Plans for the construction of Rashtrapati Bhavan began in 1911 when the British monarch, King George V, decided to move the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. The palace's design combines both Western and Indian architectural influences and with 340 rooms, Rashtrapati Bhavan is the largest presidential residence in the world. Accustomed to the high security surrounding the White House, we were surprised to find only one armed guard protecting the palace entrance.