Raj Bhavan, Karnataka is the official residence of the
governor of Karnataka
The Governor of Karnataka is the constitutional head of the Indian state of Karnataka. The governor is appointed by the president of India for a term of five years, and holds office at the president's pleasure. The governor is ''de jure'' head ...
located in Bengaluru city, in the
State of Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...
, India. Constructed in the late 18th century. It formerly served as the official residence of the
governor of Madras State.
History
Formerly known as the Bengaluru Residency Mysuru state residency or, simply, residency. It is located in the capital city of
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
,
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
. During
Mysore Kingdom
The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Brit ...
, the building was home to the Resident of Commissioner that was in
subsidiary alliance with the Kingdom of Mysore.
Situated at the highest point in Bangalore, High Grounds (3031 feet above sea level), it was built by
Sir Mark Cubbon between 1840 and 1842 when he was the Commissioner of
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
territories of the British. After Cubbon left in 1861, the bungalow was put up for sale and purchased by the succeeding commissioner,
Lewin Bentham Bowring, using government funds, and became the official residence of the Commissioner.
A ballroom was constructed in 1874 when the King
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
, Prince of Wales, visited India. It was named 'Serapis Room' after the ship which brought the Prince to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. Many changes were made to the building during its existence in the British Raj.In 1881, when power over the territory was transferred back to the Mysore Royal family, the office of the Commissioner was abolished.
Post 1947
The building became the official residence of the Resident and came to be called the Residency till the
Independence of India
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
(15 August 1947) when the Residency was abolished. The
Constitution of Independent India created the office of the "Raj Pramukh" (Governor). The Maharaja of Mysore was made the first Raj Pramukh of Mysore. Although the Residency was converted to the official residence of the Raj Pramukh, the Maharaja of Mysore chose not to stay there, preferring his own palaces at Bangalore and Mysore. Hence, the Residency was converted to a state
guesthouse
A guest house (also guesthouse) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the exclusive use o ...
by 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, c ...
. State guests such as the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...
, the
Vice President of India, central government ministers and chief ministers of other states stayed at the Residency. The
Chief Minister of Karnataka
The chief minister of Karnataka, formerly known as the chief minister of Mysore, is the chief executive officer of the government of the Indian state of Karnataka. As per the Constitution of India, the governor of Karnataka is the state's ''de j ...
hosted parties at the Residency. On
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
and
Republic Day, parties were hosted by the Raj Pramukh, a tradition that has continued till now.
The Residency was also used by the
Congress party
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
for its legislature party meetings.
During
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
's visit to India, his wife
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
stayed at the Residency.
In 1964, the then Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, became the Governor of Madras, and relinquished his gubernatorial post in Mysore. General S M Srinagesh succeeded him, and moved into the Raj Bhavan. It has been the residence of the Governor of the state since.
Originally a single storeyed building, the Raj Bhavan was expanded by the addition of a first floor in 1967, built carefully to adhere to the architectural style of the original structure.
The art collection comprises paintings of a variety of Indian schools of art, as well as some from the West.
The residence is surrounded by beautiful gardens stretching over . The garden is fringed with century old pine and fir trees, and has an
artificial waterfall
An artificial waterfall is a water feature or fountain which imitates a natural waterfall.
Artificial waterfalls have long been featured in traditional Japanese gardens, where they can serve to highlight a scene or to provide focus. The classic ...
.
See also
*
Government Houses of the British Indian Empire
References
External links
The official web site of Governor of KarnatakaPhotographic tour of Raj Bhavan, Karnataka
{{Raj Bhavan
Governors' houses in India
Palaces in Bangalore
Government of Karnataka
Government buildings in Karnataka
Houses completed in 1842
1964 establishments in Mysore State