Context: The Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens — popularly known as the Mughal Gardens was renamed as Amrit Udyan on January 28, 2023.
About the news
- The Mughal Garden, located within the grounds of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.
- The garden, known for its beautiful flowers and lush green plants, has now been renamed Amrit Udyan
About Planned Gardens during Mughal Era
- The concept of a planned garden, also known as the Charbagh was introduced in South Asia by the Mughal Emperor Babur. The first garden was established by him in Afghanistan.
- He brought the Persian wheel water supply system to create the gardens as the Indian plains were different from his homeland where the natural flow of water was used.
- The main elements of Mughal gardens include running water and a pool to reflect the beauties of the sky and the garden, different varieties of trees– to provide shade, to bear colorful and fragrant fruits or flowers; grass; birds to fill the gardens with song and the whole cooled by a pleasant breeze.
- The Turkish- Mongolian elements of the gardens are usually the inclusion of tents, carpets, and canopies reflecting the nomadic roots.
- Mughal Gardens served various functions which include their use as airy quadrangles within their palatial complexes, pleasurable retreats, and also as a base for hunting expeditions.
- The gardens were also used as official halting spaces; while the park was exclusively reserved for women (Zenan khana) and provided with additional facilities, such as hammams.
- These gardens have usually highly disciplined geometry and are of the following types:
- Rectangular
- Butterfly
- Circular
- Terraced
- Most gardens are rectilinear, with four sections crisscrossed by pathways and water, also known as the Charbagh concept.
- Until the rule of Shah Jahan, the usual way of designing a garden was with the main structure at the center with an enclosure and gate (sometimes even multiple) and subsidiary structures like pavilions setting into walls.
- During Shah Jahan’s period, the importance was placed on the garden and the structure was built on one end of the site, rather than, at the center.
- The Taj Mahal stands as a great example of this concept, as it’s constructed on one end of the platform overlooking the river. Hence, the riverfront gardens became an important aspect during Shah Jahan’s reign.
Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan
- There are three gardens in the Rashtrapati Bhavan inspired by Mughal and Persian gardens. The one inspired from the garden in Srinagar is known as Mughal Garden. But the gardens were never officially named Mughal Gardens, they came to be known so owing to the style of architecture.
- The style was influenced by the Persian gardens, particularly the charbagh structure, which is intended to create a representation of harmony with the elements of nature. Typical features include pools, fountains and canals inside the gardens.
- Mughal Gardens were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and inspired by the Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, the gardens at the Taj Mahal as well as Persian & Indian miniature paintings.
- Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the Mughal Garden in Delhi in 1917 in the Persian Charbagh style
- It features a variety of flowers and plants. The garden is divided into different sections, each showcasing a different type of plant or flower. The main attraction of the garden is the Mughal-style water channels that run through the garden and are surrounded by colourful flowers and plants.
Other gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan
- The Rashtrapati Bhavan houses a variety of gardens. Originally, they included East Lawn, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden. However, during the term of former Presidents APJ Abdul Kalam and Ram Nath Kovind, more gardens were developed – such as Herbal-I, Herbal-II, Tactile Garden, Bonsai Garden and Arogya Vanam.
- Over time, Presidents have contributed to the gardens in their own ways for social or developmental works. C Rajagopalachari, the first Indian resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan, used a portion to cultivate wheat, President APJ Abdul Kalam contributed to the making of Herbal Gardens, Tactile Gardens for the visually handicapped, and others.
- The herbal garden, bonsai garden, central lawn, long garden and circular garden are now collectively called Amrit Udyan.
About Edwin Lutyens
- Sir Edwin Lutyens is an English architect noted for his versatility and range of invention along traditional lines.
- He is known especially for his planning of New Delhi and his design of the Viceroy’s House there.
- Edwin Lutyens had finalised the designs of the Mughal Gardens in 1917, but it was only during the year 1928-1929 that plantings were done. His collaborator for the gardens was Director of Horticulture, William Mustoe.
- Like the building of Rashtrapati Bhavan has two different styles of architecture, Indian and western, similarly, Lutyens brought together two different horticulture traditions together for the gardens — the Mughal style and the English flower garden. Mughal canals, terraces and flowering shrubs are beautifully blended with European flowerbeds, lawns and private hedges.
- He played an instrumental role in designing and building a section of the city of Delhi, known as New Delhi, which serves as the seat of the Government of India. In recognition of his contribution, New Delhi is also known as “Lutyens’ Delhi”. In collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker, he was also the main architect of several monuments in New Delhi such as the India Gate. He also designed the Viceroy’s House now known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan.