BR Ambedkar's Mumbai home to be preserved as heritage, announces Maha CM

The ground-plus-three storey building houses a museum. Ambedkar's study room has been preserved on the first floor. CM Shinde also met the late leader's family members who live on the second and third floor of the building.

'Rajgruha', Dr B R Ambedkar's residence in Mumbai, will be preserved as a heritage structure, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Wednesday. He was speaking to reporters after visiting the house which stands in central Mumbai's Dadar area. The chief minister garlanded the portraits of the iconic leader and his wife late Ramabai Ambedkar on the premises during the visit, an official release said here.

The ground-plus-three storey building houses a museum. Ambedkar's study room has been preserved on the first floor. Shinde also met the late leader's family members who live on the second and third floor of the building. "Ambedkar is the pride of the country and the house where he lived is a historical treasure. It will be preserved as heritage, " the chief minister told reporters later.

Shinde and deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also visited the nearby Indu Mill compound to review the work of the under-construction international memorial of Ambedkar, officials said. Talking to reporters, Shinde said 450-foot tall statue will be erected at the Indu Mills. The work is in progress, he added. Shinde said a committee will visit Ghaziabad and check the model statue and give a final approval. "We are of opinion that the memorial should be grand," he said, adding that though the deadline for the work is March 2024, efforts will be made to complete it before that.

Shinde said 50 per cent of the work has been completed, which includes a lecture hall, an auditorium and parking bay. He said efforts have been made to keep 68-70 per cent green belt. It will have the capacity of 15,000 people entering the memorial every hour.