Continuing with its drive to give Hindi names to Mughal-era heritages, the Centre has  changed the name of Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Mughal Gardens to Amrit Udyan.

“On the occasion of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the President of India has given a common name to the Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens as Amrit Udyan,” said  a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

President Droupadi Murmu will formally inaugurate the rechristened Amrit Udyan on Sunday.

This time the gardens (Herbal Garden, Bonsai Garden, Central Lawn, Long Garden, and Circular Garden) will be open for about two months — from January 31 to March 26, the statement said.

In the past, the garden was open for public viewing for a month — from February to March. The Government had last year renamed Delhi’s iconic Rajpath as “Kartavya Path”.

The renaming of the stretch and other institutions is in line with the Centre’s effort to remove any trace of the colonial mindset, it has maintained.

“Rashtrapati Bhavan is home to a rich variety of gardens. Originally, they included East Lawn, Central Lawn, Long Garden, and Circular Garden.

“During the term of former Presidents Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and Ram Nath Kovind, more gardens were developed, namely Herbal-I, Herbal-II, Tactile Garden, Bonsai Garden, and Arogya Vanam,” the statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan on said.

In this year’s Udyan Utsav, among several other attractions, visitors will be able to see specially cultivated tulips of 12 unique varieties. The gardens will open for the general public on January 31, 2023, and will remain open till March 26, 2023, except on Mondays which are maintenance days and on March 8 on account of Holi.