150-Metre-Long British Era Bunker Was Just Discovered Below Mumbai Governor's Residence

An incredible and unexpected discovery was made at the Raj Bhavan complex in Malabar Hill, Mumbai, at the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra, Vidyasagar Rao. A 150-metre-long underground pre-independence colonial bunker was opened after over a century, as per reports, and Governor Rao, his wife and Chief Minister Fadnavis visited the site.

The underground structure has 13 rooms with names such as Shell Store, Gun Shell, Cartridge Store, Workshop, to name a few. “About three months ago, when the Governor was informed by old timers that a tunnel exists inside Raj Bhavan, the Governor asked to have it opened,” said an official, as reported by The Indian Express.

Amazing Discovery!Hon Governor of Maharashtra discovers a very big, well built tunnel beneath Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/EvvSzMWpCg

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) August 16, 2016

Formerly known as ‘Government House,’ the Raj Bhavan used to be the British Governor’s residence since 1885, and as reported by Times of India, “Between 1820 and 1885, officials said, Britishers used the place as a hunting lodge. The bunker has a passageway that runs till the jetty at Raj Bhavan.

They said they will need to dig into the history of the Raj Bhavan to cull out more information about it.” The bunker was found when a temporary wall which enclosed the bunkers entry was broken down, an official explained, “Instead of an underground tunnel, an entire barrack with 13 rooms of different sizes was found. The bunker opens with a 20-ft tall gate and a ramp on the western side. There are long passages and small-to-medium rooms on either side.”

We’re posting below a few photographs taken by Chief Minister Fadnavis during his visit to the barracks and posted on Twitter. Click here to read the full report by The Indian Express.