Porni Banerjee | ২৫ জুলাই ২০২৪ ১৫ : ৪৪Porni Banerjee

President Droupadi Murmu has on Thursday renamed Rashtrapati Bhawan’s two iconic halls - ‘Durbar Hall’ and ‘Ashok Hall’ – as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashok Mandap’ respectively. The decision to rename the halls was made to uphold Indian cultural values and rich heritage of our country.

“Rashtrapati Bhawan 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 statement.

Accordingly, President Droupadi Murmu is pleased to rename two of the important halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan – namely, ‘Durbar Hall’ and ‘Ashok Hall’ – as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashok Mandap’ respectively,” it added.

The ‘Durbar Hall’ is the venue where prestigious ceremonies, including the National awards ceremony are being held.

“The term ‘Durbar’ refers to courts and assemblies of Indian rulers and the British. It lost relevance after India became a Republic, that is, ‘Ganatantra’. The concept of ‘Ganatantra’ is deeply rooted in Indian society since ancient times, making ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ an apt name for the venue,” the statement said.

On decision to rename the Ashok Hall, the government said the ‘Ashok Mandap’ retains “uniformity in language and removes the traces of anglicisation”. The word ‘Ashok’ also denotes someone who is free from all sufferings. It also refers to Emperor Ashok, a symbol of unity and peaceful co-existence. 

“The national emblem of the Republic of India is the lion capital of Ashok from Sarnath. The word also refers to the Ashok tree, which has deep significance in Indian religious traditions as well as arts and culture. Renaming ‘Ashok Hall’ as ‘Ashok Mandap’ brings uniformity in language and removes the traces of anglicisation while upholding the key values associated with the word ‘Ashok’,” it said. 

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