choice of either seeing the RCBM on our own or waiting almost 45 minutes for the conducted tour. We opted to go around on our own. Did not see all the interactive or other audiovisual presentations which are not covered in this blog.
An unfortunate omission.
2. To see 'zoomable' photos with captions go to the RBMC album link here.)
The Clock Tower.
This renovated heritage building was inaugurated by Shri Pranab Mukherjee President of India on 25 July 2015.
Previously, it was used as the Post Office of Rashtrapati Bhavan and also as residential quarters.
Now the clock Tower is supposed to serve as reception for the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex (RBMC).
When we went for the visit to RBMC, the Clock tower was closed. A room near the entry gate served as reception for RBMC.
Note Additional information is given in the caption of the photo in the album.
The Garages.
When it was decided to build a Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex, (RBMC) it took almost two years of hard work and planning by the Museum Advisor and his staff to complete the work. The renovated "The Garages" complex of the museum was inaugurated on 25 July 2016.
The Garage has Displays on the three floors, 1. Ground Floor, 2. Upper Basement and 3. Lower Basement.
The Ground Floor.
Based on the type of displays the ground floor can be further subdivided into areas near the entrance, right of the entrance, the central portion and the Enclaves.
Near the entrance and central portion mostly the horsedrawn vehicles and a Mercedes Benz
500 SEL are on display. All of these were used by previous Presidents. When more modern and appropriate vehicles were acquired for the use of the President, these were moved to the RBMC.
Victoria, Mercedes Benz & Luggage vehicles.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link here..
On the wall facing the victoria and the Mersdese are three beautiful bass reliefs, inspiration for which is the Northern Gate and other engravings from the Great Stupa of Sanchi.
Decorative bass reliefs. Derived from The Great Stupa at Sanchi.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
Another main display is a scale model of Rashtrapati Bhavan with Statues of people instrumental in creating and building this magnificent structure. The statues are of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Herbert Baker, the architects and Haroun-al-Rashid, Mr Sujan Singh and his son Shobha Sing who were the main contractors.
The ground floor also showcases the Nationalist movement by way of statues and tableaus about the freedom march by Mahatama Gandhi, Morley - Minto reforms, the Jalianwala Bagh massacre and other important freedom movements.
Scale model of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Statues of Architects and main contractors.
tableaus depicting Nationalistic movements.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
Another display area on the right of the entrance is related to the Constitution of India. It contains statues of the committee members formed under the chairmanship of Dr BR Ambedkar responsible for drafting the Constitution of India.
It also has a facsimile of an original handwritten copy of the Constitution of India. This copy does not have the words "secular" and "socialistic society" as they were added later through an amendment to the constitution.
There are documents about important legislative moments like signed pages where past Presidents, and Chief Justices of the Supreme court of India after taking the oath and assuming the office of two of the highest posts in governing India.
It is very interesting to see all these documents which were major milestones in the history of India.
Legislative Milestones & Constitution of India.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
The President, being the Supreme Commander of the Armed forces, a portion of the Upper Basement has been allotted to the photographs and information related to the Defence Forces.
The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Defence Forces,
Other display areas on the ground floor are divided into a number of cubicles called "Enclaves".
These enclaves among other documents contain architectural drawings, watercolours done by sir Edwin Lutyens, and a copy of the agreement that was signed between two architects and the British Government for the construction of New Delhi.
As an architect, Lutyens not only designed the Rashtrapati Bhavan but he also tried his hand at designing furniture, chairs and tables of distinctive and at times quirky looking furniture.
The enclave also displays chairs designed by Edwin Lutyens.
The "Enclaves" on Ground Floor.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
A few of the enclaves also display miniature watercolours on paper of British Indian army sepoys. and officers (NCOs & JCOs) painted by William Luker who was a painter of figures, animals, landscapes & portraits and an illustrator.
The Enclaves-Miniature watercolours by William Luker.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link here..
As mentioned earlier none of the audio-visual or interactive electronic media aids/ displays on the Ground Floor are covered in this blog.
Upper Basement.
It won't be an exaggeration to say that the upper basement is dedicated to The Presidents of India.
It has portraits of all Presidents of India since India's independence in chronological order.
One can also have a look at what President's study looks like.
Personal belongings and memorabilia of former Presidents are on display at Upper Basement. In fact, some of the memorabilia of Ram Nath Kovind, the present President of India are also on display here.
Upper Basement also has an area dedicated to President's Study.
Presidents Study.
Upper Basement. President's Study, Personal belongings & Memorabilia of Presidents.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
A passage here informs the visitor through the medium of pictures about the flora and fauna within the Presidential Estate.
One is shown a glimpse of the Presidential Kitchen.
Presidential Kitchen. upper basement.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
Then there is a full passage lined with glass cabinets where bone china and porcelain crockery, tea and coffee and dinner sets used during the viceregal era with emblems of the Queen and the King.
It also has bone-china and porcelain crockery, tea and coffee and dinner sets used in Rashtrapati Bhavan dining halls. They carry the emblem of the lions of the Ashoka pillar.
Bone china and Porcelain crockery used in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
As mentioned earlier none of the audio-visual or interactive electronic media aids/ displays on the Upper Basement are covered in this blog.
Lower Basement.
The lower basement covers larger than life paintings of important persons of Royal Lineage and statues of the vice-regal period including those of the King and the Queen.
A lavish silk canopy with very rich and magnificent gold and silver zari embroidery presented by the goldsmith of Delhi on the occasion of Delhi Durbar is also on display here.
Statues, Paintings. The Lower Basement.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
A tableau where the settings depict the Silver Trumpet Banner Ceremony has been created in the lower basement, This ceremony takes place once in five years of a presidency of horse-mounted Presidential Guards.
The Silver Trumpet Banner Ceremony.
(photo courtesy RBC website.)
As mentioned earlier none of the audio-visual or interactive electronic media aids/ displays on the Upper Basement is covered in this blog.
The Stables.
After exiting from the Garages one can see right cross the road an identical building.
This is the Stables and as one can guess at one tome this building was used as stables to house the horses of the Presidential Estate.
The Stables.
The Stables have a Left Corridor, a Right Corridor and a Long Hall.
Long Hall has a collection of gifts received by previous Presidents.
I have taken only six photos there.
One gift presented to President Pranab Mukharjee by the Indian Air Force on the occasion of Standards and Colour Presentation to 119 HU and 27 ED on 4MAr16 captured in-camera is given below.
Gift from The IAF to President Pranab Mukharjee.
The Stables.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
Other shots taken at the Stables are given below.
Photos taken at the Stables.
For zoomable photos with captions go to the RBMC album link.
There is just one photo which gives a glimpse of one of the corridors. That and the absence of any more photos and no recollection of seeing anything else, I feel that we did not explore the Stable part of RBMC as thoroughly as we should have done.
A missed opportunity.
However, for information of those who read this in the hope of finding details about the Stables, there is a link which gives very good information about this part of RBMC.The Link.
https://rashtrapatisachivalaya.gov.in/rbtour/circuit-2/stables.
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