Lok Bhavan Kolkata gates have been given new names honouring figures associated with Bengal’s literature, social reform, freedom struggle and tribal movements, in a move that also changes the public identity of the state’s principal constitutional residence. The six entrances, earlier identified largely by their directions, now carry names linked to prominent historical personalities.
According to a report by Sangbad Pratidin, the initiative was taken by West Bengal Governor R N Ravi. The building was earlier known as Raj Bhavan and was renamed Lok Bhavan during the tenure of Governor C V Ananda Bose. The latest decision changes the names of its six entrances and adds new visual markers to the access points.
The southern entrance, earlier known as the South Gate, is used by the President, Prime Minister and Governor when they visit the building. It has now been named ‘Rishi Bankim Dwar’ after Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. The road connecting this entrance to the inner gate of the building has been named ‘Kartavya Path’.
The main northern entrance, used by members of the public and other visitors, has been renamed ‘Kabiguru Dwar’ in memory of Rabindranath Tagore. The change gives the building’s principal public-facing access point an identity associated with one of Bengal’s best-known literary figures.
The entrance located towards the Accountant General, West Bengal, and Calcutta High Court is designated for the Chief Minister’s movement. It has been named ‘Dr B C Roy Road’, commemorating former West Bengal Chief Minister and physician Bidhan Chandra Roy. The north-western entrance has been named ‘Khudiram Bose Dwar’, after the young revolutionary.
The eastern entrance is now called ‘Sidho-Kanhu Dwar’, referring to the tribal leaders associated with the Santhal uprising. The north-eastern entrance has been named ‘Raja Rammohan Roy Dwar’, honouring the social reformer whose work is closely associated with Bengal’s nineteenth-century reform movement.
The renaming places six historical figures from different fields within the access and movement system of a major government institution. The selected names span literature, social reform, anti-colonial resistance and tribal history, rather than representing a single political or cultural tradition.
The entrances originally received directional names during the colonial period, when different gates were associated with the movement of the Lieutenant-Governor and his family. Those names continued after Independence. The latest changes therefore alter both the signage and the historical vocabulary through which visitors identify the building.
The report said that Ashoka Pillar motifs have been carved before the new names on each gate. Along with the renaming, this has changed the appearance of the entrances and added a new symbolic layer to the complex. The updated names will now identify the six access points used for official, public and institutional movement around Lok Bhavan.
