|
 |
|
 |
| |
US Embassy, Mumbai |
|
|
|
The fact that the US Consul, Mumbai began as early as 1838 is news to most people today. However, the British accorded the post recognition as full-fledged Consul only in 1852 and upgraded it in 1945. Those were the times when the US Embassy, Mumbai used to |
|
|
 |
be located in South Mumbai buildings like Jehangir Wadia Building, Bombay Mutual Building and Construction House. |
|
The US Embassy, Mumbai is now located in Lincoln House, 78, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Breach Candy. However, the building itself – the Lincoln house, has a lot of history behind it and even royalty. It was more than fifty years ago in 1957 that the former Maharaja of Wankaner, in central Gujarat, sold his beautiful Mumbai palace to the US government. The US Embassy Mumbai is the only foreign consulate in Mumbai housed in a heritage property with a royal history. The palace used to be called the Wankaner Palace but was later renamed ‘Lincoln House’ and it stands sprawling in ten thousand square yards. |
|
To think that the present US Embassy, Mumbai building was sold at Rs 1.72 million - such a throwaway price as compared to present day real estate rates is incredible. The US Consul-General himself has said that the building which houses the US embassy, Mumbai is today worth more than a thousand times more than its cost price. Maharaja Pratap Singhji, Of Wakaner, Gujarat, sold his beautiful Mumbai palace to settle some estate duties levied on him for his inheritance. |
|
The US Embassy, Mumbai is likely to shift out of Lincoln House in the coming year to a more spacious place somewhere in Bandra-Kurla Complex of central Mumbai, and Lincoln House will be converted into a US cultural centre. The US Embassy, Mumbai is the sixth busiest US visa post in the world and continues to be where a lot of dreams are fulfilled - especially for migrants to the US from India. |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
