President Droupadi Murmu, who is on a three-day visit to Uttarakhand, marked her 67th birthday with the formal inauguration of the newly renovated Presidential Retreat in Dehradun on Friday. During the event, she also laid the foundation stone of the ‘Rashtrapati Udyan’—a 132-acre public garden located within the premises, now renamed as Rashtrapati Niketan.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Uttarakhand Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Gurmit Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The historic estate, located on Rajpur Road and formerly known as Rashtrapati Ashiana or Presidential Retreat, will be open to the public from July 1. It offers a rare glimpse into a unique blend of architecture, heritage, and landscape design in the heart of Dehradun.
The retreat’s legacy dates back to 1838 when it served as a summer camp for the Governor General’s Bodyguard horses. A bungalow was constructed on the site in 1920 for the unit’s commandant, and it was designated as a Presidential residence in 1976. Spread across 237 acres, the estate includes the main building, an annexe, a stable, a swimming pool, and flourishing gardens. A major restoration began in 2016, including seismic retrofitting and the revival of traditional water channels to preserve the estate’s historical essence.
President Murmu also inaugurated Rashtrapati Tapovan, which will open to the public on June 24, along with several public amenities at Rashtrapati Niketan including a visitor facilitation centre, a cafeteria, and a souvenir shop.
In a deeply emotional moment, the President visited the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), where she was moved to tears as visually impaired children sang a heartfelt birthday song for her. “I couldn’t hold back my tears,” she said. “They were singing so beautifully, straight from their hearts.”