Mumbai: The First Citizen of Mumbai, Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, has finally moved into his official residence at the Veermata Jijabai Udyan. At 10am on Monday, he set foot in the bungalow, after a Ganesh pooja was conducted on the premises. The old mayor’s bungalow at Shivaji Park, Dadar, will soon become a memorial to the founder of the Shiv Sena, the late Bal Keshav Thackeray.
The bhoomi-pujan for this memorial will be conducted on January 23, Thackeray’s birth anniversary. Mahadeshwar was the 76th and last mayor to reside in this bungalow facing the sea. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the new mayor’s bungalow was built in 1931. The British used this bungalow for parties and as a cafeteria. The 6,000-sq ft bungalow has eight rooms and two conference halls. There are four rooms on the ground floor and another four rooms upstairs — three bedrooms and one conference hall on each floor.
The bungalow sits in verdant surroundings with cool breezes but the mayor must firmly set behind him memories of the soothing sea breezes and the magnificent view of the Arabian Sea. From 1974 onwards, this bungalow has served as the residence of civic officials. Additional Municipal Commissioner A L Jarhad was the previous resident of this bungalow. It is an old heritage building, a ground-plus-1 structure with teakwood flooring throughout. The area will be cordoned off from today.
