President Droupadi Murmu, currently on a three-day visit to Uttarakhand, inaugurated the renovated Presidential Retreat in Dehradun on her 67th birthday. The retreat, now renamed Rashtrapati Niketan, will be open to the public from July 1 and promises a unique experience of architecture, history, and landscape design in the heart of the city.
The President also laid the foundation stone for Rashtrapati Udyan, a 132-acre public garden located within the retreat premises. Previously known as Rashtrapati Ashiana, the estate has a rich legacy dating back to 1838, originally serving as a summer camp for the horses of the Governor General’s bodyguard. The bungalow on the site was built in 1920 and designated as a presidential retreat in 1976.
Located on Rajpur Road, the 237-acre estate includes the main building, annexes, stables, a swimming pool, and lush gardens. In 2016, a major restoration began involving seismic retrofitting and revival of traditional water channels to preserve the site’s historic character. President Murmu also inaugurated Rashtrapati Tapovan, which will be accessible to the public from June 24, and launched a visitor facilitation centre, cafeteria, and souvenir shop.
Marking her birthday with compassion, the President visited the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD). Moved to tears during a heartfelt musical performance by visually impaired children, she said, “I couldn’t hold back my tears. They sang so beautifully—from their hearts.”
