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Endowed with regal dignity, the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow is a beautiful example of Indo-European architecture. This historical edifice was once known as ‘Kothi Hayat Baksh’ which literally meant ‘Abode of Gift of Life’ which was used as the health resort by Nawabs.

When the building was declared as the official residence of the Governor of the then United Provinces, it came to be known as ‘Governor House’ which is now known as ‘Raj Bhavan’, the official residence of the Constitutional Head of Uttar Pradesh. The lush green lawns and the majestic white building make the Raj Bhavan an eye-catching structure.

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Main Buildingddd

The main building of Raj Bhavan is a two-storey, imposing white structure that is built in an area of approximately 2.5 acres and is surrounded by lush green lawns. Its façade is articulated with large colonnaded verandah. The majestic main building of Raj Bhavan is awe-inspiring and houses 12 office chambers and the residential quarter of the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

The private residence of the Governor is on the first floor that consists of five bedrooms , an office, a puja room, a study room, a drawing room and a dining hall. All the rooms are spacious and consist of wooden doors and windows.

The main building of Raj Bhavan also has 10 guest rooms that are meant for the stay of dignitaries and important guests like President and Prime Minister etc. All the guest rooms are fitted with latest amenities and are richly furnished. This building has total 14 entrance gates, out of which primarily Gate no. 02 is open for visitors.

Visitors’ Room

There are two Visitors’ Rooms in the main building of the Raj Bhavan. These are known as Jan Kaksh and Neel Kusum.

Jan Kaksh
It is the waiting room for visitors who wish to meet the Governor. Earlier it was the part of original Kothi Hayat Baksh. It has two marble fireplaces that have floral patterns and geometric designs in it. The room is furnished with plush sofas.
Neel Kusum
It is another waiting room for visitors where sometimes the Governor meets the delegations and visitors in small groups. It is fitted with modern amenities and is sometimes used by the Governor as his conference room also. All the walls of the room are decorated with portraits of former national leaders of India like Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and many more along with the photographs of Prime Ministers of India (former and present) that were elected from Uttar Pradesh like Indira Gandhi, Chaudhary Charan Singh Narendra Modi and many more.

Gandhi Sabhagar

Gandhi Sabhagar is an auditorium in the main building of Raj Bhavan. During the British period it was used as a Ball Room. Later it was also known as Durbar Hall. It has wooden flooring with springs attached within that make the floor bouncy. After Independence it was converted into an auditorium with a stage where currently various important events related to the Governor like oath-taking Ceremony, seminars and cultural programmes etc. are organized.

The hall is surrounded by a corridor which is decorated with portraits of Former Governors of United Province (before Independence) and Uttar Pradesh (After Independence). The carvings on the walls and ceiling of this auditorium are a wonderful specimen of ancient art.

Annapurna Hall

Annapurna is a banquet hall that is situated in the main building of Raj Bhavan. This large hall is named after Goddess Annapurna who is believed to be the ‘Goddess of Food’. The hall has two floors and a vaulted roof and is articulated with arched pilasters and wooden paneling. Skylights are present on the roof of the hall for day lighting and chandeliers for night lighting. Two convex mirrors are fixed on the either sides of the walls of the hall from which the complete hall can be viewed. The walls of the hall are adorned with contemporary paintings and emblems of various States of India. This hall is used by the Governor mainly for hosting official banquets.

Kala Kaksh

Kala Kaksh is an exhibition space for art objects and is a small exquisite museum situated inside the Main Building of Raj Bhavan. It consists of some artefacts of Kushan Period and the era before Christ. It is major centre of attraction for visitors. It also houses a Gandhi Darshan Deergha (gallery) that has a rare collection of black and white photographs of Mahatma Gandhi.

Library

The first Governor of Uttar Pradesh after Independence, Shrimati Sarojini Naidu, had a keen interest in the collection of books. During her tenure she set up a formal library within the Raj Bhavan. Initially this library was situated in the main building of Raj Bhavan which was later shifted to a new building that was specially built for it in 2008 during the tenure of the then Governor, Shri T.V. Rajeshwar.

At present, the Raj Bhavan library consists of approximately 9925 books in different languages including Hindi, English, Urdu, Sanskrit etc. The library is stocked with some of the rare books like the Imperial Gazetteer, District Gazetteers, Dictionary of National Biography, 1909, International Library of Famous Literature penned by Dr. Richard Garnelt (with gold inlay), शब्द-वेद: (Shabda Veda) and many more.

The library has separate sections for books relating to Mahatma Gandhi, Law, Health, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha debates (date-wise), spiritualism, Coffee Table books and many more. Most of the books in the library are those which are presented to the Governors of Uttar Pradesh by Indian and Foreign authors. A book named चरैवेति! चरैवेति!! (Charaiveti! Charaiveti!!) memoir written by the Hon’ble Governor, Shri Ram Naik is also available in the library.

Lawns

Raj Bhavan consists of four lush green lawns. Remarkable statues made up of marble, fascinating fountains and beautiful collection of seasonal flowers are the hallmark of these lawns.

Lawn with U.P. Emblem Fountain: Facing the pristine white building of Raj Bhavan is a well-maintained lawn with an ancient Baradari. The other side of this lawn is adorned with a fountain that is built in a replica design of U.P. Government’s logo.

Lawn with Small Fountain: It is situated behind the main building and has a small fountain with a marble statue in it.

Rose Garden: It is situated on the back of Gandhi Sabhagar where varieties of roses are planted.

Large Lawn with Statue of Mahatma Gandhi: It is situated to the west of the main building and has a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and a walking track in it. The annual fruit, vegetable and flower show is organised in this lawn. Along with this, national festivals like Independence Day and Republic Day are also organised in this lawn.

Dhanvantari Vatika - A Medicinal and Herbal Garden

The importance of Ayurveda is well-known since ages and people have been using Ayurvedic herbs and medicines in one form or the other throughout their lives. The main sources of these herbs are certain trees growing around us, even though at times people are generally not aware of the usefulness of such trees and plants.

As the society is witnessing more and more nuclear families, the traditional knowledge In the present scenario due to the disintegration of small families, the usage of various spices in kitchen and the knowledge of home remedies in the form of Grandmother’s recipe ( Dadi Maa Ke Nuske) are no more prevalent. In the past three - four decades a number of medicinal trees and plants have disappeared and in their place a number of ornamental trees are being used immensely that have an adverse impact on our health.

Dhanvantari Vatika - A Medicinal and Herbal Garden

The medicinal effects of plants is believed to diffuse in their environment as well. Like we all know that by staying under the shed of Tamarind Tree a person may become sick while staying under the shed of Neem Tree a person can stay healthy. Likewise, Sanatoriums for TB patients are established near pine forests, Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Peepal tree and the shed of Myrobalan tree is believed to cause Diarrhea. These are all Indian facts that clearly proves that plants in our surroundings do affect us. Therefore, we should avoid to stay in surroundings of plants and trees that have an adverse affect on our health and should plant more of such trees that are useful for us from medicinal point of view.

The enhancement in health benefits by being in contact with medicinal plants and if necessary, easily obtaining the fresh medicines from the Ayurvedic plants are the objectives behind establishing the “Dhanvantari Vatika” in Raj Bhavan.

This medicinal garden was established in Raj Bhavan on 24 February, 2001 by the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Vishnukant Shastri. At that time the Governor himself planted some Ayurvedic medicinal plants in the Vatika. This garden was named as Dhanvantari Vatika after Lord Dhanvantari, considered to be the deity of good health and Ayurveda. It is the first Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants’ garden in the state and also regarded as the Model Pharmaceutical Garden in Uttar Pradesh.

The main objective of establishing this medicinal garden was to propagate the knowledge of medicinal plants among the masses. This is possible only when such types of gardens are established in different parts of the state and the awareness regarding the importance of these medicinal plants is spread among people, so that they can benefit by the valuable heritage of our ancestors in the form of Ayurveda.

This garden now has more than 200 plant species that includes plants like Rudraksh, Kalp Vriksha, Sinduri, Krishnvat, Sita Ashok, Harad, Bhallatak, Kupeelu, Vijaysaar, Kutaj, Chandan (white and red) Lata Palash, Shyonaak, Gambhaari, Harjod, Gudmaar, Varahikand, Kachoor, Shakhotak, Varun, Putrajeev, Vajradanti, Mishwak, Sarpgandha, Paribhadra, Paras Peepal, Khadir, Guggalu and many more rare medicinal plants. Along with this, other plants present in this Vatika are Baheda, Amla, Shikakai, Mahanimb, Nirguni, Maulshri, Vasa, Vidhara, Kaalmegh, Antmool, Gunja, Nariyal, Supari, Giloy, Ghritkumari, Shatavari, Ashwagandha, Tulsi and Haldi.

A total of 16 leaflets of “Ayurveda aur Hamara Swasthya”, “Aushadhi Paudhe aur Swasthya” and “Shatayu ki Or” have been published by Dhanvantari Vatika till now in which measures to stay healthy by adopting Ayurveda have been described. These leaflets also provide information regarding causes, prevention and cure of health problems like diabetes mellitus, arthritis, piles, jaundice, hyper acidity, mental health, digestive insufficiency, indigestion and constipation and obesity. Information about Ayurvedic medicinal plants useful for treating these diseases is also described in these leaflets. The 17th edition of “Shatayu Ki Or” was published in form of a book with focus on child health and Ayurveda.

An exhibition of Ayurvedic plants and herbs grown in Dhanvantari Vatika is also organized in the Annual Regional Vegetables and Flower Show held in Raj Bhavan. Moreover, as per the desire of the Governor, Dhanvantari Vatika is opened for visitors in the month of February for approximately 10 to 15 days.

The Horticulture Garden of Raj Bhavan

Of the 48-acre premises of Raj Bhavan, around 10 acre of land is used for growing different fruit plants and trees, medicinal/ornamental trees and plants, vegetables, flowers and lawns. These are grown and maintained using innovative and eco-friendly techniques. These techniques are as follows:

Micro Irrigation System

On the principle of “Per Drop More Crop”, a Drip/Sprinkler (Micro/Mini/lLarge Volume Raingun) system of irrigation is installed in Raj Bhawan. The objective of this system is to ensure judicious use of water and provide adequate amount of water to plants at right time. This technique not only saves around 30 to 40 percent of total water consumption but also prevents nutritional loss through leaching.

Machaan System

If vegetable plants are grown on the ground, the vegetables come in contact with the soil and often get rotten and affected by soil borne diseases that degrade the quality of produce. To overcome these problems, a Machaan system is used for growing cucurbitaceous vegetables .This also increases around 25-30 percent yield of the vegetables and promotes multi-tier system for vegetable production. The Machaan System has been set up in 1.5 acre area of the kitchen garden of Raj Bhavan for growing cucurbits and other vine vegetables.

Mulching

Generally, weeds also grow along with horticultural plants that not only affect the growth of vegetable crops but also utilize the essential nutrients of the soil, this hampering the production of vegetables. To solve this problem, a 30-micron ultraviolet stabilized polythene sheet has been used in the kitchen garden of Raj Bhavan. This mulching not only prevents weed growth but also keeps the root system and root zone of the plants in suitable condition.

Biological Pest Control

The pest control in the kitchen garden of Raj Bhavan is done through usage of organic pesticides .Along with this, LED light trap and yellow sheet is also used to control different insects.

Some of the vegetables/ fruits that are grown in the Garden of Raj Bhavan

Potato
Tomato
Garlic
Capsicum
Spinach
Pumpkin
Broccoli
Corriander
Brinjal
Cabbage
Carrot
Strawberry
Gourd and many more

Almost all types of fruits, vegetables and seasonal flowers suitable to this region are also grown in Raj Bhavan from time to time.

Organic Waste Converter

An Organic Waste Converter has been installed in Raj Bhavan that decomposes garden garbage (leaves, dry plants etc) and kitchen waste, and produces around 2 quintals of organic manure per day and thereby adding to the huge need of compost.

Vermi Compost Unit

A Vermi Compost Unit has been installed in Raj Bhavan that produces approximately 300 quintals vermi compost per anum from cow dung produced from Raj Bhavan Dairy by using red worms viz. Eisenia fetida. This vermi compost is used in Raj Bhavan garden. This vermi compost increases production by supplying several nutrients and increasing water holding capacity of the soil.

Raj Bhavan Gaushala

A Gaushala (cowshed) is situated within the premises of Raj Bhavan where 37 cattleheads are reared. These include 16 cows, 20 calves (16 female and 4 male) and 1 bull. At present, all cows are of Sahiwal breed whose milk is scientifically proven to be rich in Vitamin A content and beneficial in several diseases like irregular cholesterol, diabetes, heart problems etc. All cows of Raj Bhavan Gaushala collectively produce around 80-90 litres of high quality milk per day.

Governor's Secretariat

The Governor’s Secretariat is situated within the premises of Raj Bhavan. It is headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor. Around 100 officers and employees have been deployed in Governor’s Secretariat who take care of all the secretarial work of Governor and provide assistance to him in discharging his duties as the Chancellor of various Universities of Uttar Pradesh.