Ludlow Castle to Motilal Nehru Place: Eventful journey of L-G House
Ludlow Castle was built by Samuel Ludlow, the Resident Surgeon in Delhi at the time. While Ludlow was transferred in 1831 to Nimach, his house was rented out to the British political agent to serve as his office and residence.
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In 1993, Ram Sharma, former Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, was tasked with constructing a new Raj Niwas in place of the original one. Prem Nath Pandey Nestled in the heart of Central Delhi, this majestic mansion has been the cornerstone of the city’s governance and decision-making machinery. As the Lieutenant Governor’s (L-G) residence, the Raj Niwas has stood witness to the ever-changing dynamics of political administration shaping the course of both the capital and the nation, dating back to pre-Independence India.
However, the story of this house does not start at 6, Raj Niwas Marg, but in Ludlow Castle where the political agent of the British Government was given residence in 1813. A political agent or resident, during the British East India Company’s rule (and subsequently under the British Government post-1813) was a representative stationed in a princely state. His role encompassed diplomatic duties, advisory functions to the ruler, and overseeing affairs within the states. Basically, as the Mughal Empire crumbled, a colonial de facto administrator was put in place to run the state’s affairs.
Ludlow Castle was built by Samuel Ludlow, the Resident Surgeon in Delhi at the time. While Ludlow was transferred in 1831 to Nimach, his house was rented out to the British political agent to serve as his office and residence. Decades later, when Delhi would be under siege during the 1857 mutiny, the building would serve as a British outpost and bear considerable damage.
After the mutiny, Delhi was absorbed into the larger Punjab Province and the post of political agent would be turned into a commissioner who would report to the Lieutenant Governor.
Ludlow Castle was repaired but in 1886, when it was considered too big and the rent too expensive, a decision was taken to shift the office and residence of the commissioner to two smaller bungalows in the same area. While the residence would be rented from Seth Lakhim Chand, the building comprising the office would be rented from Sheikh Hafeezullah.
Problems still persisted. While the residence had been shifted to the now famous 6, Ludlow Castle Road (later Raj Niwas Marg) in 1897, the British administration could not come to a consensus on where to house the commissioner’s office. With Hafeezullah insisting on increasing the rent for the office, the Raj’s officers began exploring their options. Ultimately, in 1904, they decided to construct an adjacent building for the office at the commissioner’s residence at a cost of Rs 21,772.
It would continue to house the Chief Commis-sioner of Delhi after India’s capital shifted to Delhi in 1911.
The building served as the official Office-cum-Residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi until 1988. Due to its deteriorating condition, it was decided to temporarily relocate facilities to 18, Akbar Road and later to 3, Motilal Nehru Place. This was a short-term solution as plans were afoot to renovate Raj Niwas. The original Raj Niwas was demolished, and in 1993, Ram Sharma, former professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, was tasked with constructing a new building.
In 1997, it was suggested that the building be converted into a State Guest House since it was too elaborate to be used for just one person’s office as the L-G continued to reside at 3, Motilal Nehru Place. However, these suggestions were never carried out. In 2004, Raj Niwas once more became the office-cum-residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
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