Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Saturday implemented a central directive and renamed Raj Bhavan as Lok Bhavan.
Raj Bhavan, built in 1803, was initially known as “Government House” and served as the official residence of the Viceroy of India during the British era till 1911, when the capital was moved to Delhi.
After Independence, it was renamed Raj Bhavan and became the official residence of the Bengal governor.
Governor Bose removed the word “Raj” from different places in the Governor’s House and replaced it with the word “Lok”. He also stuck a Lok Bhavan sticker on a car.
“Today is a red-letter day as far as the Governor’s House is concerned, anywhere in India. Now it will not be Raj Bhavan but Lok Bhavan, following a decision of the Government of India. As we know, two years back, Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu handed over a symbolic key of the then Raj Bhavan to Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, heralding a new era of people’s Raj Bhavan — the Jana Raj Bhavan. Now the concept has been accepted (for all Raj Bhavans),” said Bose.
A source said the Union home ministry in its communiqué dated November 25 directed Raj Bhavans across the country be renamed Lok Bhavans. The official residences for the Lieutenant-governors of Delhi, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry, the Raj Niwas, would become Lok Niwas. This was done according to the recommendations made during the conference of governors in 2024.
“All letterheads and envelopes issued from erstwhile ‘Raj Bhavan’ shall henceforth have ‘Lok Bhavan’ printed on them. All mentions of erstwhile ‘Raj Bhavan’ in its holdings at Calcutta, Barrackpore, and Darjeeling must be replaced with ‘Lok Bhavan’,” the source said.
Bose has taken multiple steps to open Raj Bhavan to the public, making the previously restricted House accessible to all. An official said that Bose’s concept was now adopted by the Centre for all Raj Bhavans across the country.