Delhiās ācursedā CM bungalow faces demolition: The curious story of 33 Sham Nath Marg
For decades, 33 Sham Nath Marg in Delhiās Civil Lines has occupied a unique place in the capitalās political folklore. Widely regarded by many politicians
For decades, 33 Sham Nath Marg in Delhiās Civil Lines has occupied a unique place in the capitalās political folklore. Widely regarded by many politicians and government officials as an āunluckyā address, the sprawling government bungalow has long been associated with abrupt exits, political setbacks and personal tragedies involving some of its occupants. Now, the Delhi government is preparing to give the property an entirely new identity. The colonial-era bungalow is slated to be demolished and redeveloped into Delhiās first dedicated headquarters for the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), complete with a modern Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The project is expected to transform a prime government property that has remained largely underutilised for years into a key administrative and emergency response facility. Also Read | I asked ChatGPT to plan a Ladakh trip under ā¹20,000. The itinerary surprised me Yet even as redevelopment plans move forward, the bungalowās reputation continues to attract attention, thanks to a history that has fuelled stories of a political ācurseā for decades. How The Bungalow Earned Its Reputation Situated in the leafy Civil Lines neighbourhood, the two-storey property occupies more than 5,500 square metres of land.
Constructed during the 1920s under British rule, it features expansive lawns, gardens, conference rooms and staff accommodation. Following Independence, the bungalow became the preferred residence of Delhiās chief minister due to its proximity to the Delhi Vidhan Sabha. Its first prominent occupant was Delhiās first chief minister, Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, who moved into the residence in 1952. His tenure, however, came to an early end in 1955 amid controversy surrounding an alleged ājaggery scamā. Several decades later, the property was allotted to Madan Lal Khurana after he became chief minister in 1993 under the Capital Territory framework. Like Brahm Prakash, Khuranaās tenure was also cut short. He resigned in 1996 amid allegations connected to the hawala scandal. These back-to-back developments helped cement the bungalowās growing reputation as an unlucky address within political circles. A Pattern That Strengthened The Myth Stories about the bungalowās supposed misfortune gained further momentum with subsequent occupants. Sahib Singh Verma, who succeeded Khurana as chief minister, used the premises as his camp office. He also failed to complete his tenure and was eventually replaced by Sushma Swaraj, who became Delhiās first woman chief minister.
