"Since Government House was built by Lord Wellesley at the beginning of the 19th century until its final abandonment as the residence of the Viceroy in 1912, it was occupied by twenty-four Governors-General of India, or an average of a little more than four years each.

Some of them were among the foremost men of their time. Within its walls grave decisions were taken,momentous scenes enacted, important movements born. When the house was built, the British Empire in India was like a little patchwork of crimson spots on the map of the Indian continent. When it was abandoned, that colour had overspread and suffused the whole." Lord Curzon.

The Raj Bhavan was built as the Government House by the Marquis of Wellesley, then Earl of Mornington, Governor General of India, under the East India Company. He built it at the end of the 18th century. He started the work in 1799 and completed in 1803. The Court of Directors of East India Company, London, disapproved his venture which was to cost sicca rupees 5,06,326 or 63,291 pounds. In fact East India Company not only dismissed him but wanted to persuade the Parliament to impeach him, which did not happen.

The total area occupied by the Raj Bhavan is 27 acres. The Raj Bhavan building has 84,000 sq.ft of floor space. It is designed on the model of the Kedleston Hall in England which was the house of the great great grandfather of Lord Curzon who later lived here as the Viceroy and the Governor General exactly 100 years after Wellesley. The residential suites are in the four corners of the second floor and the Prince of Wales suite on the first floor North West. In the ground floor the central area is called the Marble Hall. The first floor central area consists of the Throne Room, Banquet Hall and the Breakfast Room. On the first floor, North East corner has the Council Chamber, in which major Government decisions were made during the British rule. Opposite to it on the North West corner, the Prince of Wales suite is located which till now was used as the VVIP suite. The second floor has the residential suites including the Governor’s private quarters and the Ball Room. There are quarters of the Raj Bhavan employees outside the North Gate.

After Mr. Viren J. Shah took charge, in December 1999, major improvements in and refurbishing of the Raj Bhavan have taken place. All the suites in the Raj Bhavan, viz., the Prince of Wales, the Wellesley, the Dufferin and the Anderson have been renovated and refurbished. The Prince of Wales suite is used as VVIP suite for the President, the Vice President, the Prime Minister, visiting heads of States or Governments, et al. The main kitchen, the Banquet Hall and other sitting rooms, as well as the Governor’s Study and the Secretariat Offices have also been refurbished. A major motivation and attitude training programme was conducted for five days over a period of 8 weeks for each employee which has borne fruit.