The much awaited time of the year when the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi opens for the general public has arrived. And this time the difference is, that the Rashtrapati Bhavan will be open for extended hours and also on Sundays.
An online system of booking for tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan has been recently launched by Secretary to the President Omita Paul, keeping in view the convenience of visitors. People who are planning a visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan can log on to the official website of the President’s House at www.presidentofindia.nic.in and register themselves in the ‘online booking’ system for visits. The online booking on the website has started post the 1st of Jan 2013.
Online booking snapshots
After on-line booking, within two working days, confirmation will be sent by email. The status of the booking can be checked on-line using the registration number and date of birth.
Visits can be booked up to 30 days in advance. On-line Booking provides time-slot options starting from 9 am to 4 pm and also indicates the available days for visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Each time-slot will be available for up to 50 visitors. In case of school children visits/group visits, this restriction will not apply.
In case of cancellation of tours due to other official engagements in Rashtrapati Bhavan, information will be sent by email to those who have booked tours.
The online booking system operates on first come-first serve basis. Those who do not have email facility or access to the Internet can continue to follow the existing system of writing to Deputy Military Secretary, Rashtrapati Bhavan for obtaining access.
The main idea behind making the bookings available online is to make it hassle free and ecofriendly at the same time since the online booking system will cut down on paper communication to a large extent.
It also makes the management of visitors more efficient and provides visitors with a wide option of time-slots. The system has a tour guide management module, which is also functional since January 1, 2013. The system automatically allocates a guide to each group of 50 visitors.
It is important to pre book your visit online since in the absence of an online booking you will not be permitted inside and also because the Rashtrapati Bhavan sees huge turn outs during this period and writing to the Deputy Military Secretary becomes cumbersome and time consuming especially when almost all slots are occupied.
Beginning this year, the Rashtrapati Bhavan has been opened for public viewing on Sundays also and that too for increased hours from 9 am to 4 pm without any lunch break. Previously, it used to open on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The entry to the Rashtrapati Bhavan was and always will be free.
India’s President Shri. Pranab Mukherjee is a man of strong democratic traditions and a humble beginning. He prefers to have as many people come and see the life at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He has instructed the entire staff to make the President’s House accessible to the visitors from the general public.
The visitors can choose between the two routes created for such visits. The first route will cover Forecourt, Reception, Lutyens’ Gallery, Marble Hall, Kitchen Museum, Children’s Gallery, Gift Museum, Durbar Hall, Library, Long Drawing Room, North Drawing Room, Ashoka Hall, Loggia and Banquet Hall. And the second will include all the aforementioned places and the Mughal Gardens.
Brief details for each of the places listed can be found on the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s website.
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