Raj Bhavan, Kerala | |
---|---|
General information | |
Architectural style | Traditional Kerala |
Location | Thiruvananthapuram, India |
Client | Governor of Kerala |
Technical details | |
Floor area | 22,000 sq ft (2,000 m2) |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Travancore Royal Maramath |
Raj Bhavan (translation: Government House) is the official residence of the Governor of Kerala. It is located in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Built in 1829 as Palace Guest house of Travancore Government Guest, this heritage structure hosts the present governor of Kerala is Justice (Retd) P Sathasivam. [1]
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 between translating and interpreting ; under this distinction, translation can begin only after the appearance of writing within a language community.
An official residence is the residence at which a nation's head of state, head of government, governor, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure officially resides. It may or may not be the same location where the individual conducts work-related functions or lives.
Thiruvananthapuram, commonly known by its former name Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration population is around 1.68 million. Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major Information Technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills.
The Kerala Raj Bhavan was originally constructed by Royal Government of Travancore as a guest palace to accommodate state guests and heads of states while on their official visits to Thiruvananthapuram. For a brief period from 1914 to 1918, the palace was used as War Office of Travancore Army and state armed forces during World War I. During this period, the palace was also the official residence of General Chief of Staff of Travancore Army. For a brief period from 1919 to 1937, the palace was again converted as a guest palace after commissioning of Kowdiar Palace, the royal residence of Travancore Maharajas. From 1937 onwards, the building became guest house of University of Travancore used by various foreign faculties and guest professors. [2]
The Kingdom of Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor) was an Indian kingdom from 1500 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of modern-day central and southern Kerala with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikkam temple in the neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin, as well as the district of Kanyakumari, now in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The official flag of the state was red with a dextrally-coiled silver conch shell at its center. In the early 19th century, the kingdom became a princely state of the British Empire. The Travancore Government took many progressive steps on the socio-economic front and during the reign of Maharajah Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, Travancore became the second most prosperous princely state in British India, with reputed achievements in education, political administration, public work and social reforms.
World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.
Kowdiar Palace in Trivandrum, Kerala, India was built in 1934 by Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal, on Pallikettu (wedding) of his only sister, Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi with Lt. Col. G. V. Raja. After the Constitutional Amendment of 1971, the properties and estates of the royal family were partitioned and divided equally among the branches of the two Travancore Queens, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and Sethu Parvathi Bayi. This Palace belongs to the heirs of Sethu Parvathi Bayi as it was built by her son Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal.
When Kerala was formed in 1957, there were three Raj Bhavan, the Bolgatty Palace of Ernakulam, Devikulam Palace of Munnar (Summer Palace of Travancore Maharajas) and Thiruvananthapuram Raj Bhavan. However, the Government of Kerala later decided to do away with former two Raj Bhavans by converting Bolgatty Palace into a heritage hotel and Devikulam Palace as Government Guest House.
The Government of Kerala headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram is a democratically elected body that governs the Indian State of Kerala. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state government maintains its capital at Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and is seated at the Kerala Government Secretariat or the Hajur Kutcheri.
Built in the Kerala traditional style, the main building of the Raj Bhavan has certain architectural features such as high ceiled, spacious rooms with large windows and doors, with a tinge of Victorian finish. Constructed atop a breezy hillock, it is surrounded by sprawling meadows, velvety lawns, green houses with many species of Anthurium, Orchid, etc. There is also an enchanting fountain at the centre of the main lawn facing the office room of the Governor.
There are 3 major structures, with the main building being the oldest and heritage complex. The main structure is of 22,000 sqft built up space has 3 large halls, a state banquet hall, conference hall, Governor's office, Governor's Secretariat, department offices, conference room and a large library. The East Wing houses Governor's private residence with 18 suites and rooms for personal staff, apart from private dining room and Kitchen. The West Wing houses residences of chief officers, guest rooms and a mini-museum. The Chitra Thirunal Hall, located in West wing, is used for all state ceremonies. A ball room exists in west wing where the New Year celebrations and Onam,Pongal etc celebrations are conducted in Raj Bhavan.
Kerala Raj Bhavan has one of the largest private collections of books among other Raj Bhavans of India. The Raj Bhavan has a good library of about six thousand books on a variety of interesting topics. The Public Relations Section is in charge of the Library. The books have been indexed and neatly displayed on shelves.
With an area of 3.24 hectares, Raj Bhavan Gardens is the centre of attraction to the visitors. The trimmed grass gives the lawn a look of a green carpet spread out, and the artificial water fall, and the three green houses add to the charm of the gardens. Dendrobium, Aranda, Catlia, Arachnis, Moecara, Vanda and Dove orchid grace it. A good collection of Rose and Bigonia are also there. The beautiful statues brought in from Mayiladi, near Sucheendram, Tamil Nadu and placed at appropriate points contribute to the charm of the Kerala Raj Bhavan Gardens. There are also two impressive Band Stands built in regal style, besides a Children's Park, Tennis Court and a Shuttle Court on the premise. The lawn hosts the annual At Home ceremonies during Independence and Republic days.
Also situated in the campus are the 71 Quarters for the Officers and Staff of Kerala Raj Bhavan (the quarters of ADC are situated in the Raj Bhavan - Kowdiar road), Raj Bhavan Dispensary, Office of the Electrical Wing and the Raj Bhavan Employees Co-operative Society. There is a post office exclusively for Raj Bhavan named "The Kerala Governor’s Camp Post Office", where there are facilities for sending speed post, telegrams etc. A security office with 40 security officials and 20 special branch officials are posted.
The British Residency, also known as the Government Guest House or Residency Bungalow, is a two-storeyed palace situated at Asramam in the city of Kollam in the Indian state of Kerala. It lies close to the site of the old Kollam Airport situated at Asramam in the city and was built by Colonel John Munro between 1811–19. It is a noted Kollam landmark like the Chinnakada Clock Tower.
The Raj Bhavan, formerly known during British India as the Bangalore Residency, the Mysore State Residency, or, simply, the Residency, is the official residence of the Governor of Karnataka. It is located in the capital city of Bangalore, Karnataka. During Mysore Kingdom, the building was home to the Resident of the British Agency that was in subsidiary alliance with the Kingdom of Mysore.
Padmanabhapuram Palace is a Travancore era palace located in Padmanabhapuram, Kalkulam taluk of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Kalkulam Palace.
Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of West Bengal, located in the capital city Kolkata. Built in 1803, it was known as Government House before the independence of India.
Bolgatty Palace is a former palace built by the Dutch in India on Bolgatty Island in Kochi, Kerala. One of the oldest existing Dutch palaces outside Holland, this quaint mansion was built in 1744 by Dutch traders and later extended and gardens were landscaped around it. The building was then the Governor's palace for the commander of Dutch Malabar, and in 1909 was leased to the British. It served as the home of the British governors, being the seat of the British Resident of Cochin during the British Raj.
The Raj Bhavan at Darjeeling is the Summer residence for the Governor of West Bengal, It is located in the city of Darjeeling, West Bengal.
The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is a public sector undertaking that conducts and regulates the tourism activities in the Indian state of Kerala. The KTDC is headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram and has offices across all the districts of Kerala. The agency also operates hotels, resorts, and tourist rest houses in key locations in the state. Its official slogan is "Official host to God's own country." It is one of the most profitable ventures of the Kerala government.
Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. It is located in the capital city of Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. The present Governor of Arunachal Pradesh is Padmanabha Acharya.
Raj Bhavan is the official winter residence of the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located in the Winter capital city Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir.
Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of Tripura. It is located in the capital city of Agartala, Tripura. A new Raj Bhavan was built and inaugurated in April 2018. The previous Raj Bhavan was built in 1917, it was known as the Pushbanta Palace in the pre-independence days. It will become a museum and research centre on Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya Debbarman Bahadur. The present governor of Tripura is Kaptan Singh Solanki.
Raj Bhavan of Ooty is the Summer residence of the Governor of Tamil Nadu, It is located in the city of Ooty, Tamil Nadu.
Tourism in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) district in the Indian state of Kerala promotes the area's hill stations, back waters, beaches, lagoons, and wildlife sanctuaries. The area is a tourism destination and receives chartered flights for medical tourism, as there are more than hundred recognised Ayurveda centres in and around the city. This is primarily due to Ayurveda's popularity in foreign countries. Medical tourism is further promoted by modern medicine hospitals in the city. Recuperation facilities are available at five star beach resorts and hill stations nearby.
Vellayambalam is a prominent junction in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala, India. It is situated on the Rajapatha that stretches from Kowdiar to East Fort.
Pattom is a part of the Thiruvananthapuram city of Kerala. It is located approximately 4 kilometres north of centre of Thiruvananthapuram. Pattom is largely a residential area, also housing few important administration offices of Kerala State and a few shopping complexes. It has offices of Kerala Public Service Commission, Kerala State Planning Board, Life Insurance Corporation of India, Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Office, LIC Housing Finance Limited, State Resource Centre, District Panjayat Headquarters, Fire and Rescue Department Headquarters, Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma), Employees Provident Fund Regional Office and Kerala State Electricity Board. The Traffic Police and Telecommunication department, and the Kerala Science, Technology and Environment Head Office are also located in Pattom.
Kerala House is the official state mission of Government of Kerala at New Delhi. As each state of India has to maintain a statutory representative and state mission house in the capital, to liaison with Central Government on behalf of state.
Cliff House is the official residence of the Chief Minister of Kerala, located at Nanthancode in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The Cliff House is part of Cliff House compound, which houses four other ministerial residences and is located within the state ministerial residential zone.
The Niyamasabha Mandiram, located in Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, is the seat of the Kerala State Legislative Assembly or the Niyamasabha. Built primarily in the classical style of Architecture of Kerala, with strong influences of many contemporary styles, it is a structure with grand staircase, gardens, water bodies and a large Central Assembly Hall. Located in a high security zone, the complex accommodates the residence of the Speaker of the Niyamasabha, legislature offices of all MLAs and offices of independent commissions and bodies. The assembly was opened on 22 May 1998, by the President of India, K. R. Narayanan.
Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of Tripura. The incumbent Governor of Tripura is Hon'ble Shri Tathagata Roy. The residence is located in the state's capital city of Agartala. A new Raj Bhavan was built and inaugurated in April 2018. The previous Raj Bhavan was built in 1917, and was known as the Pushbanta Palace prior to India's independence. The previous Raj Bhavan edifice is intended to become a museum and research center in honor of King of Tripura, Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya.
Coordinates: 8°30′56″N76°57′48″E / 8.5156°N 76.9632°E
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.