New Delhi: Delhi University's North Campus Mughal Garden has been renamed as the 'Gautam Buddha Centenary' Garden on January 27. The administration said the name was changed because the garden does not have a Mughal design and it was not built by the Mughals. The Gautam Buddha statue has been standing in the garden for at least 15 years.
"The competent authority of the University of Delhi has approved the name of the garden (opposite the ViceRegal Lodge) with the statue of Gautam Buddha in its centre as Gautam Buddha Centenary Garden," said Registrar Vikas Gupta, in a notification dated January 27.
This comes right after the Rashtrapati Bhavan changed the name of its famed Mughal Gardens to 'Amrit Udyan' on Saturday. A university official said the coinciding of the name change was a matter of chance, and that the varsity had come to the decision after a prolonged discussion with its Garden Committee.
An official told PTI that the Mughal gardens have specific designs with a pond, running water, and two cones of fountains on either side. Mughal gardens have fruit and flower trees. You can see at the Taj Mahal and other places that the Mughal garden has fruit trees, especially peaches and litchi. None of these features are in this garden. He added that many botanists and people with expertise in the matter have pointed this out.
"We want to prepare brochures and pamphlets for the flower show. The recommendation for the change in name was sent to the Vice Chancellor 15 days back and it is a mere coincidence that the Mughal Garden name was also changed," said the official.