Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s Raj Bhavan shed its colonial-era name on Monday, becoming Lok Bhavan in line with fresh directions from the Union Home Ministry. The Centre has instructed all states and Union Territories to adopt the new titles Lok Bhavan and Lok Niwas for Governors’ and Lieutenant Governors’ residences.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said in a statement on Monday that the renaming marks an important milestone in moving from a "colonial mindset" to a democratic one.

The Governor also congratulated the people of the state for embracing a new mindset that aligns with changing times.

The proposal to rename Raj Bhavan to Lok Bhavan was first mooted by Governor Arlekar himself at the All India Governors’ Conference in 2022, when he was serving as the Governor of Bihar, the statement said.

"Over the years, Raj Bhavan Kerala has also taken a series of initiatives to open its doors to the public. It has organised lectures on important topics such as 'Operation Sindoor' by S Gurumurthy and 'Global Economic Trends: India’s Challenges and Prospects' by V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India," the statement added.

The Governor appealed to the people of Kerala to wholeheartedly support this initiative and uphold the spirit of Lok Bhavan. Earlier, the Governor’s office released photos and videos showing workers removing the Raj Bhavan nameboard from the gate wall.