Raj Bhavan in Kolkata set to open its doors to visitors this Poila Baisakh

KOLKATA: Raj Bhavan, the most magnificent landmark in the city with an opulent colonial legacy, will open its door to the public following a suggestion from President Droupadi Murmu.
Officials at Raj Bhavan said the President had suggested the Governor's House be made into People's Raj Bhavan on the 75th anniversary of Independence. Sources said Poila Baisakh is being considered as the inaugural date for the tour.
The experience will, however, not be free. A fee of Rs 50 will be charged per person for the tour of the grand mansion and its sprawling garden.
According to sources in Raj Bhavan, the official residence of Bengal's Governor, a guide will take groups of 25 at a time around rooms on the ground floor, the garden, a pool and a hanging bridge.
An app is also being planned so that people can book a slot online. In addition, efforts are underway to offer a virtual experience of Raj Bhavan, including its treasure trove of historical artefacts. Authorities at the Indian Museum and the National Council of Science Museum have been contacted to create the website.
Officials said a QR code was also being planned so that the visitors could get details of Raj Bhavan by scanning the code. The library of the Raj Bhavan can be of a great interest to the visitors as it houses anecdotes on Gandhiji's fasting at Beliaghata's Hyder Manzil with writings by Jyoti Basu, former Bengal CM.
There are accounts of Gandhiji in the library from the diary of his grand-niece Manu Gandhi. Also, there are writings from the diary of Bengal's first Governor - C Rajagopalachari. Even the writings of Gandhiji's close associate Nirmal Kumar Bose is another treasured possession of the library. Gandhiji's visit to the Government House has a separate entry.
President Murmu has handed over a symbolic key to CM Mamata Banerjee in presence of Governor CV Ananda Bose with the aim of converting Raj Bhavan into a People's Raj Bhavan. Officials said that as part of the ongoing 75th freedom anniversary, the President wanted the oldest Raj Bhavan of the nation to shed its colonial tag as a tribute to the freedom fighters.