The Narendra Modi government’s renaming of Raj Bhavans to “Lok Bhavan” marks a major shift from colonial-era symbolism to citizen-centric governance.
The Narendra Modi government’s renaming of Raj Bhavans to “Lok Bhavan” marks a major shift from colonial-era symbolism to citizen-centric governance. (Image Credit: Times of India)
NEW DELHI: In a striking reflection of the Narendra Modi government’s push to recast the language and symbolism of Indian governance, at least eight states and one Union Territory have renamed their Raj Bhavans to “Lok Bhavan”, signalling a shift from colonial-era authority to citizen-centric service.
The move is part of a broader pattern championed by Prime Minister Modi, who has repeatedly sought to anchor public institutions in the ideas of seva (service) and kartavya (duty). Government buildings, central avenues and official residences have undergone symbolic rebranding during his tenure, with names reframed to project responsibility rather than privilege.
The most visible example came in 2022, when Delhi’s Rajpath ,a ceremonial relic of the British Raj, was renamed Kartavya Path, underscoring what the Prime Minister described as India’s transition from rulers and subjects to citizens and duties.
Earlier, in 2016, the Prime Minister’s official residence shed its imperial tone to become Lok Kalyan Marg, a name intended to reflect public welfare.
Other institutional spaces have followed. The new PMO complex is called Seva Teerth, and the upcoming Central Secretariat has been christened Kartavya Bhavan , each term deliberately framed around service, accountability and transparency.
Officials involved in the renaming proposal for Raj Bhavans said the shift is intended to “align constitutional offices with the spirit of a citizen-first democracy,” distancing them from colonial-era nomenclature. The adoption of “Lok Bhavan” by multiple states and a Union Territory marks the first coordinated transformation of gubernatorial residences since Independence.
Political observers say the symbolic overhaul reflects the ideological imprint of the Modi years- a sustained attempt to infuse administrative spaces with the vocabulary of nationalism, duty, and moral governance.
Old timers, who have known the PM since his early days in Gujarat and have followed his working style, said that Modi has, for decades, steadily worked on the objective of taking steps that resonates with the common people of the country.
