The horse stable, which had been lying defunct, will house a newly-constructed building with an archives section on the ground floor that will be open to the public
The horse stable, which had been lying defunct, will house a newly-constructed building with an archives section on the ground floor that will be open to the public
It's a question of changing with the times. The horse stable of the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the state's Governor, will now house an archives section and a garage with an elevated ramp for parking as many as 10 cars.
The Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra,
will house an archives section and a garage in what used to be the
horse stable. Pic/Bipin Kokate
The building, which is under construction, will house the archives section on the ground floor and the garage on the top floor.
The archives section is the brainchild of the current Governor of Maharashtra, Kateekal Sankaranarayanan, who wanted to digitise the historic records available at the Raj Bhavan so that historians, researchers and citizens can access it, confirmed Raj Bhavan spokesperson Unmesh Kashikar.
Once ready, the section will be thrown open to Mumbaikars, who can visit it for free. Proper protocol will, however, need to be followed to allow common citizens into the Raj Bhavan.
"Those interested in visiting the Raj Bhawan archives section can email or write to the Governor's office stating their purpose of visit. We will follow protocol and procedures for allowing entry into the archives section. But the ultimate aim is to make information available for everyone," a senior official of Raj Bhavan said.
The Raj Bhavan is situated in a 50-acre plot of land in Malabar Hill in South Mumbai, and its lush sylvan surroundings is flanked by the sea on three sides.u00a0 It has been the official residence of the Governor since 1885 (then called Government House) and houses a horse stable, which was used during the British era, when Governors would travel in horse-drawn carriages.
The stable, which has been lying defunct for some time now, faces the Arabian Sea and the helipad lawn. The construction of the new building in its premises will be completed in two years by the Public Works Department at the cost of Rs 1 crore.
While the construction of the archives section is complete, its beautification and work in the interiors still remain. The garage is yet to be completed. Also recently, the state PWD completed the construction of a 14-storey sea-facing high-rise to house employees of the Governor's office.
Gems from Mumbai's past that you will see
>> Letters written by Governors to Viceroys, Presidents and Prime Ministers of India on a range of issues. The correspondence throws light on important events in the history of the state and reveals the personal relationships that Maharashtra's Governors shared with other heads of state.
>> Black and white photographs including that of the swearing-in ceremony of the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra Y B Chavan in 1960, conducted by Governor Sri Prakasa.
>> Correspondence of Governor Sadiq Ali during the President's rule imposed between February 17 to June 8, 1980.
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