It is a home to nine Jersey-Holstein cows which supply milk enough for the household. And also a salon, where several former presidents and a former prime minister had a haircut.
These and many other amazing details have been compiled in “The Raj Bhavan Karnataka - Through The Ages”, authored by Sandhya Mendonca and published by Raintree Media which was released here on Monday.
Sandhya said: “The 200-page book is an eloquent and cogent account of the growth of Karnataka from its days of kingly fiefdom, through its rise as the progressive Princely State of Mysore and the British Raj, till the establishment of unified Karnataka. The leaders who influenced the State’s history, including Tipu Sultan to the Wodeyars, add relevance to the book. Illustrious personalities who occupied the post of the Resident from the days of Mark Cubbon to the present Governor H R Bhardwaj find a mention in the book.”
The Governor, after launching the book, said Raj Bhavans throughout India stand as one of the better aspects of the British legacy. In a lighter vein, the Governor elaborated the great ballrooms and parties that used to be held during the British times.
He said, jokingly: “Waltzes and scotch used to flow like water. Now, it is only lime water in Raj Bhavan. That is the gift of democracy.”