The north London house where the architect of India’s Constitution and champion of Dalit rights Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar lived while studying during the 1920s could be opened to the public later this year.

Announcing the exchange of documents – ahead of a sale expected to be completed in the next two to three weeks — Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Rajkumar Badole said the plan was to open the building at 10 King Henry’s Road in Camden to coincide with Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary year.

The acquisition will be one of the rare made by a State governments abroad, and had “historic significance for all his followers and admirers not only in India but the world over,” the minister said. The building, which already has a blue plaque denoting its heritage status and Ambedkar’s time there, was purchased for £3.1 million plus additional taxes.

The renovation work will also have to be carried out, with permission of the local council, before the 2,550 sq ft property across three levels is ready for use. The property will come under the administrative control of the High Commission.

While several ideas have been floating around about its use, including converting it into a temporary hostel for Indian students, the minister said no final decision had been made and consultations were still ongoing.

The initial plan is for the property to become a memorial for the lawyer who received a Master's degrees in 1921 and a BSc in 1923 from the London School of Economics, and was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn later that year.

While many of Indian’s leaders of the national movement spent time in London, and memorials across the city mark their presence, the purchase of Ambedkar’s house by a state government does not have a precedent, said a spokesperson for the High Commission in London.

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