Wednesday 5 February 2014

Touring the city - Part 1 South Mumbai


I am starting a series on touring the city of Mumbai. Will be posting one part of the city per week. Do give me your feedback on what interests you.

We start our Mumbai tour from South Mumbai. We will walk from V.T station to Prince Charles Museum.




V.T. station (Victoria Terminus) now known as C.S.T (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus)

CST is a popular railway station connecting Mumbai with the suburbs and with all parts of the country. Its Victorian-Gothic style of architecture has earned its ‘World Heritage Site’ by UNESCO in 2004. The main architecture of the building reflects the design of 19th century; its style and ornamentation were acceptable to both Indian and European culture.

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 From CST, we walk towards D.N. Road (Dadabhai Naroaji). The structures, built in the boom years from 1885 to 1910, were allowed diverse styles, but under strict design control. It was mandatory for all buildings to be of same height as well as have an arcade opening up over the pavement.



Flora fountain is the big open space, is now called Hutatma Chowk or Martyr's Square to honor those who died in the tumultuous birth of Maharashtra State. Opposite the square you are likely to find rows of street book-shops that have rare collection of books.



The Gothic structure continues as you approach Kala Ghoda. This square becomes vibrant in the month of February when an art and cultural festival is held in this area. 



The kiosks selling art and craft materials, books, clothes line up on the either side of Rampart Row. There are street installations screaming a social message. There are talk shows and cultural shows at different venues around KalaGhoda.

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It is difficult to miss this famous Jahangir Art Gallery. It’s a main hub for painters and artist. There are exhibition halls for paintings and other art exhibits. A restaurant Samovar is known for its most economical and tasty cuisine.



Prince of Wales Museum now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya, houses approximately 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objects from foreign lands categorized primary into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History.

To be continued……..



The name "Bombay" was derived from 'Bom Bahia' (The Good Bay),

.... a name given by Portuguese sailor Francis Almeida, in 1508 ....“Bounce back Mumbai” .....as it is called by the locals, it is a city that has been through a lot in the recent past – floods, bomb blasts, riots – and come out stronger each time.

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