Heritage Bungaow Under Renovation To Recerive New Mayor of BMC?

The official mayor's bungalow reopened after four years of closure. This heritage property, located within the Byculla zoo complex in South Mumbai, remained shut following the dissolution of the BMC in 2022. The bungalow, a Victorian-era structure built in 1928 as the residence of the Queen of Bikaner, later served as storage for British documents. Spanning approximately four acres, it is a significant regional landmark, protected by heritage regulations that restrict major alterations. For the past four years, the residence had remained vacant until Ritu Tawde assumed the position of BMC mayor.

Sources indicate that the maintenance team has been engaged in renovations since her appointment, although any substantial changes are limited due to its heritage status. Previously, the mayoral residence at Shivaji Park in Dadar was transformed into a memorial dedicated to Bal Thackeray. 

This memorial has been under construction for the past seven years, with work still ongoing, according to sources. Notable individuals who have occupied the Byculla bungalow include Shiv Sena leaders Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and Kishori Pednekar. Mahadeshwar was the first mayor to reside there after vacating the Shivaji Park residence. Historically, this bungalow has housed 76 mayors since Dr B.P. Devgi became the first to reside there after Mumbai’s independence in 1962, when the BMC purchased the property to serve as the official mayor’s residence source says.