7 RCR: Hopes Reside Here

The world has witnessed the most sensational democratic and political battle of our times through the 2014 Loksabha elections, the outcome of which has created history. Narendra Modi and his political party came out with flying colors to make BJP the first non-Congress political party to bag clear majority. Narendra Modi, during the electoral campaign, was chosen as the brand ambassador of the much needed change and now, after his election and today's oath ceremony, the country expects a revolution that we all hope will lead us to become a 'developed country'. In addition to many other factors that made people believe in Narendra Modi as our leader is the fact that his journey to this level begun as a common man who once struggled to make ends meet. That's the precise reason he stands as an inspiration for today's youth and hence everyone today wants to know everything about him. Literally, everything! How has been his childhood, how were his early RSS days, who form his family, how he and hence his wife sacrificed their marital lives, how he manages to dress so well, how techno-savvy he is... Well, the list goes on. 

Talking of my curiosity, the Interior Designer's mind that I own is interested in knowing how Narendra Modi's residence as the Prime Minister of India will be. I googled for information and came across some interesting facts. India did not have an official Prime Minister's residence earlier. Prime Ministers lived in their own house or bungalow allotted to them for being a Member of Parliament. It is only when Prime Minister V P Singh shifted to Panchavati - 7 Race Course Road, where the earlier Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi lived during his tenure; that India got its official Prime Minister's residence.

Though named Panchavati, the Prime Minister's residence is popularly known as 7 RCR. It is a cluster of 5 bungalows identified by numbers. 12 acres land houses them. The complex was built 35 years ago in 1980 in Luteyn's Delhi. It is said that bungalow 1 has a helipad. The complex is called 7 RCR because Bungalow 7 is the prime minister's official workplace, apart from his office in South Block. Bungalow 9 RCR is where the Special Protection Group (SPG), the elite force responsible for the prime minister's security, is housed. This bungalow has a tennis court. Nature's touch is said to be in the form of avenue of trees like Putranjiva, Gulmohar and Arjuna; enormous, well manicured lawns and feathered friends - including peacocks.

The Prime Minister's residence is equipped with amenities such as a power substation, All India Institute of Medical Sciences' team, an ambulance, a motorcade, an army of support staff and... a portable digital projector for private screening of movies! National Gallery of Modern Art takes care of the aesthetic appeal of 7 RCR. 

I would have loved to read more about 7 RCR - the place that hosts the key policy-makers during their respective tenures, the place where India's hopes reside. However, due to security reasons, not much information or photographs are available online. Here are just a few of them which I came across while searching online.

Image source: The Indian Express

Image source: CNN-IBN

Image source: http://pmindia.gov.in/visualtour.php

Information sources: Business Standard

Jay Hind!