Tendulkar moves to his new mansion

Master batsman Tendulkar moving in to his new mansion at Perry Cross Road in Bandra (West) caused a good degree of excitement among kids, neighbours and mediapersons alike

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar finally moved into his swanky new 'dream home' in Bandra (West) here yesterday on the auspicious occasion of Navratri.



Tendulkar and his family entered the five-storeyed bungalow at 19-A, Perry Cross Roadu00a0 following a traditional 'griha-pravesh' ceremony.

A battery of mediapersons clicked away furiously as Tendulkar, clad in a simple striped T-shirt and trousers, took his first formal step into the bungalow.

"I am really thrilled and happy today, especially for my mother and my family members," gushed Tendulkar on the occasion.


Sweet moment: Tendulkar distributes sweets to the waiting crowd.
Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

"Everyone has a dream of owning a house. I, too, had this dream. I am happy that I was able to fulfill it. The flat where I earlier used to live, was received under the sports quota. I have now vacated that place, so that some other sportsman can live there," he told reporters.



"We had done the 'griha-shanti' and 'vastu-puja' on June 11, before I left for England and now that I am back, I brought my mother to show the place," Tendulkar informed.



"I have also lived here after the puja. But I have not been able to bring the children here yet," he added.
Tendulkar's neighbours were happy too. One of them told a television channel: "It's nice to have Sachin move in to our neighbourhood, but it would have been even better if he would have called us over and offered us some sweets."

Meanwhile, chaos prevailed just before Tendulkar spoke to the media, after a big crowd, including a group of school children between the age group of five and eight years, had gathered outside the plush villa to catch a glimpse of their cricketing hero.

'u00a0Bungalow no 1: Sachin Tendulkar's brand new 19-A, Perry Cross Road home in Bandra (West)

'u00a0Sach small fans: A group of young school kids wait outside Sachin Tendulkar's new home to catch a glimpse of the star cricketer

'u00a0Kit & keen: Tendulkar's gear is moved into the plush villa yesterday

It's a six!
Here's MiD DAY's quirky wishlist about what Sachin Tendulkar should have in his new home...

' A room for his fans (and we do not mean the ones on the ceiling) so that he can give a 'darshan' considering the slogan: Cricket is our religion, Sachin is our God.

' Trophy shelves, which run the length of the entire bungalow for all the prizes, he has collected through the years.

' A special kitchen, different from the one that operates normally. This special Sachin kitchen can help him keep cooking -- the opposition's goose. Put the bowlers in a soup. Make mincemeat of the bowling attack. Make the opposition eat humble pie. Watch as the Pakistan (Shoaib Akhtar included) cricket cookie crumbles.

' A mini restaurant within his home. Since Sachin's and Tendulkars, both eating joints named after the champion, closed down, what better place than home sweet home to start a new venture.

' A special in-house commentary box, which houses an expert commentator, who talks about things at home... Anjali can be spotted near the kitchen... and Arjun is off to school. Meanwhile, we can see Sara getting ready to train for the Mumbai Marathon...Sachin is listening to music... just some of the things commentators will say. The commentary box will make Sachin feel at home.

' A telescope on the terrace so that Sachin Tendulkar can gaze at the stars in the sky and know that there are other stars besides him.