Mani Bhavan, where Mahatma Gandhi lived during the freedom struggle when he visited the city, will be shut to the public on November 5 and 6, during US president Barack Obama’s visit.
Normally, even on Sundays and almost all festivals, the building remains open to the public. On festival days, at least two people are present to give visitors information.
Around three lakh foreigners and the same number of Indians, including school students, have visited the building.
Mani Bhavan is a simple, old-styled, two-storied building on Laburnum Road. Whenever Gandhiji was in Mumbai between 1917 and 1934, he stayed there. It was then converted into a museum and research centre. Visitors come to see the room that Gandhiji occupied, its picture gallery, the library hall and terrace, where he was arrested on January 4, 1932.
A US consulate communique confirmed that after a memorial service at the Taj for the 26/11 martyrs, the president will visit the Gandhi museum on November 6.
Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya executive secretary Meghshyam Ajgaonkar told DNA, “We have not made special arrangements for the visit. As per the consulate’s request, we have given them all information about our employees and our trustee, who will be present during the visit.
Obama, who may interact with our trustee, wanted to take a tour of the museum. We will show him our library, which has a special section of Gandhi books.”
