New Delhi: Three books on Rashtrapati Bhavan ‘Life at Rashtrapati Bhavan’; ‘Indradhanush – Volume II’ and ‘Rashtrapati Bhavan: From Raj to Swaraj’ were released at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday (December 11, 2016) by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President of India, Mohd. Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi respectively.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that he was overwhelmed by the love received from friends and people of the country. He expressed his deep gratitude to all those who had wished him on his birthday. Referring to the books released at the function, he felt that it was important to document the multi-dimensional aspects of Rashtrapati Bhavan and accordingly through a Multi-Volume Documentation Project these books had been brought out. Since assumption of office, his objective was to demystify life and events in Rashtrapati Bhavan and open it to the public as far as possible. He was happy to note that large number of visitors are visiting Rashtrapati Bhavan including the Museums through various initiatives such as online booking, e-invites etc.
The Vice President and the Prime Minister of India appreciated the efforts to document for posterity the history, culture and life of Rashtrapati Bhavan through books. The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to the President on his birthday. He also hoped that the nation would continue to benefit from President Mukherjee’s tremendous experience and wisdom for a long time.
The Secretary to the President, Smt. Omita Paul highlighted the various initiatives taken in the recent past such as the Multi-Volume Documentation Project, Smart Gram Initiative, Visitor’s Conference, Laureates and Leaders Summit etc.
Among the other dignitaries present on the occasion were Speaker, Lok Sabha, Former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Ministers, Judges of the Supreme Court, Governors/Lt. Governors and Senior Officers of the Govt. of India.
The book ‘Rashtrapati Bhavan: From Raj to Swaraj’, is a book for children which recreates the story of Rashtrapati Bhavan from its inception as Government House, a symbol of imperial might, to the present day. The reader is taken to the massive building, through the red sandstone and marble corridors, past the busts of former presidents; through its echoing halls and its elegant sitting rooms. The reader is introduced to the flower- lined pathways of the magnificent Mughal Gardens and to its walls and pillars, trees and bushes, carvings and paintings.
The book ‘Life at Rashtrapati Bhavan’ is an attempt to record the human history of the residents living in the President’s Estate. This documents the period under the colonial state right up to the current presidency and brings in the perspectives of past and present residents of the estate, the permanent staff of the household and secretariat, as well as the officials who have served under different presidencies. The book also documents the significance of the multiple contributions made by President Pranab Mukherjee and his team in transforming the premises of the Rashtrapati Bhavan into the ‘smart’ city that it is today, and the impact of such changes on the lives of the people here.
The book ‘Indradhanush Volume-II’ is a compendium of music, dance, theatre and cinematic presentations organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan from mid 2014 to September 2016.
All these three books have been published by Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. Shri Ajay Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, was present on the occasion.
