The 173 years old heritage building with the lush green lawns of the ‘Rashtrapati Niwas’, earlier known as the ‘Presidential Retreat’ at Mashobra, will be thrown open for the visitors from 23rd of April this month. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu will open the historical estate to the general public officially, during her visit to Shimla. This was revealed in a meeting held in the Rashtrapati Niwas, Mashobra today. Chaired by Additional Secretary to the President, Dr. Rakesh Gupta, it was informed that the President of India will formally launch opening of the Retreat on her scheduled visit to Shimla this month.
Subsequently, the visitors and the tourists will be able to visit the retreat on a nominal fee of Rs. 50 per person for Indian Nationals and Rs. 250 per person for foreign Nationals throughout the year except on Monday’s and other Government holidays and also during the President’s stay. The visit of School children of government schools will be free till 30th June, 2023. The key attractions for the tourists will be the main building, enabling the glimpses into the life of the Presidents, official dining halls and artifacts. Apart from this the lush Green lawns with wide range of attractions like curated tulip and other flower beds will be an added attraction.
Also the nature trails and the orchards at Rashtrapati Niwas will be open for the visitors and adventure enthusiasts. The general public will start visiting the President Niwas, from 23rd April and can also book online from 15th April 2023 onwards through the official website of the Rashtrapati Bhavan https://visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in This is being done on the analogy of Rashtrapati Nilayam (Niwas), Hyderabad and the President’s House, New Delhi, have already been open to the general public and witnessing huge footfall. For the convenience of tourists, the Rashtrapati Niwas, Mashobra will provide a cloakroom, wheelchair access, a cafe, a souvenir store, restrooms, water dispensers across campus, guided tours with scholar guides and a first aid set up. Present in the meeting were Swati Shahi, Deputy Secretary, President Secretariat, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Aditya Negi, Joint Secretray, GAD and Protocol, Praveen Taak and other senior civil and police officers of the State Government.
Wow! This is great news