New Delhi: For the first time in last 20 years, the President of India may opt to ride the open air Presidential buggy at the Beating The Retreat on Jan 29 instead of the six-door bullet-proof limousine, if the weather god permits.
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There was a time when the gold plated Royal presidential buggy was used for all ceremonial occasions but since the last two decades, appearances in the buggy for functions came to be limited to the President's arrival, after swearing-in formalities, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Mukerjee rode one into Rashtrapati Bhavan when he took over as the President.
Due to Mukherjee's fondness for history and heritage he has been using the buggy to move around the Rashtrapati Bhavan campus from the very beginning of his tenure.
Mukerjee even wants to open a museum on the Indian presidency and is making room by relocating the horses and buggies at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
But due to security concern of the President, this royal buggy has been missing the tradition which used to be followed twenty years back on the Republic day.