Raj Bhavan ( hi, राज भवन,

translation Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

: ''Government House'') is the

official residence An official residence is the residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-related functions. ...

of the

governor of Madhya Pradesh The governor of Madhya Pradesh is a nominal head and representative of the president of India in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The governor is appointed by the president for a period of five years. Governors of Madhya Pradesh See also * Madh ...

. It is located in the capital city of

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

History

In 1880, Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal constructed the present Raj Bhavan as a place of stay for the British officers. It was initially named Lal Kothi. Thus, 1880 onwards, Lal Kothi became the official residence of the British Political Agents posted at

Commissioner Period

On 1 June 1949 Bhopal was merged with the Union of India ending the princely rule of 250 years. The

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

appointed an administrative head for Bhopal, called the Chief Commissioner and ''Lal Kothi'' was chosen as the official residence of the Chief Commissioner and was renamed ''Commissioner House'' The ''Lal Kothi'' served as a ''Commissioner House'' from 1 June 1949 to 1 December 1956.

Formation of Madhya Pradesh

The States Reorganisation Act of 1956, Bhopal state was integrated into the state of Madhya Pradesh, and Bhopal was declared as its capital. The Government of India appointed Governors of Madhya Pradesh as the head of the state and ''Lal Kothi'' was once again chosen as the official residence of the Governors of Madhya Pradesh. The ''Commissioner House'' was renamed as Raj Bhavan. Since then it has served as the official residence of the Governors of Madhya Pradesh.

Building

Built in 1880 by the Nawab of Bhopal State, Begum Shahjahan by a European architecture under the supervision of Austate Cook (a French Engineer), Built over an area of and the total cost incurred on construction was Rs. 72,878,3 annas and one paisa. It was the first Kothi in the city of Bhopal with roof made of red China clay 'Kavelus' and the predominant colour of the Kothi was red. For these reason they named this building Lal Kothi. A prevalent custom in the then erstwhile State of Bhopal (a Muslim State) was that whenever the State or the feudal lords constructed any building, the foundation stone for a masjid was laid first. Thus, a small mosque was built first around the campus of Lal Kothi. The erstwhile Bhopal Government had sought the help of the British and PWD authorities in decorating the Kothi on European lines.

References

External links

Official Web Site of Raj Bhavan
Governors' houses in India Buildings and structures in Bhopal Government of Madhya Pradesh 1880 establishments in India {{India-gov-stub