Maharashtra govt to acquire India House in London and preserve it as memorial

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will take over the historical "India House" in London, once the abode of freedom fighters, including V D Savarkar, and preserve it as a memorial, state Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said on Wednesday.

Shelar said Indian residents in London had drawn the state's attention to the importance of the property during his trip.

A joint review meeting was held at the ministry on Wednesday, attended by Nashik MLA Devyani Farande and officials from the general administration, cultural affairs, and archaeology departments.

It was decided to set up a multi-departmental committee to examine the acquisition and preservation of India House.

The committee has been tasked with preparing a comprehensive report which will be presented to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for further action, officials said.

India House, founded in the early 20th century as a student residence, later became associated with Indian revolutionary activity. It is historically linked with several nationalist figures, including Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and others.

Officials said the proposed acquisition will be followed by steps to conserve the property and develop it as a memorial that recognises its role in the anti-colonial movement.

The committee will study legal, financial, and administrative modalities of taking the site under the state control and submit detailed recommendations to the chief minister, officials added.

Earlier this year, the Maharashtra government acquired the famous “Raghuji Sword” of the 18th-century Maratha general Raghuji Bhonsle for Rs 47.15 lakh at an auction in London. The sword was repatriated to Mumbai in August.

In a separate announcement, Shelar stated the Maharashtra government has moved forward with plans to build a grand memorial to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at Sangameshwar in Ratnagiri district.

The proposed memorial will be developed in phases on a five-acre site for the main monument, with an additional two acres acquired for parking and ancillary facilities, officials said.

Former MLA Pramod Jathar had urged that the memorial be made more imposing and suggested it be modelled on the scale of the Statue of Unity.

Shelar instructed that work on the main monument be prioritised in the first phase, and asked for a detailed report on proposals for visitor services and allied development in the surrounding area.