Presidential palace to reopen for public from Aug 1
Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 Jul, 2021 03:46 PM
New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) With the number of Covid-19 cases come down in the national capital, the Rashtrapati Bhavan has decided to reopen its complex and museum for the common citizens from August 1 onwards.
"Visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan and Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex, which were closed since April 14, 2021 due to Covid-19, will reopen from August 1, 2021 for the public," the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement.
Tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan will be available on Saturday and Sunday, except on holidays, in three pre-booked time slots -- 10:30-11:30 am , 12:30-1:30 pm and 2:30-3:30 pm with a maximum limit of 25 visitors per slot.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan said that its museum complex will remain open for six days a week -- except on holidays -- in four pre-booked time slots: 9:30-11 am, 11:30 am-1 pm, 1:30 pm-3 pm and 3:30 pm-5 pm with a maximum limit of 50 visitors per slot.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan, home to the President of the world's largest democracy, epitomises India's strength, its democratic traditions and secular character.
It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, both architects of exceptional imagination and masterfulness.
It was Lutyens who had conceptualised the 'H' shaped building, covering an area of 5 acres on a 330-acre estate. The mansion has a total of 340 rooms spread over four floors, 2.5 km of corridors and 190 acres of garden area.
Painstaking efforts of thousands of labourers, including masons, carpenters, artists, carvers and cutters, saw the completion of this masterwork in the year 1929.
Originally built as the residence for the Viceroy of India, the Viceroy's House, as it was called then, has metamorphosed into today's Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Punjab has reported the second death due to coronavirus, officials said on Monday. He was in a close contact with the state's lone casualty Baldev Singh and both were 'granthis'.
The Centre on Thursday announced the first instalment of a fiscal relief package, worth Rs 170,000 crore, to protect the weaker sections of the society from the economic fallout of Covid-19.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Thursday announced immediate distribution of 10 lakh packets of dry ration to daily wagers and unorganised labourers to help them during the curfew because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Urging the police personnel to exercise maximum restraint in the difficult situation, the Chief Minister asked them to find more compassionate ways of handling curfew violations, especially in cases of individuals found moving out for essentials.
