Raj Nivas embodies the history of this former French enclave. The building has been founded on the sub-structure of the Hotel de la Compagnie, which was constructed around 1733.
The nomenclature underwent several changes over the succeeding years — it was called Ancien gouvernment in 1748 and then Logement du gouverneur from 1753 until 1761 when it served as residence of the successors of former Governor General Joseph Francois Dupleix (1697-1763).
According to official websites, it was destroyed in the internecine Anglo-French wars by the British. The building went through ruin and restoration by then governors and in spite of the series of modifications over centuries it is believed to have retained the original plan of the mansion.
The Le Palais du Gouveneur now called Raj Nivas is surrounded by Rue Jawaharlal Nehru on the north, Rue Rangapoulle on the south Rue Saint Louis on the east and Rue Francois Martin on the west with access from north and south.
According to the Raj Nivas website, the former French Governor General Pierre Benoit Dumas laid the foundation for a Governor’s Palace in 1735. But the palace had to wait for the arrival of Dupleix to see its complete shape. When Law de Lauriston took over as governor general of erstwhile Pondicherry in April 1765 the town was completely in ruins.
Within a short span of three years a whole new town sprang up on the ruins of the old — the Governor’s palace and the administrative offices on the north, the warehouses on the south, the military barracks on the east and the west. The new palace for the Governor was built on the former site of Hotel de la Compagnie, which is the origin of the present Raj Nivas.
Indo-French styles
From the perspective of architecture, Raj Nivas represents a harmonious blend of French and Indian styles. The layout flows as a rectangular, single storied structure running east to west with porticos on either side flanked by two other rectangular wings on the east and west.
It was later converted into a double storied palace. It was much later that the southern verandahs were widened, and their frontage beautified.
A well-tended garden, a water monument, sculpted to commemorate the introduction of good drinking water for the population. Latin and Tamil inscriptions, and exquisitely carved monolithic pillars, brought to Pondicherry from the Gingee Fort after its capture in 1751 enrich the landscape.
Entry to the premises had been restricted to certain national holidays until it was thrown open for daily viewing by visitors on May Day.
