Rashtrapati Bhavan's Durbar, Ashok Hall Renamed 'Ganatantra Mandap', 'Ashok Mandap'

Rashtrapati Bhavan's 'Durbar Hall' and 'Ashok Hall' have been renamed 'Ganatantra Mandap', 'Ashok Mandap', respectively. The Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan is used to host Civil and Defence Investiture Ceremonies wherein the President of India confers prestigious honours to the recipients.

Swearing-in ceremonies of incoming governments, additions to the Council of Ministers and the swearing in of the Chief Justices of India are all conducted at the Durbar Hall.

The Ashok Hall, which originally was a ballroom, is used for presentation of credentials by Heads of Missions of foreign countries and as a formal place of introductions for the visiting and Indian delegations prior to the commencement of the State Banquets hosted by the President.

A PIB release on the renaming of the two halls read, "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 the Indian cultural values and ethos."

"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," the release said.

"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 the ancient times, making ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ an apt name for the venue," the release said.

"The word ‘Ashok’ connotes someone who is “free from all sufferings” or is “bereft of any sorrow”. Also, ‘Ashoka’ 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 PIB release on the name change said on Thursday.

"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'", the release stated.