The Mughal Gardens

Twice now this semester I've had the opportunity to walk around what must be the most beautiful formal gardens in Delhi. I know, you're probably thinking "why is she saying that like it is unexpected?" It is not so easy to explore a garden though when they are at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president's residence which has restricted access. The first time I went was during the month that they open the gardens up to the public. Thousands of people pour in to walk through this oasis, and when you first reach the gate it is a bit overwhelming. Luckily we were able to avoid the first hour long line because I had read the directions carefully and knew that basically we didn't want to bring anything in with us - no phone, no camera, no bag, no water, no food....so with a bit of money and my keys tucked into my pocket we skirted the bag check line and went directly to the security line. With the way that people were pushing through I was starting to worry about what we had gotten ourselves into, was it going to be this chaotic when we got into the gardens themselves? Luckily no. After the herb garden the crowds thinned out a bit as people were drawn into the beauty of the landscape that surrounded them. Some ventured through the bonsai garden, others headed straight to the fountain spraying in time to music, while others just followed the paths through the gardens themselves. There was no question that there were a lot of people there, the paths were full but moving steadily as everyone took in the sight. My favorite was the sunken circular garden which just seemed particularly peaceful.

The second time I had the opportunity to walk through the gardens it was significantly quieter. A small group of teachers was there for an official tour of the parts of the residence which are open for the public - the formal banquet hall, a ballroom, a few rooms which had been turned into museums, a courtyard with a fountain where water was spit out of a cobra's mouth, and down an unassuming white washed wall to emerge on the patio at the house end of the gardens. While the flowers weren't quite as pretty this time around the garden felt remarkable tranquil and peaceful. Organized beds laid out according to the Mughal aesthetic, cut by water courses some of which had fished shaped tiles on the bottom.

As no cameras are allowed on the ground all photos of the gardens are from the official president of India website. We were however allowed to take some pictures out front of Rashtrapati Bhavan, near the formal entrance used for offical events which overlooks a rather empty part of the city all the way to India Gate.