Odisha Governor approves renaming of Raj Bhavan to Lok Bhavan
Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Monday approved the renaming of the Odisha Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor, to Lok Bhavan, according to a notification issued by the Governor’s Secretariat.
The notification states, “As per letter No. 7/10/2025 (Part)-M&G dated November 25, 2025 of the Ministry of Home Affairs (CS Division), Government of India, the names of Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneswar and Raj Bhavan, Puri have been changed to Lok Bhavan, Bhubaneswar and Lok Bhavan, Puri respectively for all official purposes with effect from December 1, 2025.”
The renaming marks a major change in Odisha’s administrative identity. Official sources confirmed that Governor Kambhampati approved the change following a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Announcing the change on his X handle, the Governor wrote, “Happy to share an important milestone for Odisha as Raj Bhavan is now Lok Bhavan, a name that truly reflects the aspirations of our people. Inspired by the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and under the guidance of the Ministry of Home Affairs, this change further strengthens our commitment to transparency, accessibility, and strong public connect.”
He further emphasized that the new name reflects our commitment to deeper public engagement and inclusive governance.
The Governor added, “This initiative is aligned with the larger vision of empowering citizens, strengthening the governance system, and ensuring inclusive growth. Lok Bhavan will continue to serve as an essential platform for public engagement and consultation, now with a renewed focus on openness and accessibility for all.”
With this, Odisha joins several other states that are moving away from colonial-era names and adopting people-centric identities for governors’ residences.
This renaming follows a recent directive from the Union Home Ministry, which directed all states and union territories to rename the official residences of governors as Lok Bhavan and those of lieutenant governors as Lok Niwas, to remove the archaic terminology.
Many states and union territories have already implemented or initiated the process of renaming in accordance with this directive.
