Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], December 30 (HBTV): Haryana’s Governor House has officially been renamed ‘Lok Bhavan’, joining several other states that have implemented the Centre’s directive to rename Raj Bhavans across the country.
The move is part of a broader initiative under the Narendra Modi government, which is being projected as a shift in India’s democratic ethos, emphasising responsibility over power and service over status. The renaming follows a communication from the Union Home Ministry urging states to adopt the change.
Earlier, Rajasthan’s Raj Bhavan was officially renamed ‘Lok Bhavan’, with a notification issued by the Governor’s Secretariat under the instructions of Governor Haribhau Bagde. Explaining the rationale, Governor Bagde said the decision reflects the core spirit of the Indian Constitution, which begins with the words ‘We the People of India’.
He said that in a democracy, the people remain supreme and that the Governor’s workplace should reflect this principle. ‘Lok Bhavan is not just a change in nomenclature, it symbolises the sentiments and aspirations of the people,’ he said.
According to the Governor, the term ‘Raj’ is intrinsically linked with the country’s colonial past, and replacing it aligns with the Centre’s broader efforts to discard remnants of British rule. Similar changes have also been implemented in other states, including Odisha, while West Bengal’s Raj Bhavan in Kolkata was renamed ‘Lok Bhavan’ on November 29.
Sources said India’s public institutions are undergoing a gradual shift in governance philosophy, with an emphasis on moving from ‘satta to seva’ and from authority to responsibility. They said the renaming exercise is not merely administrative but reflects a deeper cultural and moral transition.
In a post on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated the resolve of service by naming the Prime Minister’s Office as Seva Tirth. Further, the names of Raj Bhavan and Raj Niwas are being changed to Lok Bhavan and Lok Niwas. This is an important milestone in the golden journey of building a developed and superior India in every field, keeping service and good governance paramount.’
The complex housing the Prime Minister’s Office has been renamed ‘Seva Teerth’, while the Prime Minister’s official residence was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg in 2016, a name intended to convey public welfare rather than exclusivity.
The renaming of Raj Bhavans to Lok Bhavans is being viewed as part of a wider national effort to align institutions of governance more closely with India’s democratic values and cultural identity. (ANI)