Bengaluru: With its high compounds and tight security, Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru has so far been a ‘look-from-afar’ attraction for the public. But very soon, visitors can take a walk inside the 19th century building as the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is planning to introduce guided walks inside Raj Bhavan. “We have received approval from the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to begin the walking tours inside Raj Bhavan. We are currently surveying the premises to see which spots can be shown to tourists and to determine the time that will be required to finish the tour,” said Srinath K S, general manager (transport), KSTDC, who is coordinating the project. The corporation decided to introduce this tour riding on the success of Vidhana Soudha walk tours started three months ago. From June 1 to Aug 24, KSTDC received 3,830 bookings for Vidhana Soudha tour – 1,324 for Kannada tour and 2,506 for English guided tour. “We have received an overwhelming response to Vidhana Soudha tours. The slots sell out two hours from the time we open the bookings,” Srinath said. He added KSTDC is also planning to introduce guided tours on Nandi Hills. “We want to conduct tours in buggies on top of the hill,” he said. History of Raj BhavanRaj Bhavan was built by Sir Mark Cubbon between 1840 and 1842 as a private residence for a British officer, who filled the office of the commissioner. Since then, the historic building, which used to be known as the Residency, housed many British commissioners. Post independence, it served as a guest house and hosted prominent leaders of the country including the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad. Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the US also stayed there during her tour of India. Later, when Jayachamaraja Wodeyar became the Governor of Madras State, the building ceased to be a guest house. Eventually, the building was transformed into Raj Bhavan and became the official residence for governors.
