Raj Bhavan Renamed Lok Bhavan

The official residence of the Governor of Telangana, hitherto known as Raj Bhavan, Telangana, will henceforth be called Lok Bhavan, Telangana, the Governor's office today said in a press brief.

The new nomenclature takes immediate effect for all official purposes, references and records.

The brief said that the change was intended "to reiterate the strength and vibrancy of our democratic values as we march with confidence towards a Viksit Bharat".

Officials have been instructed to update signboards, letterheads, websites and other records to reflect the new name.

The move follows an advisory issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on November 25 asking States and Union Territories to replace colonial-era titles such as "Raj Bhavan" and "Raj Niwas" with people-centric names like "Lok Bhavan" and "Lok Niwas". The recommendation - which was discussed at the Conference of Governors in 2024 - has already been acted upon by several States, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Gujarat and Odisha.

Officials said that the renaming was primarily symbolic, aimed at emphasising the accessibility and the democratic character of constitutional institutions rather than altering the constitutional role of the Governor.

The implementation will include administrative updates and public communication to avoid confusion in official records and correspondence.