Ronga Bhawan

Ronga Bhawan (also spelt Ronga Bhavan; , "red building"), also known as Ranga Ghar, is a red-brick building of the colonial period in Jorhat, Assam, India. Completed in 1914, it housed the office of the deputy commissioner of Jorhat district until the office moved to a new complex at Cinnamara in 2026. The state government has announced that the building will be converted into a museum.

History

Background

Jorhat was declared the headquarters of the undivided Sivasagar district in 1911. The headquarters was moved from Rangpur to Jorhat in 1912 under Major A. Playfair.

Construction and use

The present building was completed by the British in 1914. It became an important administrative centre of Upper Assam and stands near the District Court. Jorhat became a separate district on 1 July 1983, and the building continued to house the office of the deputy commissioner. Land records, revenue matters, petitions and election and relief work of the district were handled there.

The building holds records dating back nearly 200 years, including land grants, survey maps and administrative orders. Some of the records predate the building itself.

Relocation

A new Integrated Office Building for the deputy commissioner of Jorhat was built at Cinnamara on more than 53 bighas of land. Its foundation stone was laid on 15 December 2022, and it was built at a cost of 49.62 crore. The shifting of records from Ronga Bhawan began in 2026, and Jay Shivani, who took charge on 20 September 2024, was the last deputy commissioner to work from the building. The new complex was inaugurated by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 13 September 2026.

Architecture

Ronga Bhawan is a Victorian-style building of red brick, with high ceilings and arched verandahs. Its name, meaning "red building", derives from its appearance.

Future use

Sarma stated in 2025 that Ronga Bhawan would be converted into a museum. At the inauguration of the new complex in September 2026, the government announced that the old Deputy Commissioner's office would be converted into a museum intended as a tourist attraction. As of September 2026, no written order on the building's use had been issued.

See also

• Jorhat
• Jorhat district
• Swaraj Udyan