Rashtrapati Tapovan is a newly opened green retreat inside the Presidential Estate on Rajpur Road, Dehradun. Spread over around 19 acres, it has forest trails, meditation decks, small viewpoints, water channels, natural vegetation and curated biodiversity zones. The idea is to give visitors a feeling of being in a quiet Himalayan forest while still being inside the city. Interpretation boards talk about trees, birds and animals; rustic seating, gazebos and small clearings are designed for yoga, walks and silent reflection. Together with the nearby Rashtrapati Niketan (the historic presidential retreat), this area is being shaped as a public heritage–cum–eco zone rather than just a VIP property.
About this place
History & highlights
This land was originally part of the President’s Bodyguard estate on the outskirts of old Dehradun, with stables and orchards for horses that could not bear Delhi’s heat. The main bungalow, built in 1920, became a residence for the unit’s commandant and later evolved into Rashtrapati Ashiana / now Rashtrapati Niketan, an official presidential retreat used by several Presidents. After years of limited use, the estate was renovated under President Pranab Mukherjee and then further reimagined under President Droupadi Murmu. In 2025, she inaugurated Rashtrapati Tapovan and the redeveloped Niketan, opening them for public viewing as spaces that combine biodiversity, art, archives and equestrian history. Tapovan has been created in partnership with the Forest Department as a model of urban nature conservation, though recent news also highlights debates about tree felling and how to balance eco-tourism with protection of Dehradun’s last green lungs.
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