Heritage: Inside the Rashtrapati Nilayam in Secunderabad, Telangana

An underground tunnel connecting the kitchen and dining room of the Rashtrapati Nilayam in Telangana. The paintings are fine examples of the Cheriyal art tradition. (Photo by Arun Chandaraju)

From wide-eyed, eager school students and their enthusiastic teachers to superannuated senior government officials, young software engineers and architects, and our small group, there were plenty of people visiting Rashtrapati Nilayam in Secunderabad, Telangana, for a glimpse of its interiors, vast gardens and the slice of history it offers.

On Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, March 22, 2023, the President of India, threw open the Rashtrapati Nilayam to the public through video conferencing, and the governor of Telangana and several other ministers and officials attended the function. Since then, the heritage property has been attracting a steady stream of visitors. The building is 162 years old and is the official residence of the President of our country during his/her southern sojourn. While the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi is the official residence of the President, there are two retreats for the head of state in India. This Nilayam is one and the other is at Mashobra in Shimla.

Visitors' entrance to the Rashtrapati Nilayam (Photo by Aruna Chandaraju)

This Nilayam is not only a heritage structure, but rich in political history. The fourth Nizam Nazir Ud Dowla is credited with the construction of this place which was completed in 1860. This retreat was built as a sprawling colonial enclave and functioned as a second home for the British Resident. It also served as a place of refuge, given its secure location, amid several battles. This is where the Indian tricolour flag was ceremonially unfurled in a special event on September 17, 1948, after the Nizam's army surrendered to the Indian armed forces and Hyderabad was merged into the Indian Union.

The Rashtrapati Nilayam has indeed been open to visitors from 2011 onwards, but until March the Nilayam would open only for 15 days a year and moreover, only certain areas were open for viewing like the gardens, the tunnel connecting the hall with the kitchen, and a view of the rooms of the main building from the verandahs; that is, from the outside.

What's new?

The Nilayam is now open to visitors throughout the year except when the President comes to stay for his/her annual visit. Moreover, instead of merely looking on from the forecourt, visitors can now enter and view the lobby/central corridor of the main building or the Presidential wing. Thirdly, they can walk through a revamped and beautifully accessorised tunnel connecting the hall with the kitchen. Finally, they can check out the newly created Knowledge Gallery, where one can learn interesting facts about the Indian Constitution, the national emblem, etc. Also now, visitors can take selfies with the Presidential buggy and Presidential limousine parked in front of the gallery.

Presidential Buggy (Photo by Aruna Chandaraju)

Spread over 97 acres and containing thousands of trees and plants of various species including fruit orchards and flowering bushes and plants, the sylvan surroundings of the Rashtrapati Nilayam are a treat to both heritage and nature-lovers. We decided to check out the interiors first and then the gardens.

After we passed through the entrance gates, the first sight which we encountered was the Knowledge Gallery with nine small enclaves. Historically, these rooms were the horses' stables and later, this space was used as a motor garage. Here one learns of Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi and the other two retreats, the Indian Constitution, about the roles and responsibilities of the President, the national emblem, view photographs of the former Presidents, and of diplomatic and domestic gifts received by the Indian Presidents of the past. The Presidential Buggy and Limousine in the enclosures before this gallery are, predictably, being used for countless selfies by visitors. As we stepped out a crane hopped across the road to the other side and a passing visitor remarked that it was a good sign. We hoped so!

A crane at Nakshatra Garden. (Photo by Aruna Chandaraju)

Next, we visited the actual residence of India's head of state. A huge maulsary tree overhangs the entrance area. The Nilayam is not overwhelmingly grand or opulent but the decades-old, aesthetic furniture, and the large rooms and decor items are very impressive. We entered the single-storey, stark-white building after wearing footwear-covers (mandatory for every visitor to ensure cleanliness of the floors. One has to discard these after leaving the building). A long corridor was flanked on either side by spacious and airy rooms with period furniture and accessories sourced from around India and different parts of the world. One cannot enter these rooms, but their doors are open, so one can catch glimpses of their interiors as one walks past them. We paused to admire the remarkably lifelike paintings of the former Presidents in this corridor.

Close to this is a very long tunnel connecting the dining room to the kitchen. It was open to visitors previously but what one gets to see now is a totally revamped tunnel. The walls are now decorated with richly colourful Cheriyal art recreating scenes from rural life. Cheriyal art is the pride of Telangana and presents pictorial representations of characters and narratives of episodes from epics and ancient classics like the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Krishna Leela, Markendaya Purana, etc., as well as scenes from daily life in villages. Cheriyal scroll paintings are prized for their beauty.  This tradition is also expressed as sawdust masks and wall-art. On display in this tunnel were both wall-paintings and masks.

Cheriyal art masks. (Photo by Aruna Chandaraju)

The artificial lighting is muted here but the skylights ensured that the entire tunnel was very bright and well-lit. Some of the paintings are linked and depict a sequence of activities from rural life - for example, the cleaning of rice, its pounding and subsequent grinding. Another recreates the evolution of educational facilities for the girl child.

On one side of the grounds beside the Presidential wing is a pedestal which had a weather vane cum flagpole which witnessed the ceremony of Hyderabad becoming part of the Indian Union. However, only the pedestal is visible now. The current President has laid the foundation stone for reconstruction of the flagpost.

Walking towards the Herbal Garden, we reached an old stepwell which was once used to water the plants and trees. The slope adjoining the stepwell has been converted into a green space full of colourful plants and beside this is the Herbal Garden. We entered and inhaled deeply as a bouquet of pleasant aromas wafted through the air. Here one finds 116 varieties of plants arranged in small rectangular spaces. We walked through the small paths crisscrossing the garden to check out each plant. We were told that among the biggest attractions for the visitors are the rudraksha, nagalingam, brahmi, and calabash trees. A visitor-friendly feature was the QR codes at the base of every plant where you can obtain detailed information about the plant by scanning the QR code.

There is also a Butterfly Garden in the shape of a butterfly nearby which we did not have time to visit but it has plants which attract these creatures by the hordes during the flowering season.

Walking further down, we arrived at the Rock Garden which showcases a variety of cactii from around the world. Also here are large rocks and an artificial cascade with a small signboard announcing that a statue of Shiva will come up here soon.

Our last stop was the Nakshatra (meaning star) Garden where you can see a total of 52 trees and plants. The trees represent the 27 nakshatras, 12 zodiac signs, nine planets, the Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), and one dedicated to the god of health, Dhanvantri.

Another solitary crane crossed our lane (was it the same one that greeted us earlier, we wondered) and walked alongside on a parallel path as we made our way to the exit. It was almost as if it was seeing us out. We stepped out even as we resolved to return again in the rainy season when the flowering bushes would be in full bloom and the orchard trees laden with fruits and also to see the peacocks known to delight visitors during this season.

Good to know

- The Rashtrapati Nilayam is open from Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on all Mondays and public holidays.

- Timings: It is open from 10 am to 5 pm, but last-entry timing is 4 pm.

- There are two options for booking tickets: Visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in or go directly to the premises and book your ticket in the Nilayam office.

- Entry fee is Rs 50 for Indians and Rs 250 for foreigners.

- There is no separate camera fee, but there are very strict restrictions and rules regarding photography and videography. Please ask for the rules at the entrance before you enter and begin taking pictures.

- There are guides called Scholar Guides at every important point in the Rashtrapati Nilayam.

- There are water-coolers at several points but carry your own water-bottles as the walks are long.

- Hats and caps are advised as there are large gardens and long roads and the city of Hyderabad has very hot summers and is sunny even in winter.

- There is an e-cart service for senior citizens and persons with mobility issues.