Touring the city - Part 2 - Beyond The Cultural Square of Mumbai

Bhagat Singh road is termed as cultural square of Mumbai because the architecture of the area is reminiscent of the old Bombay.

Just opposite across the Prince of Wales museum is National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)

image source

Fabulous work of Indian as well as foreign artists is displayed here. Initially known as the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall, it was converted into a national art gallery in 1996. There are as many as four floors dedicated to art and works ranging from Pablo Picasso’s to Amrita Shergill’s are exhibited here.

Opposite NGMA, across the square is the Regal Cinema

Image source

The Regal Cinema is an Art deco Movie theater located at Colaba Causeway, in Mumbai, India. Built by Framji Sidhwa, the first film to be aired at the Regal was the Laurel and Hardy work The Devil's Brother in 1933. Opened in 1933, Regal was designed by Charles Stevens, the son of the famous 19th century architect, F. W. Stevens. Its interiors with extensive mirror-work were designed by the Czech artist Karl Schara. The main auditorium had a motif of sunrays in pale orange and jade green. Its interiors were designed to create an impression of airiness, coolness and size in harmony with the modern simplicity of the exteriors.

As you walk up the Colaba road, there are many shopping centers and restaurants found at this stretch.

Further down the road is the famous Parsi colony called Cusrow Baugh

Image source

Cusrow Baug was built in 1934 after two years of construction. In present day Mumbai, it may seem totally unbelievable, but the Baug covers an area of 84,000 square yards and is home to over 500 families. The houses are all on a rental basis and cannot be sold. There is a designated trust looking after maintenance of the place. This ensures that the place remains exclusive to the community.

Further up the street is Afghan church

Image source

The building of the church is declared as a heritage building, the church is a Presbyterian church built on 7^th January 1957 by British. The Church is a mute testimony to the brave men who sacrificed their lives for the glory of the Empire. Built in the Gothic style, it was meant to be a garrison church to observe the memories of the British Soldiers who lost their lives during the First Afghan War.

As you walk further, you get a strong fishy smell, you are approaching Sassoon Docks

Image Source

Sassoon Docks was built on reclaimed land by David Sassoon and completed in 1905. The docks today play host to the local fishing fleet. The auction of the day's catch takes place early in the morning around 5:30 am.

To be continued……..