Quick answer: Raj Bhavan Mumbai, renamed Lok Bhavan in late 2025, is the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra, set in a wooded estate on Malabar Point at the tip of Malabar Hill, with the sea on three sides. Members of the public can visit its Sunrise Gallery and the underground British-era bunker museum on early-morning visits booked online in advance. As of October 2026, the official booking portal says these visits resumed on 1 October 2026 and that visitors must report at the Upper Gate by 6:15 am.
Lok Bhavan (Raj Bhavan) Mumbai at a glance
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Official name | Lok Bhavan, Maharashtra (formerly Raj Bhavan) |
| Location | Malabar Point, Walkeshwar Road, Malabar Hill, Mumbai |
| What you can visit | The Sunrise Gallery and the underground bunker museum (Kranti Gatha) |
| Booking | Online only, on the Lok Bhavan visit portal (lokbhavanvisit.maharashtra.gov.in); paid booking, no refunds |
| Reporting time | 6:15 am at the Upper Gate security entrance, Walkeshwar Road end |
| Season | Visits resumed on 1 October 2026 |
| Nearest station | Grant Road (Western line) |
Details above are from the official Lok Bhavan booking portal as read in October 2026. The portal does not show the fee, the days of the week or the photography rules before you log in, so read the booking page and your confirmation carefully.
Raj Bhavan is now Lok Bhavan
In late 2025, following guidelines from the Government of India, Maharashtra’s Raj Bhavan was officially renamed Lok Bhavan (“people’s house”). The change applies to the Governor’s residences in Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Mahabaleshwar. The official website now uses the new name, though many people, signboards and older links still say Raj Bhavan. This article keeps its old address so existing links continue to work.
History of the Governor’s residence
Bombay’s governors did not always live on Malabar Hill. According to Lok Bhavan’s official history:
- Bombay Castle: after the East India Company took over the island in 1668, the first Government House was inside Bombay Castle in the Fort.
- Apollo Road: a house on Apollo Road was bought in 1757 but used only briefly.
- Parel: from the late 18th century the governors lived at Government House in Parel.
- Malabar Point: Mountstuart Elphinstone, Governor of Bombay from 1819 to 1827, had a bungalow at Malabar Point, on the site of today’s Jal Bhushan. The move away from Parel began around 1880, and after Lady Fergusson, the Governor’s wife, died of cholera at Parel in 1883, Government House was officially moved to Malabar Point.
An earlier version of this article gave 1885 as the year the residence moved here and said Malabar Point had been only a “summer residence”. The official history dates the formal move to 1883, so we have corrected it.
The estate covers close to 50 acres of woodland, lawns and heritage buildings. The official website gives the area as 44 acres in one place and 49 acres in another.
The buildings
- Jal Bhushan: the Governor’s residence.
- Jal Chintan: used as the residence of the Prime Minister on visits.
- Jal Lakshan: reserved for visits by the President, with Maratha-period portraits.
- Jal Vihar: the banquet hall, used for the Governor’s official dinners.
- Jal Sabhagruh: the Darbar Hall, used for ceremonies such as swearing-in.
The estate also has an old shrine by the sea whose idols were worshipped by the local Koli fishing community.
The British-era bunker and Kranti Gatha
The most unusual sight at Lok Bhavan is an underground bunker from the British period, sealed and forgotten for about six decades. It was opened up in August 2016, during the governorship of C. Vidyasagar Rao. According to the official website, the bunker is about 150 metres long, with a corridor and 13 rooms of different sizes. After a structural audit with IIT Bombay, it was waterproofed, wired and air-conditioned.
On 14 June 2022 Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the bunker as the Kranti Gatha gallery, which honours India’s revolutionaries from the 1857 uprising to the 1946 naval mutiny.
An earlier version of this article described the bunker as “15,000 sq ft”; we have used the official description instead.
The Sunrise Gallery
Lok Bhavan’s public visits start at dawn, and as its name suggests, the Sunrise Gallery is a place to watch the sun come up over the sea with the city skyline in view, from a headland surrounded by water on three sides.
How to book a visit
- Go to the official Lok Bhavan visit portal (lokbhavanvisit.maharashtra.gov.in) and register or log in.
- Choose an available date for the Sunrise Gallery and bunker museum visit. For the 2026–27 season, bookings opened on 10 September 2026 at 10 am.
- Enter visitor details exactly as asked. The portal warns against using special characters in the address field.
- Pay online. The portal says there is no refund policy, and you should not book again if money has been deducted; if you get no confirmation within 24 hours, email the visit team with your payment details as the portal instructs.
- On the day, report to the Upper Gate security entrance at the Walkeshwar Road end by 6:15 am.
An earlier version of this article said visits were limited to 10 to 20 people a day, cost ₹25 per person, ran from 6:15 to 8 am, closed on Mondays and government holidays, and ended with tea or coffee. We could not confirm any of these on the official site, so they have been removed. Follow the rules on the booking page and your confirmation.
Tips for visiting
- Entry is at the discretion of the Lok Bhavan authorities, and visits may be called off for official events.
- Expect a security check at the gate. Carry a government photo ID in case it is asked for.
- Check your confirmation for camera and phone rules before you go.
- Reach early. Plan for a pre-dawn start, as public transport is limited at that hour.
- Visits were paused before resuming on 1 October 2026, so check the portal for the current season’s dates.
How to reach Lok Bhavan (Raj Bhavan) Mumbai
- By suburban rail: the official portal names Grant Road on the Western line as the nearest railway station. Trains start early, but a taxi from home may be easier for a 6:15 am reporting time.
- By road: the portal’s suggested route is via Girgaon Chowpatty, Teen Batti and Walkeshwar Road, past the Khandoba Mandir, to the Lok Bhavan main gate.
- By metro: Metro Line 3 (the Aqua Line) has stations at Grant Road and Girgaon, a taxi ride from Malabar Hill.
Places to visit near Lok Bhavan
- Explore the rest of Malabar Hill, including Banganga Tank and the Walkeshwar temple.
- Walk in the Hanging Gardens (Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens) on top of the hill.
- Visit the Babulnath Temple, an old Shiva temple on the hill’s slope.
- End with a walk on Girgaon Chowpatty beach below.
Frequently asked questions
Can the public visit Raj Bhavan Mumbai?
Yes, on booked visits to the Sunrise Gallery and the underground bunker museum. Bookings are made online on the official Lok Bhavan visit portal, and visitors report at 6:15 am.
Why is Raj Bhavan now called Lok Bhavan?
In late 2025 Maharashtra’s Raj Bhavan was renamed Lok Bhavan following Government of India guidelines, with the stated aim of making the Governor’s residence more open to the public.
What is the bunker at Raj Bhavan?
A British-era underground bunker about 150 metres long with 13 rooms, found in 2016 and opened in 2022 as the Kranti Gatha gallery on India’s revolutionaries.
How much does a Raj Bhavan visit cost?
The booking is paid online, but the official portal does not show the fee before you log in. Check the booking page for the current charge; there are no refunds.
Visit arrangements, history and building details in this guide were checked in October 2026 against Lok Bhavan Maharashtra’s official website and booking portal. Booking rules change each season, so check the portal before you plan a visit.
