Key Takeaways
- Record-Breaking Deal: The 3.2-acre estate on Bhagwan Das Road is valued at approximately ₹1,000 crore, setting a new benchmark for Delhi’s luxury real estate.
- Royal Heritage: The property, known as “Tehri House,” belongs to Maharaja Manujendra Shah Sahib Bahadur, the titular head of the Tehri Garhwal royal family.
- Mystery Buyer: The prospective buyer is a Delhi-based businessman with significant interests in the food and beverage industry.
- Market Significance: This acquisition follows the same buyer’s reported ₹1,100 crore deal for Jawaharlal Nehru’s first official residence on Motilal Nehru Marg.
One of Delhi’s most exclusive residential properties, located at Plot No. 5 on Bhagwan Das Road, has become the focal point of India’s luxury real estate market. The sprawling 3.2-acre mansion, officially titled Tehri House, is currently in the advanced stages of a sale valued at ₹1,000 crore. The property is a rare “trophy asset” in the Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone (LBZ), an area where private ownership is limited to a few hundred bungalows, making such transactions historic events.
The estate is owned by Maharaja Manujendra Shah Sahib Bahadur, the 7th and current Maharaja of the erstwhile Tehri-Garhwal State. Known for his grand lifestyle and a vast collection of luxury and vintage cars, the Maharaja is a permanent fixture in India’s elite social circles. His wife, Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah, is a prominent political figure and the current BJP Member of Parliament from Tehri Garhwal, continuing the political legacy of the royal family.
The Buyer: A New Titan in Lutyens’ Delhi
While the identity of the buyer has not been officially disclosed, reports identify him as a Delhi-based entrepreneur with a dominant presence in the food and beverage sector. This transaction is notably the businessman’s second major acquisition in the LBZ.
Previously, he signed an agreement to purchase the former official residence of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, at 17 Motilal Nehru Marg (formerly 1 York Road), for over ₹1,100 crore. The legal due diligence for Tehri House is currently underway, with a prominent law firm recently issuing a public notice to verify the title of the property, a standard final step in high-value real estate transfers.
Political and Historical Context
The Shah family has deep roots in both Indian history and modern governance. Manujendra Shah’s father, the late Manvendra Shah, was the last reigning king of Tehri before its integration into India and later served as an MP for eight terms. Today, the family maintains several prestigious properties beyond Delhi, including the Narendra Nagar Palace and the Ridge House in Uttarakhand.
This deal underscores a shifting trend in the Lutyens’ zone, where historic properties once held exclusively by royal or political dynasties are increasingly moving into the hands of self-made industrial titans. With strictly regulated construction rules and a finite supply of private land, properties like Tehri House are viewed not just as homes, but as sovereign-grade investments.
