Raj Bhavan, Nainital
The second Raj Bhavan or Governor's House of Uttarakhand is located in Nainital, it is the summer retreat of the Governor of Uttarakhand. In the pre-Independence era, Nainital served as the summer capital of United Provinces and this building, built like a Scottish castle was christened as the "Government House". Raj Bhavan was built by British as residence of Governor of then North-Western Provinces. The beginning of construction of Raj Bhavan was started in April 1897 and it took two years to complete. It is built on European pattern and based on Gothic architecture. The designers of Raj Bhavan at Nainital were Architect Stevens and the Executive Engineer F. O. W. Ortel. After Independence it was renamed as Raj Bhavan.
The Raj Bhavan estate is spread over 205 acre of area with a Golf Course in 45 acre of land. It has 75 rooms. The Golf Course of Raj Bhavan, built in 1936, is one of the vintage golf courses in India, and is affiliated to the Indian Golf Union. It also consists of a garden and swimming pool. In the post-Independence period, Sarojini Naidu, the first Governor of Uttar Pradesh, was the first occupant of this historic monument.
