Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the President of India, a vast sandstone palace with 340 rooms that served as the residence of the British Viceroy before independence. Its blend of European classical form with Indian architectural details — chhatris, jalis and a central dome inspired by the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi — reflects its designer's attempt to fuse the two traditions.
While the building itself is not generally open for casual walk-in visits, its formally landscaped Mughal Gardens open to the public for limited periods each year (typically February), and the Change of Guard ceremony held on the forecourt offers a glimpse of the building's grandeur even without going inside. The palace forms the western terminus of the ceremonial Rajpath axis, framed by India Gate at the opposite end.
Designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1929 after nearly two decades of construction, the building originally served as Viceroy's House, the residence of Britain's representative ruling India, before being handed over to India's first President after independence.
October to March; the Mughal Gardens typically open to the public in February.
At the western end of Rajpath, near Central Secretariat metro station; interior tours require advance online booking.
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