In 2007, the maintenance cost of the presidential palace was estimated to be more than Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) per year!
The electricity bill of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2007-2008 stood at Rs 6.30 crore (Rs 63 million) followed by Rs 6.88 crore (Rs 68.8 million) in 2008-2009 and Rs 6.67 crore (Rs 66.7 million) in 2009-2010.
Besides the Rashtrapati Bhavan at New Delhi, the President has official residences in two other states - Rashtrapati Nilayam near Secunderabad and The Retreat at Mashobra, near Shimla.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan is one India's best archiectural marvels. A magnificent four-storeyed mansion, it has a floor area of 200,000 square feet. It was built by using 700 million bricks and three million cubic feet of stone.
The cost of building this architectural wonder escalated to Rs 12.8 million, much higher than the projected cost.
The building along with the Mughal Garden and the staff quarters together coast a whopping Rs 14 million at that time.
The most prominent and distinguishing aspect of Rashtrapati Bhavan is its dome which is superimposed on its structure.
The British decided to build a platial residence in New Delhi for their Viceroy. They wanted 'an empire in stone' to establish their colonial footprint in the Indian soil.
The sprawling edifice has 74 lobbies and galleries, one and a half miles of corridors, 18 staircases and 37 fountains.
The building was made with materials from India. Only the Italian marble was imported for the flooring. Steel is hardly used in the building.
The luxurious apartments that were used by the British Viceroy is converted into a guest wing where the Heads of State of other countries stay during their visit to India.
An interesting feature of the architecture of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is the fusion of Indian and European designs.
Temple bells, which are part of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions have been perfectly blended with the Hellenic style architecture.
The highlight of the building is Chhajja. These are stone slabs which are fixed below the roof of a building and are designed for the purposes of preventing the sunrays from falling on the windows and protecting the walls from the rains. Chhatris adorn the rooftop of the building.
Jaalis are also of typical Indian designs, which add beauty to the architecture of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
These are the stone slabs containing lot of perforations, designed with delicate floral and geometric patterns.
The Durbar Hall, Ashoka Hall, Marble Hall, North Drawing Room, Nalanda Suite are famous for its aesthetics and grandeur.
The lavish Banquet Hall can accommodate 104 persons. The Ashoka Hall gives the feel of a large jewel box. It was originally built as the State Ballroom. It has a wooden floor, a central dance space, and three vestibules.
The main painting on the roof depicts a royal hunting expedition while those towards the corners show scenes from court life.
Two striking paintings are - The Transfer of power on August 14 by S N Goshal and swearing-in ceremony of First Indian Governor General.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan has a museum with autographed photographs of several heads of states.
The gifts received by the President during visits abroad or in India and from visiting heads of state at New Delhi are exhibited here.
Leaving a trail of the imperialist past are Statues of King George V and Queen Mary, oil portraits of former viceroys and governors General, the silver chair for the Queen, the brass replica of British Crown.
There were 2 separate thrones for the Viceroy and Vicereine, which have now been replaced by a simple chair for the President. The hall is used for state functions.
The Mughal Gardens spread across 13 acres is a blend of Mughal and British styles. The Mughal Gardens are open to the public in February-March every year.
Two channels running north to south and two running east to west divide this garden into a grid of squares.
There are six lotus shaped fountains. The fountains add to the beauty of the tranquil surroundings, rising up to a height of 12 feet.
A nature trail has been developed in the President's Estate to create awareness about the environment. The trail is open for visitors on Saturdays.
The garden has a variety of exotic flowers and roses. The Rashtrapati Bhavan also has nine tennis courts, a polo ground, a 14-hole golf course and a cricket field.
Source: http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show
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