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May 19, 2023

Tour a unique waterfront mansion in Pass Christian, Miss.

Binoy and Abha Mishra worked for three years with a designer, engineer and

Binoy and Abha Mishra worked for three years with a designer, engineer and contractor to create a two-story waterfront mansion like no other on the Coast.

The Mishra home sits on 2.2 acres on Scenic Drive in Pass Christian. They bought the lot in 2017, long after Katrina decimated the original home and outbuildings on the property.

After a great deal of research, the Mishras settled on the Greek Revival architectural style. Stately columns support generous porticoes that span the front of both floors. The flat roof is rounded, as are the centers of the portico ceilings, giving the precast concrete home a formal look.

The home of Binoy and Abha Mishra on Scenic Drive in Pass Christian on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. The Mishras designed the Greek Revival home with great attention to detail, from the iron gates and railings to the granite floor tiles imported from India.

The house stands out on street lined with mansions and beach cottages framed by live oak trees. Their street is home to the three most expensive houses in Harrison County, including the home the Mishras built.

"It's a good area," said Binoy Mishra, who works in finance and real estate, while his wife is a Mississippi Coast neurologist. "People slow down when they drive to look at all the houses."

The Mishras moved to Pass Christian in 2007 for his wife's job at Gulfport Memorial Hospital. They love the slow pace in Pass Christian, "away from the din and bustle" of the Coast's larger cities, Binoy Mishra said.

They selected their lot for its view of the Mississippi Sound and it's 22-foot elevation. Having grown up in an area of India prone to cyclones, the name for hurricanes that form in the Indian Ocean, the Mishras wanted to make sure the home they built in Pass Christian would be safe. Even the roof of their two-story home is concrete.

The main hall of Binoy Mishra's home on Scenic Drive in Pass Christian features a open-concept floor plan on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

While no house is hurricane-proof, Mishra is confident their home could withstand a strong hurricane. The house also recently achieved a Gold rating from the Institute of Business and Home Safety, a nonprofit supported by the insurance industry that advocates for FORTIFIED construction.

The construction standards added 10-15% to building costs but have been worth the peace of mind, Mishra said. Also, the home qualifies for insurance discounts.

The Mishras scoured the internet for design ideas. Everything about the house is unique, from it's graceful iron gates and fencing to the muscadine-filled arbors that arch over a walkway leading to a screened swimming pool and two guest houses.

Muscadine vines grow on trellises in the backyard of Binoy and Abha Mishra's home on Scenic Drive in Pass Christian on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

The design they chose for their driveway gates repeats in the iron railings around the porticoes. Granite tiles imported from India serve as flooring on the porch and throughout the house.

The front doors open into a great room that soars to 22 feet. Spacious seating areas and one of two kitchens is located in the main living area, with an open office on one side at the front of the house.

The Mishras had an outdoor kitchen at the back of the first floor, but enclosed it once they discovered how vicious gnats can be. They do most of their cooking there.

An interior balcony surrounds the second floor, with iron railings that repeat the design out front. The master bedroom is downstairs, with six guestrooms upstairs. Each of the seven bedrooms has its own bath. The granite staircase and an elevator are tucked behind doors in a back hallway.

The main area of Binoy and Abha Mishra's home on Scenic Drive in Pass Christian on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

Mishra said they built the guestrooms for relatives from India, who were planning to attend their daughter's wedding in 2021. Sadly, COVID lock downs meant the relatives were unable to make the trip. Three skylights in the second-floor ceiling flood the house with light.

When asked how much the 9,800-square-foot home is worth, Mishra laughed and said, "I have no idea."

He and his wife are still getting work completed here and there. Decorative items they hope to display are still tucked away in drawers. The living room features custom teakwood furniture imported from India, including a two-seat glider with wood canopy. The house is great for entertaining, with ample space for guests to mingle.

The view from the second floor of the main area of Binoy and Abha Mishra's home on Scenic Drive in Pass Christian on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

The Mishras recently hosted a dinner for Art in the Pass. The elevator opens onto the roof on top, where the views are stunning.

After spending so much time and effort on the house, Mishra is more than pleased with the result.

What he likes most about the house, he said, are "the openness of the design . . . which makes it well-lighted, the beach view, the rooftop and the backyard."

The Sun Herald, based in Biloxi, covers the Mississippi Gulf Coast and is a news partner with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Read more at www.sunherald.com.

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