The swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers in the new NDA government is being held at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi today (June 9). Prior to 2014, oath-taking ceremonies of the Prime Minister were organised inside the President’s official residence. Only two prime ministers – Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Chandrashekhar – were sworn-in here before PM Modi. In May 2014, preparations were made to accommodate 3,000 guests at the venue. This time too, a large number of guests and the heads of state from seven countries are likely to be in attendance. Here is what you need to know about the venue’s history and its unique features. What is the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan? Simply, it is the front facade of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. “The main gates of Rashtrapati Bhavan open to a stately path, called the Forecourt that leads to the main building. The drive up to the T shaped Forecourt, is lined with trees and water channels,” according to the official website. Much like the rest of the complex, which was built in 1929 by British architects Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens, the forecourt of the building also features red and cream sandstones. The building of a presidential palace and other key structures in the vicinity, such as the Parliament, followed the shifting of the British capital to Delhi from Kolkata in 1911. The inspiration for its architecture included the preceding rulers of Delhi, such as the Mughals and the Rajputs. There are 31 steps in the forecourt that lead to a platform. It has twelve Tuscan pillars which resemble features of Greek architecture. In the book The Arts and Interiors of Rashtrapati Bhavan: Lutyens and Beyond (2016), published by the Government of India, it is noted that the steps lead to the grand Durbar Hall that is situated directly under the main dome. Features of the forecourt The book further mentions some key features associated with the forecourt: “The seat of the President lies at the end of the central axis that looks straight in the direction of the Rampurva Bull, the Jaipur Column, and the India Gate on Rajpath.” Rampurva Bull is a third century BC sandstone capital of an Ashokan Pillar which has been placed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Visible from the forecourt, it was discovered at Rampurva in Bihar. According to the presidential house book, it was carved out of a single piece of rock. Next, the Jaipur Column is 145 feet tall and located at the forecourt, at an approximate distance of 555 feet from the main gate. Jaipur’s king Sawai Madho Singh sponsored the towering white column to King George V in 1911 with the shifting of the capital, to pledge his allegiance to the Crown. Along with the Jaipur Column, six guns and carriages occupied the forecourt before 1973. “These had been obtained from the Allahabad arsenal for the purpose of decoration of the royal camp during the Delhi Durbar of 1911—12. It was discovered that crowns had been engraved on the guns and thus could not be removed,” the Lutyens book notes. At the Delhi Durbar, Indian monarchs were called to attend the coronation of King George and Queen Mary as the Emperor and Empress of India. However, the colonial era features did not lend well to an independent nation. “It was finally decided that the British crowns engraved on the guns could be chiselled off… The under secretary, however, directed that the task of obliterating the British crowns and coat of arms from these guns and carriages must be completed by 5 August 1973, so that by the time ofIndependence Day that year, there was no trace of British emblems,” it says. What other events usually take place here? The forecourt is used for the ceremonial reception of visiting Heads of State & Heads of Government as also for the Change of Guard ceremony. It is when the President's Bodyguard, the senior most Regiment of the Indian Army, switches guards from time to time to let a new set of troops take charge.
