Wikipedia

Bandra

Bandra([bæːɳɖɾa]) is a coastal suburb located inMumbai,the largest city of theKonkan divisioninMaharashtra,India.The area is located to the immediate north of theRiver Mithi,which separates Bandra from theMumbai City district.[2]It is the third-largest commercial hub inMaharashtra,after the Mumbai City andPune,primarily aided by theBandra Kurla Complex.[3]

Bandra
Suburb
Bandra–Worli Sea Link,IL & FS -Bandra Kurla Complex,PWC Office, Mumbai Bandstand Promenade, Jama Masjid Bandra and ICICI Bank
Bandra is located in Maharashtra
Bandra
Bandra
Location of Bandra inMaharashtra,India
Bandra is located in India
Bandra
Bandra
Bandra (India)
Bandra is located in Mumbai
Bandra
Bandra
Bandra (Mumbai)
Coordinates:19°03′16″N72°50′26″E/ 19.054444°N 72.840556°E/19.054444; 72.840556
CountryIndia
StateMaharashtra
DistrictMumbai Suburban
CityMumbai
Zone3
WardH West
Government
• TypeMunicipal corporation
• BodyBrihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC)
Population
(2017)
• Total
337,391[1]
DemonymsMumbaikar
Languages
• OfficialMarathi
Time zoneUTC+5:30(IST)
PIN
Bandra - 400050, 400051
Vehicle registrationMH-02
Lok SabhaconstituencyMumbai North Central
Vidhan SabhaconstituencyBandra West(covers Bandra West)
Bandra East(covers Bandra East)

Before the opening ofKhar Road railway stationon 1 July 1924, Bandra was a larger area and included the present dayKharneighbourhood.[4]It was considered too large a suburb to be served by one railway station and railway station was established to give the northern part of Bandra closer access to theWestern Railwayline. This eventually led to Khar being considered a separate suburb.[5]However, to this day, the two adjoinedsuburbsmake up one homogeneous zone. A number of prominent residents of Bandra are celebrities or VIPs who are active inBollywood,media, cricket and politics.

View of Bandra from an aeroplane window, while taking off from theChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport

History

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The name "Bandra" possibly originates from thePersianword for port, or "bandar."[6]It is described byDuncan Forbes'sA Dictionary, Hindustani and English(1848) as "a city; an emporium; a port, harbor; a trading town to which numbers of foreign merchants resort".[7]InKonkani,bandaris aloanwordfromParsi(Persian) meaningharbourorport.[8][9]

The area along with much of theKonkan region,was ruled by theSilhara dynastyin the 12th century. Bandra was a tiny fishing village inhabited byKolis(fishermen) andsalt farmers.The area was part ofPortuguese Bombayterritory extending fromDamaontoChaul,before its acquisition by theEnglish East India Company.

Indo-Portuguese era

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Entrance of theBandra Fort,originally known as theCastella de Aguada.Portuguese for Fort of the Waterpoint.

In 1534, Diego da Silveira, apiratefrom theMediterranean,entered Bandra's creek and burned the fishing town he found there. With that, Bandra came under the rule of thePortuguese Goa.[10]

A period ofChristianisationbegan in Bandra. FatherConceicao Rodrigues,aCatholicpriest, was instrumental in increasing the Church's prominence in Bandra.[citation needed]In 1580, he baptised about 2,000 fishermen. By the time he died 11 years later, Father Gomes' "invincible strength of soul", as one historian describes it, had helped convert close to 6,000 people in the area.[citation needed]Father Gomes also establishedSt Andrew's Church.

Bandra officially became a possession of thePortuguese East Indies,when theSultanate of Cambayceded Bandra and adjacent areas via theTreaty of Bassein (1534),which was signed aboard thebrignamedSao Mateus(St Matthew) atVasai (Bassein)harbour, aided by Governor-GeneralNuno da CunhaandDiego da Silveira.The Portugueseenfeoffed(gave) Bandra,Kurla,Mazgaonand four other villages in 1548 toAntónio Pessoa;as a reward for his military services. This was confirmed by the Royal Chancellery on 2 February 1550.[citation needed]

As these villages were given for a period of "two lives", they reverted to thePortuguese Crownafter the death ofIsabel Botelha,Pessoa's widow. In 1568, theJesuitswho had applied for acquisition of these villages in anticipation of Isabel's death, obtained them from thePortuguese viceroy in Goa,they received royal confirmation fromLisbon,in 1570.[11]

In 1661, whenCharles II of Englandmarried Catherine of Portugal, theSeven Islands of Bombaywere given away as part of thedowry of Catherine Braganza.[12]However,Salsette island,on which Bandra laid, was not part of this treaty and remained with the Portuguese.[13]

ThePortuguese Empirebuilt additional chapels, oratories& churches in Bandra, one of the earliest beingSt Andrew's Churchin 1575. Their Jesuit missionaries, who learnedlocal languages and cultures,attracted many Indian converts toWestern Christianity(Catholicism) among the natives of the island. Their descendants continued their membership of the six Catholicparish churches—Mount Carmel,St. Peter's, St Andrew's, St Theresa's, St Anne's and St Francis d'Assisi; that lie within an area of four square kilometres.[14]

British Bandra

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Bandra became part of English territory with the signing of theTreaty of Suratin 1775, but was retroceded to theMarathasin 1779 during theFirst Anglo-Maratha War.In 1802,Baji Rao IIsigned theTreaty of Basseinwith the English, surrendering sovereignty and again ceding Bandra, and it remained under British control until 14 August 1947.

Arrival of Railways and development:On 12 April 1867, the first railway service was inaugurated, with one train per day betweenVirarand Bombay, as part of the then private rail company,BB&CIwhich was the earlier form ofWestern Railway.A grand railway station building for Bandra was inaugurated in 1869. The innovative aspects used in the design of this structure are visible to this day.[citation needed]On closer scrutiny, it is evident how railway tracks bunched together make up each of the iron pillars, that hold up the roof over the platforms. In 1873, with growing demands, the frequency of trains available was increased to 24 each day. In the early 1900s, the affluentPathare Prabhucommunity lived inSouth Mumbai,and used their quaintbungalowsin the Khar part of Bandra as weekend dwellings.Khar Dandawas one of the original villages of the erstwhile larger Bandra. Back then, the localBandra railway stationwas felt considerably far to alight from trains and hire 'tangas' (horse carriages) to get to their bungalows by these Bandra residents. Keeping these factors and Bandra's growing population in mind, a new railway station named 'Khar Road' was introduced adjoiningBandra Railway stationon 1 July 1924. This development is the primary reason that the Khar part of Bandra started being referred to as a suburb by itself.[15]As late as the 1930s, Bandra had only one bus service fromPali Naka,Hill Roadto the Railway station. Other people just walked to the nearest railway station. AfterWorld War II,the building boom began with an aim to accommodate immigrants. As of 2018, 940 trains stop daily atBandra railway station.[citation needed]

Bandra was raised to the status of amunicipalityin 1876 and was then expanded.[citation needed]In 1950, following independence, it was merged into the Bombay Municipal Corporation to form theMunicipal Corporation of Greater Bombay.Bandra consisted of many villages, among them Sherly, Malla, Rajan, Kantwady, Waroda, Ranwar, Boran, Khar Danda, Pali, and Chuim. These have almost been lost to urban development of the island.[citation needed]

Mount Mary's Church

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Statue of Mother Mary atMount Mary Church, Bandra.

TheBandra Fairis held during the eight days of the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lady, beginning 8 September, when people throng the church.[16][17]

Educational institutions

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The first school founded in Bandra after Bombay passed on to the English was St Andrew's Parish School, started by Fr.Francisco de Meloin 1780 to teach catechism to the children of the parish. This later becameSt. Andrew's High School.[18]The school is located in Bandra West.

St. Theresa's High Schoolgrew out of St. Andrew's Indian Christians' School, housed in a very dilapidated building situated in Old Khar. This school was founded in 1918. It was taken over by the Society of Divine Word (S.V.D). in 1952. It is counted among the best schools inMumbai.[19]

St. Stanislaus High Schoolwas founded in 1863 by theSociety of Jesus.It started as a Native Boy's orphanage. It became a high school in 1923 and was the first English medium school in the suburbs. Later, it grew to be a full-fledged educational institution for day-scholars as well as boarders. Cardinal Gracias High School is aconvent schoollocated in Bandra East. St. Joseph's Convent High School for girls is run by the nuns of the congregation of the Daughters of the Cross in Bandra West. It was built in 1865 (Bandra was then known as Bandora)[20]and boasts a chapel. The school has produced illustrious alumni over the years.[21]R.D. National Collegewas originally set up in 1922 inHyderabad, Pakistanunder the guidance ofAnnie Besant.In the run-up to thePartition of India,it was relocated to its present site in 1949 in Bandra. TheThadomal Shahani Engineering Collegewas established in 1983 by theHyderabad (Sind) National Collegiate Board.

TheRizvi Education Complex,located offCarter Road,comprises theRizvi College of Arts,Science and Commerce (established in 1985); Rizvi High School (established in 1985);Rizvi College of Engineering(established in 1998); Rizvi College of Architecture; Rizvi College of Hotel Management & Catering Technology;Rizvi Law College;Rizvi College of Education and the Rizvi College of Fashion Designing & Creative Arts[22]All are managed by the Rizvi Education Society, and may have the status ofMuslimreligious minority institution.

St. Andrew's College of Arts, Science and Commerceis another famous college located in the heart of Bandra, just a few hundred metres away from St. Stanislaus High School. St. Andrews boasts of one of the best auditoriums in the city.[23]

IES's Management College an Research Centre is also located at Bandra Reclamation. It offers PGDM programs related to Management and Pharma.[24]

Bandra Lake

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Main article:Bandra Talao

Bandra Lake,also called Bandra Talao or Motha Reservoir was constructed by a richKonkaniMuslim ofNavapada(also spelt Naupada or Naopara), an adjoining village.[25]

The lake was later acquired by theMunicipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.It was officially renamedSwami VivekanandSarovar. Paddle boating facilities andpisciculture(fish farming) activities were operational in this lake during the 1990s but have since stopped. This lake is now a heritage structure of "Heritage II" status.[25][26][27]The Portuguese also pronounced Bandra As Bandora.

Development of Bandra as a Commercial Hub

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Main article:Bandra Kurla Complex

As traffic in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region worsened, especially inSouth Mumbai,there was increased demand to construct a business district outside of Mumbai, in the suburbs. In the mid-2000s, the city of Bandra started an audacious task to reclaim lands on theMithi Riverin the eastern portion of the city, near theKurlaborder. The newly formedBandra Kurla Complex(BKC) has attracted several equity and technology firms, such as Blackstone,Google,andAmazon,who chose Bandra instead of Mumbai City for its location, lower-cost of land, and new development.

As the last suburb before enteringMumbai City,Bandra has for a while been strained with traffic, particularly around the railway station and S.V. Road. The development of a business centre has only exacerbated the traffic problems, as unlike other commercial hubs, Bandra's BKC is located betweenBandraandKurlastations and requires approximately 10-15 minute vehicular commute from either of the stations. Nearly 300,000 office-goers alight daily at Bandra Railway Station and take a taxi or bus to BKC. This has madeBandraamong the busiest stations in India, surpassingAndheriandBombay Central,and the second-busiest station in Maharashtra's Western Railway afterChurchgate railway station.

Terror attacks

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In 1993, a group of terrorists attacked a hotel in Bandra in addition to other sites in the city.[28]

Urban art

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Bandra has a large collection of street art or graffiti. The paintings on walls are principally located in the vicinity of Chapel Road and Veronica Street, but prominent works are also visible near Bandstand andMount Mary Church.[29][30]They consist of various types of graffiti, including pieces, stencils, tags, etc. Globally renowned artists such as Gomez have created works on these walls. St+art Mumbai,Bollywood Art Project[31]and Dharavi Art Room are some of the organizations that conduct various programs to encourage the artists. The programs have support from theBrihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC).[32]Bandra was also home to the 37X46 metre (120X150 foot) portrait ofDadasaheb Phalkeon theMTNLbuilding at Bandra Reclamation. It was created by Ranjit Dahiya (from the Bollywood Art Project) and other artists includingYantr,Munir Bukhari and Nilesh Kharade as part of the St+art Mumbai festival in 2014. The mural was unveiled officially byAmitabh BachchanandPiyush Pandey,but the building has been re-painted.[33]It is reportedly Asia's largest mural.[34]

In literature

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Many of the characters in the book Bloodline Bandra[35]by Godfrey Joseph Pereira[36](2014), are East Indian, including the protagonist, journalist, David Cabral, who reside in a village (hamlet) called Pali in Bandra. The book itself is set in the 1950s with the first half of the book having most of the action inPali Village,a predominantlyEast Indianpopulace at the time.

Graffiti on a shop door at chapel road Bandra

Geography

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Sunset atBandra Bandstand

Bandra is split by the local railway-line into West Bandra (Postal Code 400050) and East Bandra (Postal Code 400051). The part of Bandra located on the western side of the railway line developed into a fashionable suburb by the middle of the 20th century. Film directorMehboob Khanestablished theMehboob Studioshere in 1954. Soon the area became a center for the Indian movie industry,Bollywood.A recording studio was set up in the 1970s.[37][38]

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the eastern part emerged as a commercial and administrative hub. It houses the Family Court,Bandra Kurla Commercial Complex,the office of the state housing development authority (MHADA) and the office of theDistrict Collector.The residential quarters of the employees of the Maharashtra State Government are also located here.

Most roads and places in Bandra were given English names duringBritish rule.They have been renamed over time but many are still popularly known by their old names.

Worli skyline as seen from Bandra Reclamation
A stall on Linking Road

Transport

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Bandra-Worli SealinkProject

Bandra railway stationis connected with theWestern Railwayand theHarbour Line,which is an offshoot of the suburbanCentral Railway.It also has a newly built terminus calledBandra Terminusin Bandra (E) from where trains bound for northern and western India are scheduled regularly. The important trains include the Bandra-New DelhiRajdhani Express, Bandra-IndoreExpress, Bandra-PatnaExpress, Bandra-JaipurExpress, Bandra-JodhpurExpress and the Bandra-AmritsarExpress

Public transport also includesBESTbuses, auto rickshaws and taxis, which are abundant. Bandra is the last southern point from Mumbai where auto rickshaws ply. Beyond Bandra, enteringMahim,only taxis are allowed to ply.

TheBandra–Worli Sea Linkbridge connects Bandra West withWorli,located in central Mumbai. Due to Bandra's central location, most parts of the city are easily accessible.

Places of interest

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Mount Mary's Basilica
Jamaa Masjid, Bandra

Notable residents

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See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toBandra.

References

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  1. ^"Mumbai Wards & Districts: Population & Density by Sector 2001".www.demographia.com.Archivedfrom the original on 4 April 2007.Retrieved22 September2018.
  2. ^Bandra Is Changing But It Isn't Being Gentrified,21 April 2014, archived fromthe originalon 18 October 2014,retrieved10 October2015
  3. ^Team, PropertyPistol Insight (15 January 2022)."Everything you need to know about the commercial hub- Bandra East".Real Estate Sector Latest News, Updates & Insights - PropertyPistol Blog.Retrieved30 August2023.
  4. ^"Mumbai's Khar Station Turns 90".NDTV.com.Retrieved30 August2023.
  5. ^"Mumbai's Khar Station Turns 90".ndtv.com.Archivedfrom the original on 24 October 2020.Retrieved1 July2014.
  6. ^"A Tour Through Mumbai's Historical Neighbourhoods".3 January 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 19 January 2019.Retrieved19 January2019.
  7. ^Duncan Forbes (1848).A Dictionary, Hindustani and English: To which is Added a Reversed Part, English and Hindustani.W.H. Allen.Archivedfrom the original on 4 July 2023.Retrieved12 April2012.
  8. ^"An English-Konkani dictionary".1883.
  9. ^Saradesāya, Manohararāya (2000).A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992.Sahitya Akademi.ISBN9788172016647.Archivedfrom the original on 4 July 2023.Retrieved7 June2022.
  10. ^"The East Indians of Bandra".www.east-indians.net.Archivedfrom the original on 8 May 2021.Retrieved10 March2021.
  11. ^Have Bandra's xenophobes forgotten their own history?,First Post,9 March 2012,archivedfrom the original on 21 March 2017,retrieved10 October2015
  12. ^Catherine of Bragança (1638–1705),BBC,archivedfrom the original on 4 August 2011,retrieved20 December2019
  13. ^"Greater Bombay District Gazetteer".Maharashtra State Gazetteers.Government of Maharashtra.1960. p. 174. Archived fromthe originalon 6 September 2008.Retrieved13 August2008.
  14. ^Mumbai: Once a part of Bandra's Catholic heritage, a chapel at Pali Hill will soon be history,DNA India,21 April 2013,archivedfrom the original on 4 September 2015,retrieved10 October2015
  15. ^"July 02, 2014".IndiaTV.Archivedfrom the original on 7 October 2020.Retrieved3 October2020.
  16. ^Mount Mary fair begins today[dead link‍]Indian Express,8 September 2007.
  17. ^"Devotees throng to Bandra Fair on opening day as stall owners protest"Archived1 October 2012 at theWayback Machine,DNA (newspaper),13 September 2010.
  18. ^"History".St Andrew High School, Bandra. Archived fromthe originalon 31 March 2012.Retrieved19 April2012.
  19. ^"St. Theresa's High School".Archived fromthe originalon 12 April 2012.Retrieved21 June2012.(no valid archive exists)
  20. ^"Here's everything you need to know about the journey from Bandora to Bandra | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis".dna.16 December 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2018.Retrieved26 May2018.
  21. ^"Illustrious Alumnae – St. Joseph's Convent School".sjcschoolbandra.org.Archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2017.Retrieved27 September2016.
  22. ^"Rizvi Education Society".www.rizvi.edu.in.Archivedfrom the original on 30 December 2016.Retrieved12 January2014.
  23. ^"St. Andrew's College".Archivedfrom the original on 22 September 2020.Retrieved24 August2020.
  24. ^"IES's MCRC invites online application for PGDM batch 2021-23".news.careers360.com.17 December 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 6 April 2023.Retrieved6 September2022.
  25. ^ab"Places of Interest".Gazetteer of Thane District.1882.Archivedfrom the original on 10 February 2010.Retrieved5 June2011.
  26. ^"BMC plans walkway around Bandra Talao".MiD DAY.31 January 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2011.Retrieved10 January2012.
  27. ^"Makeover for Bandra Talao finally kicks off".Daily News and Analysis.30 June 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 2 July 2010.Retrieved10 January2012.
  28. ^"How the 1993 blasts changed Mumbai forever".BBC News.30 July 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 26 June 2019.Retrieved10 January2022.
  29. ^"Ranwar Village".Minor Sights.Archivedfrom the original on 9 April 2016.Retrieved22 March2016.
  30. ^"Bollywood Art Project".Minor Sights.Archivedfrom the original on 9 April 2016.Retrieved22 March2016.
  31. ^"Bollywood Art Project – BAP".www.facebook.com.Archivedfrom the original on 27 May 2017.Retrieved22 March2016.
  32. ^"Mumbai Street Life – Graffiti @ Chapel Road Bandra".wordpress.com.19 July 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 24 July 2015.Retrieved24 July2015.
  33. ^"Phalke Mural to be Unveiled Today".The Indian Express.Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2018.Retrieved26 May2018.
  34. ^"Larger than life".India Today.Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2018.Retrieved26 May2018.
  35. ^Pereira, Godfrey (2014).Bloodline Bandra(1st ed.). India:HarperCollins.ISBN9789351364429.
  36. ^"Godfrey Joseph Pereira".www.goodreads.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 October 2022.Retrieved12 October2022.
  37. ^"Mehboob mere, Mehboob tere".Pune Mirror.1 November 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 18 July 2011.Retrieved21 February2011.
  38. ^"Mumbai, meri mehboob?".DNA.7 February 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 10 February 2011.Retrieved21 February2011.
  39. ^"India: Bungalows of Bandra – Bombay's Vanishing Heritage".www.minorsights.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2 April 2015.Retrieved7 March2015.
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