The Durbar Hall and Ashok Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan have been renamed as Ganatantra Mandap and Ashok Mandap respectively. The Durbar Hall hosts national award ceremonies, whilst the Ashok Hall was formerly a ballroom.
“Rashtrapati Bhavan, the office and the residence of the President of India, is a symbol of the nation, and an invaluable heritage of the people. Continuous efforts are being made to make it more accessible to people. There has been a consistent endeavour to make the ambience of the Rashtrapati Bhavan reflective of Indian cultural values and ethos,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a release.
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Government says ‘durbar’ lost relevance post-republic
In an official statement, the government stated that ‘durbar’, which refers to courts and assemblies of Indian kings and the British, became obsolete after India became a Republic – ‘Ganatantra’.
Concept of ‘Ganatantra’ deeply rooted in Indian society: Govt
“The concept of ‘Ganatantra’ is deeply rooted in Indian society since the ancient times, making ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ an apt name for the venue,” according to the release.
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Regarding the decision to rename Ashok Hall, the government stated that the name ‘Ashok Mandap’ brings “uniformity in language and removes the traces of anglicisation” while maintaining the essential values associated with the word ‘Ashok’.
