The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library is located in the historic and pictruresque Teen Murti Bhavan complex, on the southern tip of Raisina Hills of the Aravalli ranges. Endowed with natural features, the beauty of the garden estate and woodlands are further enhanced by formal landscaped gardens, semi-formal parks and some stretches in semi-natural wilderness.
The lush green lawns of Teen Murti Bhavan form the central venue for major events, programmes and festivals, particularly for children and youth, that are held regularly. Utilization of diverse natural spaces is also being integrated into the numerous programmes and activities organized by NMML. Nature walks are conducted in the campus specially for diverse groups of children and youth from varying socio-economic and regional backgrounds, schools and institutions to help them in learning first-hand about ecology, the trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, herbs, birds and butterflies in an environmentally conducive space where they can also experience nature's bounty.
Following an exploratory exercise of the gardens by two of Delhi's environment and tree experts, a National Consultation on the subject was held with forty eminent persons from the fields of environment education, water harvesting, architecture and landscape and ornithology and representatives from Forest Research Institute; Botanical Survey of India; Development Alternatives; Delhi Government - Parks and Gardens Department; Ministry of Environment and Forest; World Wildlife Fund; Delhi Urban Arts Commission; Central Public Works Department and New Delhi Municipal Committee (Horticulture).
The guiding principles that emerged from the consultation are preservation of the historical heritage of the place and restoration, where it has been corrupted; a move towards the gardens and grounds becoming organic and ecologically sound and adopting a set of ecologically sound practices within the institution and creating a systematic way of sustaining it.
An advisory group provides relevant inputs to the Garden and Estates work, a component of NMML's modernization project. Development plans for the Garden and Estate include:
Survey and assessment of the entire estate and compilation of a tree census
Water testing (by Delhi Urban Greens and Development Alternatives) and work towards water treatment and its recharging
Synergizing with the architects to reduce the ecological footprint in terms of energy and water consumption
Survey and analysis of waste generation and the steps required for its proper management
Study of floral and faunal health and diversity, along with soil analysis and steps to restore bio-diversity and organic nature of the garden.
Committed to conservation of heritage, it is an important goal of NMML to preserve the rich and diverse natural heritage of the garden estate, give it a facelift and develop it as a zone of beauty, diversity and serenity. Restoration of the grandeur and beauty of the Teen Murti House garden estate will be a befitting tribute to the memory of Jawaharlal Nehru and his love for nature.
