The Forgotten Mansion: Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s Abandoned 2.5-Acre Bungalow in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill
For over seven decades, one of Mumbai’s most prestigious addresses—a sprawling 2.5-acre sea-facing bungalow on Malabar Hill—has stood largely empty, its grand halls silent and its exquisite interiors slowly decaying. This is Jinnah House, also known as South Court Mansion, the former residence of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and its first Governor-General.
Built in 1936 at a cost of ₹2 lakh—an enormous sum in those days—the mansion was designed by renowned British architect Claude Batley in a striking European-Art Deco style. Jinnah personally supervised its construction, demolishing an older structure on the plot and overseeing every detail “brick by brick.” The result was a palatial home featuring Italian marble floors, rich walnut wood paneling, pointed arches, towering columns, and craftsmanship executed by skilled Italian stonemasons.
Located at what is now 2 Bhausaheb Hirey Marg (formerly Mount Pleasant Road), the property offered sweeping views of the Arabian Sea. From around 1939 until August 7, 1947—just days before the Partition of India—Jinnah lived here. The house became a pivotal site in history, hosting crucial political negotiations, including talks with Mahatma Gandhi in 1944 and Jawaharlal Nehru in 1946 that shaped the future of the subcontinent.
Jinnah was deeply attached to the mansion. According to accounts, he pleaded with Nehru not to alter it, expressing his hope to retire there one day. Tragically, he never returned; he passed away in Karachi in September 1948, barely a year after Pakistan’s creation.
After Partition, the property was classified as “evacuee property” under Indian law, as it belonged to someone who had migrated to Pakistan. It fell under the custody of the Government of India. For a period between 1955 and 1983, it was leased to the British Deputy High Commissioner, but otherwise it has remained unoccupied as a private residence. Over the decades, the bungalow has fallen into disrepair—moss-covered walls, rotting woodwork, and peeling interiors bear witness to years of neglect.
Ownership disputes have kept the mansion in limbo. Pakistan has repeatedly claimed it, at times proposing to use it as a consulate. Jinnah’s daughter, Dina Wadia, who remained in India after Partition, also filed claims asserting her inheritance rights, but Indian courts rejected them. Politically, the house has been a sensitive subject: some voices in India have called for its demolition, viewing it as a painful reminder of Partition, while others have suggested converting it into a museum or cultural center.
As of early 2026, Jinnah House remains under the ownership of the Government of India. Restoration work has been approved in recent years, with plans to preserve its heritage features and repurpose it—possibly as a diplomatic or cultural facility similar to Delhi’s Hyderabad House. Final approvals from the Ministry of External Affairs are still pending.
In one of Mumbai’s most expensive neighborhoods, where land prices soar into the thousands of crores, this historic bungalow—valued at well over ₹1,000 crore—stands as a quiet relic of a turbulent past, untouched by daily life for more than 70 years. Its empty rooms continue to echo the unresolved legacies of Partition.
About The Author
