Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) The famed Mughal Garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan, which boasts of over 250 varieties of roses, will be open exclusively for visually impaired people Wednesday, officials said. “Only visually impaired persons will be allowed to enjoy the beauty of the garden. They will mainly enjoy and feel the specially designed tactile garden,” said a spokesman of the president’s place here Tuesday.

“In the tactile garden, these persons can touch and feel different shrubs, plants and flowers. They are also free to move around the main garden area,” he added.

The garden will be open between 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. for schools and organisations dealing with visually impaired children. From 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. the garden will be open to other blind people.

“We have made all arrangements to take these special guests on a garden tour. Our people will accompany these special individuals to give them any information they want on the Mughal Garden,” the official said.

The entry and exit to the gardens will be from Gate No.12, situated on Church Road, opposite North Avenue.

The Mughal Garden was opened for public viewing between Feb 16 and March 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It includes the Musical Garden, Spiritual Garden, Herbal Garden, a Biodiversity Park and the Nakshatra Gardens.

Sprawled across six hectares of the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex, the gardens were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Lady Harding during British rule in India.

It has more than 250 rose varieties at one place and 60 varieties of bougainvillea, the best and largest collection of Indian marigold flowers and dahlias of 13 different colours.