Mumbai, September 28
Sachin Tendulkar today fulfilled his long cherished dream of living in a house of his own as he moved into a sprawling, five-storey bungalow on the coveted Perry Cross Road in suburban Bandra here. Tendulkar has shifted his residence from La Mer Housing Society, also in Bandra west, to the villa spread over 6,000 square feet.

"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 lived was given to me under the sports quota. I have now vacated that place so that some other sportsman can live there," he told reporters outside his new home.

A battery of mediapersons clicked away furiously as Sachin, clad in a simple striped T-shirt and trousers, took his first step into the bungalow, a glow of happiness on his face. His family members, mother, wife and children followed him into the house.

"We had done the 'gruha shanti' and 'vastu-puja' on June 11 before I left for England. I could not visit Mumbai after that, but now that I am in the city, I brought my mother to show the place," the Master Blaster said.

While three of the bungalow’s storeys are above ground level, it has two levels of basement parking with a capacity of around 50 vehicles. One of the floors will be dedicated to storing and displaying the hundreds of medals, cups, honours and citations that the batsman has received during his two-decades-plus glorious cricket career.Sachin spent his early childhood in Sahitya Sahawas Colony in Bandra east and later honed his batting skills in the famous Shivaji Park grounds when he lived in Dadar.

After scouting around Mumbai, he had zeroed in on and purchased this Bandra west property to construct his ‘dream home’ some years ago for a whopping Rs 39 crore. He then got it rebuilt from scratch.The villa has been secured with high-walled fencing to avoid curious onlookers. — Agencies