Rashtrapati Bhavan's 'Durbar Hall' renamed 'Ganatantra Mandap', 'Ashok Hall' becomes 'Ashok Mandap'

New Delhi: On the day President Droupadi Murmu completed two years in office, the Rashtrapati Bhawan renamed two of its famed halls – the Ashok and Durbar Halls – as  ‘Ashok Mandap’ and ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ respectively.

“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,” a communique by the President’s Secretariat said.

The Durbar Hall is where the government’s ceremonies such as the National Awards are carried out. The Ashok Hall, which was a ballroom earlier, is reserved for special occassions.

The statement also said that the name change is directed at leaving India’s Colonial legacy.

“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.

The statement added that the word ‘Ashok’ means “someone who is 'free from all sufferings' or is 'bereft of any sorrow',” the statement said. “‘Ashok’ refers to Emperor Ashok, a symbol of unity and peaceful co-existence. 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. 

Reacting to the change, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said, “There is no concept of ‘Durbar’ but a concept of ‘Shehanshah’.”