By IANS
New Delhi : 27, Mall Road – outgoing president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's new but temporary address – is a simple two-room house to which he will shift Wednesday, leaving behind the palatial 340-room Rashtrapati Bhavan.
With workers giving frenzied finishing touches, the military guesthouse located in tree-lined Delhi Cantonment area at the edge of south Delhi.
This, however, will be an interim arrangement before Kalam finally shifts to his eight-bedroom bungalow at 10, Rajaji Marg in the very heart of the capital.
"Work is still going on (at the guesthouse)," said a rather stern faced guard at the gates as several labourers, with shovels in their hands, huff and puff on either side of the short stretch of road leading from the gate to the house.
The small white colour building has a lobby. Turning left, there is a drawing-cum-dining room space that leads to the kitchen. Straight off the lobby there is the bath-attached bedroom.
One of the areas in the premises that have demanded special attention is the small garden.
Knowing his love for open green spaces with blooming flowers, especially after Kalam said that amongst all he will miss the gardens of the Rashtrapati Bhavan the most, a lot of digging and plantation work is taking place in the garden.
The building is surrounded by gardens and behind a hedge at the back is a block of staff quarters.
Kalam is expected to stay in this house for a short duration before he heads to Chennai where he will be taking up his teaching assignments. Besides Anna University in Chennai and University of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, he will be teaching in various other universities.
After his return, he will shift to 10, Rajaji Marg, his official residence from now on.