Some glimpses of my
walking tour with ‘Old Cliff Archives’ to ‘Lok Bhavan’ (erstwhile, ‘Raj Bhavan’
/ ‘Government House’) … which serves as the official residence of the Governor
of West Bengal. It is a heritage building, a relic of the British era.
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‘Raj Bhavan’ was built
during the tenure of Marquess of Wellesley, Governor-General (1760-1842) to
serve as the seat of British power in India. The Neo-Classical structure with Baroque
overtones is impressive grand with its columns, verandas and high ceilings. It was
designed by Captain Charles Wyatt, modeled on the Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire
(the ancestral house of Lord Curzon, Governor-General of India and occupant of
the Government House), as the grand symbol colonial authority in the Indian
sub-continent. It is believed, Lord Wellesley was dissatisfied with the
Buckingham House, a rented house on the same grounds, and decided to build a
Government House which would be a more suitable residence for the
Governor-General as he famously said, “India should be ruled from a Palace and
not from a Counting House; with the ideas of a Prince, not with those of a
retail dealer in muslins and indigo”.
The Raj Bhavan stood far away from the metropolis, amidst acres of lush green gardens. However, when it was built there were no gardens as the building was intended to be a prominent landmark to be admired from afar. Gardening was started by Emily Eden, sister of Lord Auckland, Governor-General of India from 1836 to 1842. The Raj Bhavan gardens now include two lakes and a bridge which were also planned by Emily. To the South-West of Raj Bhavan is the Eden Gardens Park named after the Eden sisters. Tall wrought iron gates with massive lions perched at the top visually convey the message: the ‘plebian’ must keep away from the residence of the Governor General, the representative of the British Monarch and the Throne. Raj Bhavan was indeed a ‘palace’ where Governors-General and Viceroys made political decisions that decided the fate and fortune of millions of people and the history of the Indian sub-continent; till 1st April, 1912, when the capital shifted to Delhi. Some of the major colonial policies such as Macaulay’s Minute (1835), the Doctrine of Lapse (1948-56) and the Partition of Bengal (1902), were planned and put into action in the Raj Bhavan.
From the North Gate
The plan of Raj Bhavan comprises a central core with four radiating wings. The building is accessed from the north by a grand staircase. In the south, there is a portico and colonnade. Raj Bhavan has sixty rooms besides halls, porticos, verandahs, banquets and the grand Throne Room. At the bottom of the grand staircase stands a Chinese Winged Cannon. It is a trophy of war, commemorating the peace ‘dictated’ to China, as noted on its plaque, after the First Opium War (1839-1842). It was installed by Lord Ellenborough, Governor-General of India (1842-1844). The ornate artifact reminds one of the power and reach of the British Empire – its territorial and commercial expansion, specifically the history of the controversial opium trade. Several more cannons and guns were added as trophies as the British established administrative control over new territories – Sindh (Pakistan), Punjab (India-Pakistan), Mandalay (Myanmar), Kabul (Afghanistan), Seringapatnam (Tipu Sultan’s capital). Two exquisite sculptures of the Sphinx were installed in the early 19th century on either side of the staircase. The figures have female heads and the bodies of lions, consistent with the traditional Greek / European representation of a sphinx, rather than the male Egyptian version.
Raj Bhavan showcases the re-assembled British Royal Coat of Arms on the sprawling greens as part of its history. The lost Coat of Arms that once adorned the four corners of the Raj Bhavan terrace were discovered and restored by former Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and his successor, Governor M K Narayanan as with the help of Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage). The Royal insignia had been dismantled after Independence to prepare Raj Bhavan for the first Indian Governor-General of Bengal, C Rajagopalachari.
A unique piece of
mechanical heritage is the golden bird-cage lift installed by OTIS Elevator
Company in 1892, on the instruction of Lord Curzon. It remains operational and
is still used by the Governor of West Bengal. It is perhaps the first lift in
the sub-continent. Numerous historical artifacts displayed all around: a ceremonial
carriage used by Governor-Generals, ornate chandeliers, furniture, mirrors and
paintings. The Marble Hall in the ground floor of the Raj Bhavan displays
marble busts and replica of famous Indian sculptures. The Raj Bhavan has a modest
library which holds an impressive collective of rare books, manuscripts and
photographs from Governors-General, Viceroys and past Governors’ collections,
dating from the British era to the present.
