Mughal Gardens open to public from Feb 16

New Delhi, Feb 14 (UNI) The Mughal Gardens, with its wide variety of roses radiating their fragrance across the Rashtrapati Bhawan, are in a way symbolic of India's wide diversity which lends a unique strength to the Nation, President Pratibha Patil said today.

''Just as roses of different colours and hues when brought together in the Mughal Gardens bring a sweet fragrance to Rashtrapati Bhawan, people of different cultures, caste and creeds lend a colourful pallette to the Indian landscape,''the President said while addressing a group of students from 12 states of the countries who were on a visit to Delhi under the Jammu and Kashmir reciprocal cultural youth programme.

The famed Mughal Gardens, which opens to the general public from February 16, will this year witness blooming of 125 varity of roses like Sentimental, Memorial Day, Garden Party, Aishwarya, Welwyn Garden Glory, Taj Mahal, Pasadena, Pusa Arjun etc, the Secretary to the President Christy Fernando told mediapersons here.

Mr Fernando said the Gardens would be open between 1000-1700 hrs everyday but entry would be restricted till 1600 hrs. Though the Gardens could be accessed till March 28, it would remain closed every Monday for maintenance purposes and on March 21-22.

Covering an area of 15 acres, the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhawan include the Musical Garden, the Spiritual garden, the Herbal Garden, the Biodiversity Park and the Nakshatra Gardens.

This year, the Rectangular garden, adjacent to the main Rashtrapati Bhawan building, will be the centre of attraction having eight different varieties of Tulips.

While single colour Tulips are in full bloom now, multicolour tulips from Jammu and Kashmir will be in full bloom approximately from February 22 to March 2.

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