Taking a leaf out of “people’s President” Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s book, Pratibha Patil has for the first time thrown open certain presidential ceremonies.
NEW DELHI: Taking a leaf out of “people’s President” Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s book, Pratibha Patil has for the first time thrown open certain presidential ceremonies and Rashtrapati Bhavan to the masses.
The President wants to showcase the Change of Guards ceremony. To involve the public, Rashtrapati Bhavan has altered the timing and content of the ceremony to make it more glamorous and attractive to tourists.
The President’s motive is clear. She wants to popularise the Change of Guards ceremony as a landmark event of the Capital, on the lines of Buckingham Palace.
The Change of Guards takes place everyday between 6 and 6.40 am, much before the bureaucrats move into the corridors of power. But Saturday being a central government holiday, the timing has been altered to ensure crowds. The ceremony will be now held between 10 and 10.30 am at Raisina Hill with special arrangements for a photo-op.
“From tomorrow, we are reinventing and repackaging the ceremony to attract crowds and take Rashtrapati Bhavan closer to the masses. It will be a landmark event just like the change of guards at Buckingham Palace,” said Christie Fernandes, President’s secretary.
Musical scores, parade and the flag patterns have been altered and the number of horses has been increased to make the ceremony more glamorous. People will be allowed to move with the guards on Raisina Hill between North and South Blocks till the main iron gate of the Bhavan, from where they can witness the actual change of guards.
To get things moving smoothly, Rashtrapati Bhavan has roped in the tourism ministry, Delhi government and tour operators. The ceremony will be officially put as a must-see event on the government’s Incredible India website to attract foreigners.
The President has also thrown open the gates of the “mysterious” Bhavan to the public for the first time. Barring a few important rooms, the 394-room complex will be open to public on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
“The President is keen that entry restrictions are removed so that Rashtrapati Bhavan does not remain a place of awe for people but is looked at as a heritage building that should make every Indian proud,” said Fernandes.
The President has also planned a nakshatra garden where 27 trees symbolising each nakshatra will be planted and people allowed.
“This is entirely a new concept. The President will inaugurate the garden by planting a tree on December 19, her birthday,” Fernandes said.
p_vineeta@dnaindia.net
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