Raj Bhavan is the

official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...

of the

Governor of West Bengal The Governor of West Bengal is the nominal head of the Indian state of West Bengal. The governor is appointed by the president of India. C. V. Ananda Bose is the incumbent governor, having taken office on 18 November 2022. History In 1911 the ...

, located in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

, the capital of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. Built in 1803, it was known as Government House during the

Company rule in India Company rule in India (also known as the Company Raj, from Hindi , ) refers to regions of the Indian subcontinent under the control of the British East India Company (EIC). The EIC, founded in 1600, established its first trading post in India ...

and the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. After the transfer of power from the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

to the

British Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

in 1858, it became the official residence of the

Viceroy of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the Emperor of ...

, moving here from the Belvedere Estate. With the shifting of the Indian capital from then Calcutta to Delhi in 1911, it became the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. Since Indian independence in August 1947, it has served as the official residence of the

and is known as the

Raj Bhavan Raj Bhavan () is the common name of the official residences of the governors of the states of India and may refer to: List of Raj Bhavan See also * Raj Niwas *Rashtrapati Ashiana *Rashtrapati Bhavan *Rashtrapati Nilayam Rashtrapati Nilaya ...

, a name it shares with the official residences of other states' governors.

History

In the early nineteenth century, Calcutta was at the height of its golden age. Known as the City of Palaces or

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

of the East, Calcutta was the richest, largest and the most elegant colonial city of India. Before 1799, the

Governor-General of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the emperor o ...

resided in a rented house, called 'Buckingham House', located in the same location. The land belonged to Mohammad Reza Khan, a Nawab of Chitpur. In 1799, the 1st Marquess Wellesley, the then Governor-General, who is reputed to have said that "India should be governed from a

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

, not from a

country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...

", began the construction of a grand mansion. After four years' construction, it was completed at a colossal cost of £63,291 (about £3.8 million in today's estimate). Lord Wellesley was accused of misusing the

's funds and was finally recalled back to England in 1805. After the transfer of power from the

to the

in 1858, it became the official residence of the

, moving here from the Belvedere Estate. In 1892, the

Otis Elevator Company Otis Worldwide Corporation (trade name, branded as the Otis Elevator Company, its former legal name) styled as OTIS is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment. ...

installed the first elevator in India at the Raj Bhavan. Construction of

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

as the new capital of the British Raj was begun in 1911, with the chief official residence of the Viceroy and Governor-General being eventually moved there too, the new official residence being named

Viceroy's House The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, ISO: ''Rāṣṭrapati Bhavana''; ; formerly Viceroy's House (1931–1947) and Government House (1947–1950)) is the official residence of the President of the Republic of India at the western end of Rajpath, Rai ...

. The Lieutenant-Governor of

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

, who had hitherto resided in Belvedere House, was upgraded to a full governor and transferred to Government House in Calcutta.

Architecture

Government House was designed by Capt. Charles Wyatt on the lines of

Kedleston Hall Kedleston Hall is a neo-classical manor house owned by the National Trust, and seat of the :Curzon family, Curzon family, located near Kedleston in Derbyshire, England, approximately 4 miles (6 km) north-west of Derby. The medieval village ...

, the

Curzon family Curzon may refer to: People Americans * Aria Curzon (born 1987), American actress * Walter de Curzon Poultney (1845–1929), one of Baltimore, Maryland's most colorful and flamboyant high-society members Britons * Christopher Curzon (born 1958), ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

.Roy, Nishitranjan,''Swasato Kolkata Ingrej Amaler Sthapathya'', , pp. 48, 1st edition, 1988, Prtikhan Press Pvt. Ltd. The building follows a neoclassical style with distinct

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

overtones. In a strange coincidence, a 100 years after its construction started, the most illustrious son of the Curzon family,

Lord Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), known as Lord Curzon (), was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, explorer and writer who served as Viceroy of India ...

, would come to occupy the building as the Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1899-1905). Curzon described the Government House as “without doubt the finest Government House occupied by the representative of any Sovereign or Government in the world.” In 1860s, Viceroy

James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, (20 July 181120 November 1863) was a British colonial administrator and diplomat. He served as Governor of Jamaica (1842–1846), Governor General of the Province of Canada (1847– ...

added the metallic Dome. Lord Curzon brought electricity and lift (popularly known as the ‘Bird Cage Lift") to Raj Bhavan. KolkataRajbhavanGate

The architectural plan comprises a central core with four radiating wings. The state rooms located in the central core are accessed from the outside by a flight of grand steps on the north. On the south is another portico surmounted by a colonnaded verandah with a dome above. The four wings accommodate the various offices and residential quarters along with four sets of staircases. The plan of the wings allows for a great deal of natural ventilation in the spaces while also permitting views across the gardens. The wings are decorated with large

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

. The Raj Bhavan covers an area of and is surrounded by a compound of . The Raj Bhavan has six gateways, one each on the north and south and two each on the east and west. The four gates on the east and west have grand archways topped with lions, while the minor archways on the side are topped with sphinxes. Raj Bhavan 4

The best view of the Raj Bhavan is obtained from the North Gate, which also serves as the main gate. The main entrance, formed by six ionic pillars supporting a pediment, is approached by a long walk past a decorated Chinese cannon presented by

Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough (8 September 1790 – 22 December 1871), was a British Tory politician. He was four times President of the Board of Control and also served as Governor-General of India between 1842 and 1844. Background an ...

. The Chinese cannon, mounted on a dragon and flanked with minor cannons, was brought from

Nanking Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yan ...

in 1842 after the

First Opium War The First Opium War ( zh, t=第一次鴉片戰爭, p=Dìyīcì yāpiàn zhànzhēng), also known as the Anglo-Chinese War, was a series of military engagements fought between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing dynasty between 1839 and 1 ...

. An inscription on a marble plaque reads "The

peace Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...

dictated to the

Emperor of China Throughout Chinese history, "Emperor" () was the superlative title held by the monarchs of imperial China's various dynasties. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was the " Son of Heaven", an autocrat with the divine mandat ...

under the walls of Nanking by the military force of England and of India".

Interior

The three-storeyed Raj Bhavan building has a huge central area consisting of large halls having curved corridors on all four sides radiating to detached wings, each constituting a house in itself. Including public halls, there are about 60 rooms in the building. In 2017, West Bengal

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Keshari Nath Tripathi Keshari Nath Tripathi (10 November 1934 – 8 January 2023) was an Indian politician, who served as Governor of West Bengal from July 2014 to July 2019 and also as Governor of Bihar, Meghalaya, and Mizoram at various times. He was a member of ...

Indianised the names of these suites - the Prince of Wales suite was renamed to

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

''Kaksh;'' Wellesley Suite to Sagar ''Kaksh;'' Dufferin Suite to

Kangchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...

''Kaksh;'' Anderson Suite to

Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda () (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. Vivekananda was a major figure in th ...

''Kaksh''.

Residential suites

The residential portion is divided into four suites. The

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

Suite in the north-west wing of the first floor hosts the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

and the

Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...

and heads of state of other nations when they visit the state of

. The Wellesley Suite is located on the second floor in the north-eastern wing, the Dufferin Suite is on the second floor of north-west wing, and the fourth suite is the Anderson Suite.

Drawing and dining rooms

Yellow Drawing Room: Located on the first floor of the Raj Bhavan, the beautiful drawing room has some wonderful paintings. Blue Drawing Room: An elegantly furnished room used by the governor to meet guest. Brown Dining Room: Adjacent to the Blue Dining room, it is used for small conferences and meetings.

Halls and banquet rooms

Throne Room: The Throne Room contains the throne of Richard Wellesley. Beside it is throne of

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...

. The room contains oil paintings of

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

Subhas Chandra Bose Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian independence movement, Indian nationalist whose defiance of British raj, British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with ...

Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...

, and

Bidhan Chandra Roy Bidhan Chandra Roy (1 July 1882 – 1 July 1962) was an Indian physician and politician who served as Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1950 until his death in 1962. He played a key role in the founding of several institutions and cities like ...

. It also contains an urn used to carry the Mahatma Gandhi's ashes. Council Chamber: The Governor General used the Council Chamber to preside over the executive and later the Legislative Council. It is now used by the Governor of West Bengal to hold large meetings. A small dining room known as the

Bharat Ratna The Bharat Ratna (; ) is the highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of "exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distin ...

Room and a billiard room is located just outside the Council Chamber. The Marble Hall: Located on the ground floor of the Raj Bhavan. It is used for state and private meetings. The Banquet Hall: The Banquet Hall with rows of Doric pillars on each side, flowering chandeliers and black

Mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

tables has entertained eminent guests like Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

Picture gallery

Old photos

Rajbhavan1.jpg, Government House, Calcutta, by

John Christian Schetky John Christian Schetky (11 August 1778 – 29 January 1874) was a British painter who specialised in marine art. Early life Schetky was descended from an old Hungarian-Transylvanian family, which, for political reasons, had emigrated to L ...

FraserCalcuttaGovernmentHouse.jpg, A View of the Government House from the eastern side-1819. Engraved by R Havell Jr In Views of Calcutta and its Environs by James Baillie Fraser Rajbahavan.jpg, Calcutta - Government House, South Front, by

Samuel Bourne Samuel Bourne (30 October 1834 – 24 April 1912) was a British photographer known for his prolific seven years' work in India, from 1863 to 1870. Together with Charles Shepherd, he set up Bourne & Shepherd first in Shimla in 1863 and later i ...

Samuel Davis - New Government House at Calcutta - B1977.14.177 - Yale Center for British Art.jpg, New Government House at Calcutta by

Samuel Davis Samuel or Sam Davis may refer to: * Samuel Davis (orientalist) (1760–1819), British orientalist and amateur artist * Samuel Davis (American politician) (1774–1831), U.S. representative from Massachusetts * Samuel Davis (Canadian politician) (19 ...

Gouvernementshuis te Calcutta in India, KITLV 152331.tiff, The Government House of Calcutta, bird's eye view,

Present photos

Government House - Kolkata 2011-12-18 0188.JPG, Raj Bhavan on a foggy winter morning Raj Bhavan 3.jpg, Raj Bhavan from South Gate Raj Bhaban 2.jpg, Arched gate Raj Bhavan Governor's House.jpg, Raj Bhawan on a winter morning

References

External links

The official website of Governor of West Bengal
* * * *

Undated 19th Century painting {{Tourist attractions in Kolkata Governors' houses in West Bengal Houses completed in 1803 Palaces in Kolkata Tourist attractions in Kolkata Governors' houses in India Government buildings in West Bengal Neoclassical architecture in India