Kolkata’s Lok Bhavan has renamed all six of its entrances after prominent figures associated with Bengal’s literature, social reform, freedom struggle and tribal movements, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin. The change was initiated by West Bengal Governor R N Ravi and also gives a new name to the road leading from the entrance reserved for the President, Prime Minister and Governor.
The southern entrance, previously known as the South Gate, will now be called Rishi Bankim Dwar in honour of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. The road connecting that entrance to the inner gate of the building has been named Kartavya Path. The South Gate is used for the movement of the President, Prime Minister and Governor, the report said.
The main northern entrance, earlier identified simply as the North Gate, has been renamed Kabiguru Dwar after Rabindranath Tagore. This entrance is used by members of the public and other visitors. The renaming gives the building’s principal public-facing access point a formal association with one of Bengal’s most widely recognised literary figures.
Four other entrances on the eastern and western sides of the complex have also received new names. The gate facing the Accountant General, West Bengal, and the Calcutta High Court, which is designated for the Chief Minister’s movement, has been named Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy Road. Bidhan Chandra Roy served as a physician and was associated with West Bengal’s public life.
The north-western entrance has been named Khudiram Bose Dwar after the young revolutionary. The eastern entrance will be known as Sidho-Kanho Dwar, referring to the tribal leaders associated with the Santhal rebellion. The north-eastern entrance has been named Raja Rammohan Roy Dwar after the nineteenth-century social reformer.
The changes mark a departure from the older system of identifying the gates primarily by direction. The report said the entrances had retained their colonial-era directional names after Independence. During Governor C V Ananda Bose’s tenure, the building’s name was changed from Raj Bhavan to Lok Bhavan. The latest decision adds commemorative names to the complex’s entrances while retaining their distinct operational roles.
The selected names cover several strands of Bengal’s public history, including literature, social reform, the freedom movement and Adivasi resistance. The initiative therefore changes not only the signage used to identify the entrances but also the symbolic identity attached to different points of access to the state’s principal gubernatorial residence.
According to the report, Ashoka pillars have been carved before the names of each entrance. The additions are intended to give the gates a new visual identity along with their revised names. The report did not provide details on the cost of the work, the date of installation, or whether the renamed entrances would require changes to visitor directions, security protocols or official maps.
The six names are now associated with specific access points: Rishi Bankim Dwar for the southern entrance, Kabiguru Dwar for the northern entrance, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy Road for the gate used by the Chief Minister, Khudiram Bose Dwar for the north-western entrance, Sidho-Kanho Dwar for the eastern entrance and Raja Rammohan Roy Dwar for the north-eastern entrance.
