PM Modi’s US visit: Inside Blair House, the President’s Guest House hosting the Indian Prime Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Washington DC for a two-day visit at the invitation of the White House to meet newly elected president Donald Trump and other dignitaries. Making his first visit to the US since Trump assumed office for a second term, PM Modi will be looking forward to building upon the new India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership while working closely on the bilateral ties between the two nations.PM Modi will be hosted at Blair House, the historic presidential guest house just across the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. Several foreign dignitaries, including former Indian Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, stayed in the guest house during their visit to the US.

PM Modi arrived at a Joint Base Andrews to a warm welcome from India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra along with other senior officials. Members of the Indian diaspora also gathered outside the Blair House to welcome the Indian Prime Minister amid chants of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai.’

A warm reception in the winter chill!

Despite the cold weather, the Indian diaspora in Washington DC has welcomed me with a very special welcome. My gratitude to them. pic.twitter.com/H1LXWafTC2– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2025

History of Blair House

The house was built in 1824 as a private property in Washington DC and became politically significant after the Blair family moved in. In 1942, the United States government purchased the property upon the request of then-President Franklin Roosevelt. While the President’s guests were previously hosted at the White House, hotel, or embassy, the need for official diplomatic housing led to the approval of Blair House in this regard.

Ever since, Blair House has been serving as a site for American diplomacy, hosting foreign leaders, including former Indian Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, British Queen Elizabeth II, French President Charles de Gaulle, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Israeli Prime Ministers Golda Meir, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin. The house also marked significant events including a summit of the G-8 foreign ministers in 2012 by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Inside Blair House

Standing on a 70,000-square-foot extension of the White House, it is composed of four seamlessly connected townhomes—two on Pennsylvania Avenue and two facing Lafayette Park on Jackson Place. At present time, the complex houses over 120 rooms with a staff of 18 full-time employees for hospitality and maintenance.

Blair House also has 14 guestrooms, each with a full bathroom, three formal dining rooms, two large conference rooms, a hot and cold kitchen, a fully equipped beauty salon, an exercise room, and an in-house laundry facility.