Delhi Attractions

Rashtrapati Bhavan

After his visit in 1911 the Emperor of India, King George V of England, decreed that the capital should be moved from Calcutta to Delhi. Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to plan the new government centre, which he focused around Rajpath, the grand, tree-lined boulevard that runs between the Secretariat Buildings and India Arch, the war memorial built in 1921. Rashtrapati Bhavan was built by Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, between 1921 and 1929, on the gentle slope of Raisina Hill, flanked by the Secretariat Buildings.

This immense palace, larger than Versailles, was created for the Viceroy and is now the residence of the President of India. With the exception of the central copper dome there are few concessions to Indian architectural style; despite its classical columns the building is unmistakably British and, like most great Indian monuments, is a potent symbol of imperial power. Every Saturday morning between 9.35am and 10.15am, guards parade before the iron grille gates in Delhi's answer to London's Changing of the Guard. The gardens are open to the public every year in February and March.

Address: Presidential Estate, Rajpath; Opening time: The gardens open daily from 9am to 2.30pm in February and March; Admission: Free