Chennai, March 11 Outgoing Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi left for Kolkata on Wednesday to assume office in West Bengal, after serving the southern state for over four years.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has been given the additional charge of Tamil Nadu.
Ravi was appointed as the 26th Governor of Tamil Nadu in September 2021, succeeding Banwarilal Purohit.
President Droupadi Murmu appointed Ravi as the West Bengal Governor on March 5.
Ravi's tenure as governor of Tamil Nadu will be remembered as one marked by the most confrontations with the elected government. Whether it was the clearing of bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the appointment of Vice-chancellors, or policy-driven disagreements with the DMK regime—including the one over the National Education Policy (NEP)—Ravi firmly held his ground.
On Wednesday, the outgoing Governor was formally farewelled with a police salute at the Chennai Airport.
Later, Ravi along with his wife Laxmi Ravi left for Kolkata, airport sources said.
Ahead of his departure, Ravi, a former IPS officer, in a letter to the people of Tamil Nadu, described the time spent in the state as the "Golden Days" of his life.
"I express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you. For the past 54 months, I have lived among you, enjoyed your affection, and rejoiced in the glory of the Tamil language and the pride of the Tamil people," he said.
"Although the time has come for me to leave you, there is no doubt that these days spent with you are the Golden Days of my life," he said in his message.
"Names, memories, and ideas flood my mind like a treasure trove—Great poet Mahakavi Bharathiyar, Arutprakasa Vallalar, Kaniyan Pungundranar, U Ve Swaminatha Iyer, and so many more. Over these 54 months, I lived and rejoiced through you and through these great souls. I immersed myself in noble principles and was deeply embraced by your love," he said.
Recalling that he was blessed with many opportunities to directly understand the various dimensions of the Tamil language and its people, the greatest quality that charmed him was the tireless hard work and joy that people find in it.
"From the capital city of Chennai to the remote villages of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari, from the East Coast to the Western Ghats, I travelled to many towns and regions. Although the regional dialects varied, the love, hard work, the joy you derive from that work, and your intellectual maturity remained constant," he said.
Meanwhile, Lok Bhavan sources said the swearing-in ceremony of Arlekar as the Governor of Tamil Nadu is scheduled to take place on March 12.