Lakhs of people have passed by the main gate of Raj Bhavan, wondering what goes on inside, and what it looks like. Now, for just ₹25, you can find out. Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao recently welcomed the first batch of visitors to Raj Bhavan saying, “I found a wealth of Nature here. Animals roam about freely... I felt these idyllic surroundings belong to the people.” Apart from 1,000-odd deer, the space is home to foxes, civets and snakes. For the public, this weekend invitation is just the beginning. “An Avvaiyar statue will come up, with an interactive quiz display. There will be educational tours,” he said. Electric vehicles now carry visitors around, along with an official tourist guide. The Bhavan is wheel-chair friendly, with ramps leading to the Durbar Hall and to lawns.
The first look
What strikes you about the place is its vast expanse. The quiet and peace are courtesy the greenery, including century-old trees.
According to a census in November 2016, the grounds hosted 7,158 trees. Cyclone Vardah felled 440 of them. Horticulture officer S Balasubramaniam says that 50 were restored, and a thousand new saplings have been planted.
As we wind our way through the campus, we notice tagged trees — nettilingam, cannonball, copperpod, gulmohar, banyan, axlewood, tamarind and rain tree, many of them ancient — 152 species in all. The horticulture wing works with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for their care. The pride of the outdoor space is the nursery, to which a circular pond has been added. The greens grown here are organic. Produce from the over 200 coconut trees are sent for oil extraction. Most fruits are left on the trees, as food for the fauna. Flora of Raj Bhavan , a beautifully put-together book, is proof that the Governor’s residence takes Nature seriously.
History
In his coffee-table book The Raj Bhavans of Tamil Nadu , historian S Muthiah notes: “[The Raj Bhavan] has, over years, been developed from hunting lodge to country retreat to the official residence of the Governors of Madras/Tamil Nadu.”
According to records, a Gilbert Ricketts of Madras had mortgaged the Guindy Lodge and the surrounding areas to Government Bank for 12,000 pagodas in 1813. When he died in 1817, the bank offered it to the Government. Governor Thomas Munro decided to make it the Governor’s country house. He believed the Governor needed to move to the countryside occasionally for a health break, and for carrying out his duties without interruption. And, the Guindy Lodge would be a better work-place since “swarms of mosquitoes made the Government Gardens (where he lived) unliveable”.
In 1820, ₹35,000 was credited to the Government Bank, and ₹8,750 was paid for the adjoining 170 acres. With that, 1,270 acres of debt-free property became Government property, to be developed into a residential estate for the Madras Governor.
Major modifications were carried out during Governor Elphinstone’s time between 1837 and 1841, says Muthiah. Governors who succeeded him left their own mark with “improvements, and by 1863, the Lodge had got its present shape”.
What is striking is the simplicity of the buildings, and the way they stand as a long chain. The architecture is mixed, but harmonious.
Much of this estate was handed over to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in 1958, to be preserved as a green area. It was eventually gazetted as a National Park in 1977. But before that, the original estate had shrunk, with portions of it having been gifted for various purposes. The 156-acre Raj Bhavan compound stands on the north-western edge of Guindy Park, while the 388-acre IIT Madras forms the eastern fringe.
The residence
The main building contains the living and reception rooms on the first floor, suites (Pallava, Chozha, Chera, Pandya) on the second, and verandahs on three sides.
The interior includes a drawing room with a chandelier, the Kasturba Annapoorna Hall that has three large arches and pictures of all the Governors, the Governor’s office, a waiting-cum-reading room and a staircase with breathtaking wood carving. The single-storeyed formal oval dining hall lies behind the residence.
The Durbar Hall
In the 1990s, Dr Chenna Reddy thought of this structure as a place for formal functions. It is an independent building with dedicated parking lots. The hall, divided into two areas, follows the colonial style of architecture and has decorative arches. The larger one is used for Government functions such as swearings-in. It features chandeliers, striking prints and lovely engravings of old Madras. The far side has a stage with green rooms, and an unusual-looking lectern. A corridor on the side leads to the banquet hall. A plaque facing the railings displays results of the recent tree census.
The Guest block
This was renovated while Bhishma Narain Singh was Governor. A lift was installed to reach the Presidential Suite on the first floor. A concrete porch was built on the Northern side. The last addition was, perhaps, the Presidential Block between the main building and the Durbar Hall, inaugurated on September 1, 2008. The President, the Prime Minister and other VVIPs stay here. It is an independent building with its own security infrastructure, and can also house those accompanying the high-profile visitors.
Gazebo and aviary
It has cascading water all around, and is mostly used for outdoor dining. From here, you get a panoramic view of the trees, the lawn and the deer. The enclosure for love birds, built between two bottlebrush trees, was expanded following a suggestion from Vinoda Rao, the Governor’s wife. A dripper keeps the interiors cool.
The lawn
The lawn can accommodate about 2,500 people and is a stage for honouring citizens. Cultural programmes are held here when the Governor hosts a tea party. Basins of water quench the thirst of deer and sprinklers keep the lawn lush.
