File Photo: President Pranab Mukherjee.
President Pranab Mukherjee today inaugurated a 'Nakshatra Vatika' in the gardens of Rashtrapati Nilayam in Hyderabad, one of the Presidential Retreats.
He took a round of the garden and watered a plant representing 'Surya' or the Sun God.
He was accompanied by Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh E S L Narasimhan and Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Ali, an official release said.
The garden will be open to public along with other gardens of the Nilayam in the first week of January 2016.
The layout of 'Nakshatra Vatika' has been developed in various geometrical combinations corresponding to the Sree Chakra of Vedic astrology on a 0.91 acre plot.
In the core, the formation is square shaped and accommodates nine squares to represent the 'Navagrah' (planets), it said.
Each square is planted with a particular tree or plant variety that represents the respective planet and is placed as per the astronomical direction. The first inner circular band is divided in 12 small circles at parts of 30A each corresponding to the 12 Rashi (zodiac sign). Each has a plant that represents the particular zodiac sign.
The outer circular band consists of 27 parts of 13A- 20A each with small circles which represents each a Nakshatra (Stars), planted with a representative tree or plant of that particular star.
In all, 48 trees or plants representing nine navgrahs, 12 rashi and 27 nakshatra are present in the garden.
Besides these, the Peepal tree, Banana tree and Bilva have been also placed in appropriate locations in the Vatika bringing the total to 51 trees or plants.
A herbal garden already exists at the Nilayam Gardens and this will be the second specialised garden within the complex.
Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi has within its premises a Nakshatra Garden, Herbal Garden, Cactus Garden, Spiritual Garden, Bonsai Garden over and above the famous Mughal Gardens with its large collection of roses.
The President arrived here on June 29 for a customary southern sojourn, which ends on July 8.