Amrit Udyan to open for public from Aug 16; Babbling Brook among key highlights

The famed Amrit Udyan, which will open for the public from August 16 to September 14 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, will feature Babbling Brook among other visual treats, officials said on Wednesday.

The Babbling Brook garden is a new and serene retreat for this summer garden, where the gentle flow of water and vibrant greenery create a calming atmosphere, said Navika Gupta, Deputy Press Secretary to the President, during a media preview of the garden.

Amrit Udyan has also become disabled-friendly with ramps, specially designed stands with a display plant in a pot to have a sensory experience and information in Braille for the visually challenged persons, the officials said.

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“This year, visitors will experience a new feature, Babbling Brook, that replaces the earlier musical fountain,” Gupta said.

Lush greenery surrounds the brook, interwoven with vibrant flowers that add bursts of colour and winding through flowers and stones, the brook invites quiet reflection and a deep connection with nature, she said.

The summer annuals of Amrit Udyan will be open to the public from August 16 to September 14, as part of President Droupadi Murmu’s continued vision to make Rashtrapati Bhavan more accessible and citizen-centric, she said.

The summer annuals were first opened to the public in 2023, in addition to the long-standing winter annuals tradition.

Murmu will inaugurate the summer annuals of the garden on Thursday, Gupta said.

This time, the landscaped zone at the garden includes a meandering water stream with cascades, sculptural spouts, stepping stones, a raised reflecting pool besides a tranquil banyan grove with reflexology paths, panchtatva trails and forest-inspired ambience along with a serene plumeria garden, with grass mounds and curated plantations offering immersive sensory experiences.

The garden trail will include Bal Vatika, Herbal Garden, Bonsai Garden, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden, Gupta said.

“QR codes placed across the circuit will allow visitors to access information about various plant and design features. A vibrant food court will be available at the exit for all visitors,” Gupta said.

Entry to Amrit Udyan is free. Visitors can book their slots online at visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in

“Walk-in visitors can register using self-service kiosks placed outside Gate No. 35,” she said.

The gardens will remain open from 10 am to 6 pm, with the last entry at 5:15 pm.

It will remain closed on all Mondays for maintenance.

Entry for visitors will be from Gate No. 35, located near North Avenue road.

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“All visitors are encouraged to also explore the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, accessible through separate tickets available on the same website. School groups will enjoy free entry to the Museum during the Amrit Udyan season, offering a unique opportunity for immersive learning,” Gupta said.

The President’s Estate covers an area of over 154 hectares (380 acres). Of these, 139 hectares are covered with about 5,000 trees of 160 species, lawns and open spaces, whereas 15 hectares are covered by buildings and roads.

The Amrit Udyan is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, the officials said.

If the Rashtrapati Bhavan is a masterpiece of architecture, the 15-acre Amrit Udyan is considered its soul, they said.

Its beauty lies in its design and its flora, comprising trees, bushes, vines lawn grass and seasonal flowers.

The Amrit Udyan gardens include many elements of garden art in the form of water canals and terraces at different levels and flowering shrubs fuse with flower beds and lawns, the officials said.

The geometrical decorum and the play with water which are the essence of the Amrit Udyan gardens have been combined with indigenous trees and shrubs, fountains, water channels and ponds bring in a sense of coolness and purity, they said.

There are more than 42 varieties of summer annual seasonal flowers in the Amrit Udyan.

The garden is replete with a number of summer annuals like Periwinkle, Celosia, Indian shot, Kochia, Tuberose, Portulaca and many ornamental foliage plants like Song of India, Raphis and Aglonema crotons.

The floral clock is a new type of garden feature in Amrit Udyan gardens near Pilkhan tree that represents a unique floral design where flowers are planted in a circular shape and the periphery is surrounded by the small edge plants and coloured pebbles, the officials said, adding that it is a working clock representing the form of floral art.

To mark important national occasions and honour community contributions, special access to Amrit Udyan will be provided on August 29 (for athletes and sportspersons on the occasion of National Sports Day) and on September 5 (for teachers on the occasion of Teachers’ Day), the officials added.