Chennai

Outgoing R. N. Ravi on Wednesday left Chennai for Kolkata to take charge as the Governor of West Bengal after serving Tamil Nadu for over four years.

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the Governor of Kerala, has been given the additional charge of Tamil Nadu.

Ravi was appointed the 26th Governor of Tamil Nadu in September 2021, succeeding Banwarilal Purohit. Droupadi Murmu appointed him as the Governor of West Bengal on March 5.

His tenure in Tamil Nadu witnessed several confrontations with the elected government led by M. K. Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Differences arose over the clearance of bills passed by the state assembly, the appointment of vice-chancellors, and policy matters such as the National Education Policy.

On Wednesday, Ravi was accorded a formal farewell with a police salute at the Chennai airport before departing for Kolkata with his wife Laxmi Ravi.

Ahead of his departure, the former IPS officer wrote a letter to the people of Tamil Nadu, describing his tenure in the state as the “golden days” of his life.

“My heartfelt thanks to all of you. For the past 54 months, I have moved among you, basked in your affection and rejoiced in the glory of the Tamil language and the pride of Tamil people,” he said.

Reflecting on his time in the state, Ravi recalled great Tamil figures such as Subramania Bharati, Ramalinga Swamigal, Kaniyan Pungundranar and U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, saying their legacy enriched his experience in Tamil Nadu.

He also said he travelled widely across the state—from Chennai to villages in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari, and from the East Coast to the Western Ghats—observing the people’s hard work, cultural pride and intellectual maturity.

READ MORE: Zahida Khan: The first woman legislator from Mewat is an inspirational figure

According to sources at Lok Bhavan, Arlekar’s swearing-in ceremony as the Governor of Tamil Nadu is scheduled to take place on March 12.