Top News

Why 9 governors' residences have been renamed Lok Bhavan
02 Dec 2025

Eight states and a Union Territory have renamed their Raj Bhavans or governors' residences, to Lok Bhavan or Lok Niwas following a directive by The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The change is aimed at removing colonial-era nomenclature.

The decision comes after a suggestion was made at the governors' conference last year to drop the term "Raj Bhavan" due to its colonial connotations.

States and UTs implement MHA's directive
Implementation

The states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Gujarat and Tripura have implemented the change. Ladakh's Raj Niwas has also been renamed Lok Niwas.

The MHA had requested that "offices of governor and office of Lt governor may be named as 'Lok Bhavan' and 'Lok Niwas,' respectively."

Modi government's efforts to shed colonial past
Cultural shift

The Modi government has been working to remove traces of India's colonial past.

Earlier, it had renamed Rajpath as Kartavya Path and started using "Bharat" instead of "India" in several official communications.

Government websites now prioritize Hindi content, although English options are available.

The music at the Beating Retreat ceremony also no longer features English hymns like "Abide with me."

Tamil Nadu Governor's office officially redesignated
Official announcement

In Tamil Nadu, the Governor's office has been officially redesignated as Lok Bhavan with immediate effect.

An official release said this is a step toward moving away from colonial nomenclature and reinforcing people-centric democracy.

In Kerala too, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar called the renaming a major step from a "colonial mindset" to a democratic one.

"This initiative aligns with the broader vision of empowering citizens, strengthening governance systems, and ensuring inclusive growth," the Governor said.