Rashtrapati Bhavan

Rashtrapati Bhavan is fun to say.
And fun to see.

It has a beautiful gate, which stops you from getting any closer to the presidential residence, but you can stand there and admire it for as long as you like.

Standing here beside the gate, you can also see the Jaipur column, which was a gift from the Maharajah of Jaipur to the British when they were constructing Luyten's Delhi. It has an inscription on it which reads:

In thought faith,
In word wisdom,
In deed courage,
In life service,
So may India be great.

Rashtrapati Bhavan stands at one end of Rajpath and can be seen from India Gate.

I wouldn't recommend walking that distance, though.
Or walking from the back side, where the entrance to the Mughal Gardens is.
Both are farther than you imagine. Especially when it's hot and there are not enough ice cream sellers around.
When those auto drivers go past asking whether you want a ride, don't shoo them away. This is good advice--I know because I ignored it twice.

This last picture shows what is known as Lutyen's Waterloo.
Sir Edwin Lutyen, in his design, wanted there to be a perfect eye line from India Gate to the residence on Raisina Hill. The original site of the building was pushed back by several hundred meters, which meant that the hill blocked the view and made the building look small.
Lutyen fought to have the road leveled to a long, inclined grade so the view would be unobscured. He was convinced the overall architectural design would be ruined.
He never won this battle, though, and his defeat was compared to Napoleon's at Waterloo. It would cost too much money at a time when the British were not looking to invest in building projects in India.

I have to agree with him. It's a shame that you can't see the full extent of what an imposing and immense structure lies at the end of Rajpath. It would be a sight worth seeing.

Rajpath

Rajpath is the boulevard that runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan, through India Gate to the National Stadium.

It's a historic place. Designed by Edwin Lutyens and built by the British, it's still where the seat of the Indian government is, ceremonially speaking, and where several administrative offices are located.
The panoramic view is almost unparalleled anywhere else within India.

And so, considering how important it is, I think that some of the sights along Rajpath are rather amusing.

It's also a popular spot for Indian tourists and picnickers. Therefore, it's also full of hawkers and snack sellers.

Some find it to be a good place for an afternoon nap.
For both people and street dogs.

And, oddly, it seems to be a good place to take a bath and do some laundry.

I think that's incredible.

It's the equivalent of bathing and washing clothes in the National Mall of Washington D.C. Would anyone do that?

But this is India, and so it seems to be a naturally accepted part of the scenery.
How could Rajpath ever expect to fit into India if it didn't have the hawkers, the nappers, the bathers and the masses of varied humanity swarming around it?
It just wouldn't.
It all all belongs there, right down to the very last street dog sleeping beside the tree-lined pools.