Rohinton ROnZ's Bandra & Mumbai Tour Guidebook
Sightseeing
Interesting tourist attraction places and historical/cultural hotspots in and around Bandra worth visiting to enrich your overall travel experience
The most popular walkway in the posh Mumbai suburb of Bandra is easily recognized as the Bandstand.
Measuring 1.2 kilometres, Bandra Bandstand has been immortalized in a number of Bollywood movies, television soaps, reality shows, YouTube videos and even advertisements.
Also known as Bandstand Promenade, this famous walkway has plenty of stardust on it. It is a well-known fact that some of the most glamorous film stars have their apartments or bungalows around Bandra Bandstand.
The Bandstand Promenade, also known as Bandra Bandstand is a 1.2 kilometer long walkway along the sea on the western coast of Bombay (Mumbai), India in the neighborhood of Bandra. It is simultaneously a popular hangout spot, a jogging track and a park.
Towards the Land's End side of the promenade is an amphitheater. It serves as a venue for the Mumbai Festival, Celebrate Bandra and other events including concerts, classical dance and other performances.
The 'Artist's Court' is another performance venue built into the promenade that witnesses public Jam Sessions on Sundays.
History Of Bandstand And How It Got This Name
Bandra Bandstand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mumbai. It is a beautiful seaside promenade located in the Bandra neighborhood.
The Bandstand Promenade offers stunning views of the Arabian Sea and is a great place to relax and enjoy a peaceful walk. The promenade is also home to several interesting landmarks, including the Hanging Garden, Mount Mary Church, and Bandra Fort.
The Bandstand was built in 1884 as a wooden jetty for British troops stationed in Mumbai. In 1896, it was rebuilt as a bandstand and renamed Queen’s Park by the British governor Lord Elgin.
The Bandstand was damaged by a storm in 1920 and was rebuilt in concrete in 1921. The promenade was renamed Bandstand Promenade in 1985.
Interesting Facts
The popular open-air theatre and performing arts venue in Mumbai, Bandstand, is located in the city’s suburbs.
Having been built back in 1864, it is one of the oldest bandstands in Mumbai. It was originally used as a promenade for the British soldiers stationed at Bombay Castle.
The Bandstand has been used for various events and performances over the years, including political rallies, concerts, and film shoots. The Bandstand has been renovated in recent years and is now a popular tourist spot in Mumbai.
There are also several restaurants and cafes located close to the Bandstand, which offer stunning ocean views.
Additionally, the promenade is also home to several interesting landmarks, including the Hanging Garden, Mount Mary Church, and Bandra Fort. It is also home to some very famous Bolywood flimstars.
The Bandstand Promenade is a long, seaside promenade located in the Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai.
The Promenade Is Divided Into Two Sections: The Upper And Lower Promenades.
The upper promenade offers stunning views of the Arabian Sea and is a great place to relax and enjoy a peaceful walk.
The lower promenade features several interesting landmarks, including the Hanging Garden, Mount Mary Church, and Bandra Fort.
Best Time To Visit Bandra Bandstand In Mumbai
Bandstand in Bandra can be visited throughout the year. It offers stunning views of the Arabian Sea and is a great place to relax and enjoy a peaceful walk.
Names Of Some Famous Personalities Living Here
Some of the famous personalities who live in Bandra include:
• Amitabh Bachchan:
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He has appeared in over 180 films and has won numerous awards, including four National Film Awards and fifteen Filmfare Awards.
• Shahrukh Khan:
Shahrukh Khan is an Indian film actor, producer, and television personality. He has appeared in over 80 films and is one of the most successful actors in Indian cinema.
• Kareena Kapoor:
Kareena Kapoor is an Indian actress and the wife of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. She has appeared in over 50 films and is one of the most popular actresses in India.
• Ranbir Kapoor:
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor in Hindi films. He is the son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu • Aamir Khan:
Aamir Khan is an Indian actor, director, and producer. He has appeared in over 50 films and is one of the most successful actors in Indian cinema. His film ‘Lagan’ has won many awards.
• Salman Khan:
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor, producer, television personality, and philanthropist. He has appeared in over 80 films and is one of the most successful actors in Indian cinema.
• Katrina Kaif:
Katrina Kaif is an English actress who appears in Hindi films. She made her acting debut with the 2003 film Boom.
• Priyanka Chopra:
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress, singer, and film producer. She has appeared in over 50 films and is one of the most successful actresses in Indian cinema.
Timing A To Visit And Entry Fee
The Bandra Bandstand Promenade is open to the public 24 hours a day. There is no entry fee. And that’s why it’s worth a visit.
How To Reach Here
The Bandstand Promenade is located in the Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai. It is easily accessible by train, bus, or taxi.
Bandra Railway station is the closest public transport. Go to the west side of the railway station and take a bus, auto or Taxi to Bandstand.
Things To Do At Bandra BandStand
There Are Several Things To Do At The Bandstand Promenade, Including:
• Enjoying the stunning views of the Arabian Sea
• Relaxing and taking a peaceful walk
• Taking pictures at the landmark Hanging Garden
• Visiting the Mount Mary Church
• Visiting the Bandra Fort
Places To Visit Near Bandstand
Famous Places Nearby:
Mount Mary Church Bandra – The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, commonly known as Mount Mary Church, is a Roman Catholic Basilica located in Bandra, Mumbai. Even though the church tower is 100 years old, the history of the current statue of Our Lady dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal got the figure to the present place and built a chapel.
Bandstand Promenade
Bandstand PromenadeThe most popular walkway in the posh Mumbai suburb of Bandra is easily recognized as the Bandstand.
Measuring 1.2 kilometres, Bandra Bandstand has been immortalized in a number of Bollywood movies, television soaps, reality shows, YouTube videos and even advertisements.
Also known as Bandstand Promenade, this famous walkway has plenty of stardust on it. It is a well-known fact that some of the most glamorous film stars have their apartments or bungalows around Bandra Bandstand.
The Bandstand Promenade, also known as Bandra Bandstand is a 1.2 kilometer long walkway along the sea on the western coast of Bombay (Mumbai), India in the neighborhood of Bandra. It is simultaneously a popular hangout spot, a jogging track and a park.
Towards the Land's End side of the promenade is an amphitheater. It serves as a venue for the Mumbai Festival, Celebrate Bandra and other events including concerts, classical dance and other performances.
The 'Artist's Court' is another performance venue built into the promenade that witnesses public Jam Sessions on Sundays.
History Of Bandstand And How It Got This Name
Bandra Bandstand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mumbai. It is a beautiful seaside promenade located in the Bandra neighborhood.
The Bandstand Promenade offers stunning views of the Arabian Sea and is a great place to relax and enjoy a peaceful walk. The promenade is also home to several interesting landmarks, including the Hanging Garden, Mount Mary Church, and Bandra Fort.
The Bandstand was built in 1884 as a wooden jetty for British troops stationed in Mumbai. In 1896, it was rebuilt as a bandstand and renamed Queen’s Park by the British governor Lord Elgin.
The Bandstand was damaged by a storm in 1920 and was rebuilt in concrete in 1921. The promenade was renamed Bandstand Promenade in 1985.
Interesting Facts
The popular open-air theatre and performing arts venue in Mumbai, Bandstand, is located in the city’s suburbs.
Having been built back in 1864, it is one of the oldest bandstands in Mumbai. It was originally used as a promenade for the British soldiers stationed at Bombay Castle.
The Bandstand has been used for various events and performances over the years, including political rallies, concerts, and film shoots. The Bandstand has been renovated in recent years and is now a popular tourist spot in Mumbai.
There are also several restaurants and cafes located close to the Bandstand, which offer stunning ocean views.
Additionally, the promenade is also home to several interesting landmarks, including the Hanging Garden, Mount Mary Church, and Bandra Fort. It is also home to some very famous Bolywood flimstars.
The Bandstand Promenade is a long, seaside promenade located in the Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai.
The Promenade Is Divided Into Two Sections: The Upper And Lower Promenades.
The upper promenade offers stunning views of the Arabian Sea and is a great place to relax and enjoy a peaceful walk.
The lower promenade features several interesting landmarks, including the Hanging Garden, Mount Mary Church, and Bandra Fort.
Best Time To Visit Bandra Bandstand In Mumbai
Bandstand in Bandra can be visited throughout the year. It offers stunning views of the Arabian Sea and is a great place to relax and enjoy a peaceful walk.
Names Of Some Famous Personalities Living Here
Some of the famous personalities who live in Bandra include:
• Amitabh Bachchan:
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He has appeared in over 180 films and has won numerous awards, including four National Film Awards and fifteen Filmfare Awards.
• Shahrukh Khan:
Shahrukh Khan is an Indian film actor, producer, and television personality. He has appeared in over 80 films and is one of the most successful actors in Indian cinema.
• Kareena Kapoor:
Kareena Kapoor is an Indian actress and the wife of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. She has appeared in over 50 films and is one of the most popular actresses in India.
• Ranbir Kapoor:
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor in Hindi films. He is the son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu • Aamir Khan:
Aamir Khan is an Indian actor, director, and producer. He has appeared in over 50 films and is one of the most successful actors in Indian cinema. His film ‘Lagan’ has won many awards.
• Salman Khan:
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor, producer, television personality, and philanthropist. He has appeared in over 80 films and is one of the most successful actors in Indian cinema.
• Katrina Kaif:
Katrina Kaif is an English actress who appears in Hindi films. She made her acting debut with the 2003 film Boom.
• Priyanka Chopra:
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress, singer, and film producer. She has appeared in over 50 films and is one of the most successful actresses in Indian cinema.
Timing A To Visit And Entry Fee
The Bandra Bandstand Promenade is open to the public 24 hours a day. There is no entry fee. And that’s why it’s worth a visit.
How To Reach Here
The Bandstand Promenade is located in the Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai. It is easily accessible by train, bus, or taxi.
Bandra Railway station is the closest public transport. Go to the west side of the railway station and take a bus, auto or Taxi to Bandstand.
Things To Do At Bandra BandStand
There Are Several Things To Do At The Bandstand Promenade, Including:
• Enjoying the stunning views of the Arabian Sea
• Relaxing and taking a peaceful walk
• Taking pictures at the landmark Hanging Garden
• Visiting the Mount Mary Church
• Visiting the Bandra Fort
Places To Visit Near Bandstand
Famous Places Nearby:
Mount Mary Church Bandra – The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, commonly known as Mount Mary Church, is a Roman Catholic Basilica located in Bandra, Mumbai. Even though the church tower is 100 years old, the history of the current statue of Our Lady dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal got the figure to the present place and built a chapel.
Castella de Aguada (corruption of Castelo da Aguada, Portuguese for "Fort of the Waterpoint”.
Castella de Aguada, also known as the Bandra Fort, is a fort located in Bandra, Mumbai. "Castella" is a misspelling for Portuguese "Castelo", although it seems its Portuguese builders actually called it Forte de Bandorá. It is located at Land's End in Bandra.
At a distance of 1 km from Mount Mary Church and 17 km from Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Castella de Aguada, also known as the Bandra Fort, is an ancient fort located at Land's End in Bandra, Mumbai.
The Bandra Fort was built by the Portuguese in the early 1640 AD to serve as a watchtower overlooking Mahim Bay to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west, the islands of Worli to the south and the town of Mahim to the south west. The fort also guarded the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour. During the Portuguese rule, it was armed with seven cannons and other smaller guns as defence. A freshwater spring in the vicinity supplied potable water to passing ships, thus lending the fort its name Castella de Aguada.
After the decline of Portuguese in the early 18th century, the Marathas were the greatest threat to the Britishers. Foreseeing the inevitable defeat of the Portuguese, the Britishers demolished a part of the fort so that the Marathas couldn't capture the fort as use it to their advantage against the British army. The island was invaded by the Marathas in 1739 AD and it was ruled by them until 1774 AD when the British gained possession of the area during the First Anglo-Maratha War.
The fort lies over several levels, from sea level to an altitude of 24 m (79 feet). Castella de Aguada has been featured in several Hindi films, such as Dil Chahta Hai and Buddha Mil Gaya. This place offers a beautiful sea view especially during sunset. Many locals and tourist come here to spend their quality time.
Timings: 10 AM to 8 PM.
Bandstand Fort
Castella de Aguada (corruption of Castelo da Aguada, Portuguese for "Fort of the Waterpoint”.
Castella de Aguada, also known as the Bandra Fort, is a fort located in Bandra, Mumbai. "Castella" is a misspelling for Portuguese "Castelo", although it seems its Portuguese builders actually called it Forte de Bandorá. It is located at Land's End in Bandra.
At a distance of 1 km from Mount Mary Church and 17 km from Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Castella de Aguada, also known as the Bandra Fort, is an ancient fort located at Land's End in Bandra, Mumbai.
The Bandra Fort was built by the Portuguese in the early 1640 AD to serve as a watchtower overlooking Mahim Bay to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west, the islands of Worli to the south and the town of Mahim to the south west. The fort also guarded the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour. During the Portuguese rule, it was armed with seven cannons and other smaller guns as defence. A freshwater spring in the vicinity supplied potable water to passing ships, thus lending the fort its name Castella de Aguada.
After the decline of Portuguese in the early 18th century, the Marathas were the greatest threat to the Britishers. Foreseeing the inevitable defeat of the Portuguese, the Britishers demolished a part of the fort so that the Marathas couldn't capture the fort as use it to their advantage against the British army. The island was invaded by the Marathas in 1739 AD and it was ruled by them until 1774 AD when the British gained possession of the area during the First Anglo-Maratha War.
The fort lies over several levels, from sea level to an altitude of 24 m (79 feet). Castella de Aguada has been featured in several Hindi films, such as Dil Chahta Hai and Buddha Mil Gaya. This place offers a beautiful sea view especially during sunset. Many locals and tourist come here to spend their quality time.
Timings: 10 AM to 8 PM.
Mount Mary Church Bandra – The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, commonly known as Mount Mary Church, is a Roman Catholic Basilica located in Bandra, Mumbai.
Even though the church tower is 100 years old, the history of the current statue of Our Lady dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal got the statue to the current place and built a chapel.
In 1700, the Arab pirates interested in the gilt-lined object held in hand disfigured the statue and cut the right hand.
In the year 1760, the church was rebuilt, with the statue being substituted with a statue of ‘Our Lady of Navigators’ in St. Andrew’s Church which is nearby.
The statue has a fascinating history. It is told that a Koli fisherman had a dream of finding a statue in the sea, and the statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760.
The Jesuit Annual Letter, which is dated 1669 and was published in the book of St. Andrew’s Church, Bandra (1616–1966), confirms this fact.
The Koli Fishermen refer to the statue as Mot Mauli, which means ‘The Pearl Mother.’ Mot started being referred to as “mount” and Mauli, meaning “Mother.”
The earlier statue is restored and enjoys the special place of honor in the Basilica. People of all religions, mainly Hindu and Koli Christians, often visit this shrine and ask Mother Mary to bless them with their intentions.
The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated here on the first Sunday after 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. The feast is followed by a week-long celebration known locally as the Bandra Fair, which thousands of people visit. 7 days of excitement at Bandra Fair in Mumbai. This is the feast of the birth of ‘Mother Mary.’ Celebrated throughout the country. In Mumbai, thousands of people come to this celebration at Mount Mary Church Bandra West.
There are masses held in the mornings. Devotes must first pass through the church by offering flowers and candles, followed by entering the fair, where you have all types of rides, sweets, household items, children’s toys, etc.
The fair is on for around 7 days. Bandra Fair attracts lakhs of pilgrim devotees every year. People of all faiths and religions come to this feast to ask for favors or to thank Mother Mary for the blessings granted. It is believed that anything asked in faith at the shire of Mount Mary is fulfilled.
Even though the church tower is 100 years old, the history of the current statue of Our Lady dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal got the statue to the current place and built a chapel.
In 1700, the Arab pirates interested in the gilt-lined object held in hand disfigured the statue and cut the right hand.
In the year 1760, the church was rebuilt, with the statue being substituted with a statue of ‘Our Lady of Navigators’ in St. Andrew’s Church which is nearby.
The statue has a fascinating history. It is told that a Koli fisherman had a dream of finding a statue in the sea, and the statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760.
Mount Mary Church Bandra
The Jesuit Annual Letter, which is dated 1669 and was published in the book of St. Andrew’s Church, Bandra (1616–1966), confirms this fact.
The Koli Fishermen refer to the statue as Mot Mauli, which means ‘The Pearl Mother.’ Mot started being referred to as “mount” and Mauli, meaning “Mother.”
The earlier statue is restored and enjoys the special place of honor in the Basilica. People of all religions, mainly Hindu and Koli Christians, often visit this shrine and ask Mother Mary to bless them with their intentions.
The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated here on the first Sunday after 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. The feast is followed by a week-long celebration known locally as the Bandra Fair, which thousands of people visit. 7 days of excitement at Bandra Fair in Mumbai. This is the feast of the birth of ‘Mother Mary.’ Celebrated throughout the country. In Mumbai, thousands of people come to this celebration at Mount Mary Church Bandra West.
There are masses held in the mornings. Devotes must first pass through the church by offering flowers and candles, followed by entering the fair, where you have all types of rides, sweets, household items, children’s toys, etc.
Mount Mary Church
Statue of Mother Mary opposite the Church. Devotes visiting the church ensure to visit the statue. Besides, you can see a beautiful view of the Arabian Sea from here.
The fair is on for around 7 days. Bandra Fair attracts lakhs of pilgrim devotees every year. People of all faiths and religions come to this feast to ask for favors or to thank Mother Mary for the blessings granted. It is believed that anything asked in faith at the shire of Mount Mary is fulfilled.
ARCHITECTURE
The minor basilica’ transformed from a simple shrine to a beautiful semi-gothic structure is still in use and appreciated by Devotees. Time dedication and affection for Our Lady have enabled many people to support the building’s development and maintenance.
This article explains the design that is Mount Mary’s. The photos of the Basilica were carefully taken and selected and put into perspective the dimensions of this structure, its materials, and ornaments that work in synergy to build this magnificent structure in stone.
The magnificent façade of the Basilica. Basilica has a width of 67 1/2 feet wide.
The foundations are embedded in the rock and are supported by sturdy buttresses.
The facade is comprised of four horizontal floors:
The floor below has the main entrance, as well as two windows on the sides to shield the wooden panels that form the main entrance from rain and to increase the appearance of the front entrance area, two gothic stone arches that are supported by the beautiful stone that is made from Malad Stone, were erected on top of it.
The first floor is home to five windows. Two are contained within the towers, while the remaining three provide ventilation to the nave. An arch over the main entrance has the symbol of the Basilica AM, the first character of the famous greeting from Angel Gabriel to Mary at the moment of the Annunciation and in Latin, “AVE MARIA. The letters are affixed to the crown, adorned with two lily stems, to symbolize Mary’s queenship and pure virginity.
The third floor has four windows and an impressive circle that bears ANNO JUBILAEI 1904. The golden jubilee year of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception and an anniversary year for the official opening of the Basilica’s new construction. The cross crowns the triangular central aspect of the pointed façade.
The fourth floor is comprised of the spires of a pyramid on either side. They are set with the Cross, which juts up to the skies.
The interior walls of this stone structure had stunning murals that emphasized the happenings in Mary’s life. This painting was created during the reign of the Rector, who was first elected. They had faded over time; they were replaced with gorgeous fiberglass murals telling the identical story of Mary.
These huge panels were designed in the hands of Sr. Vimala (PDDM) and an artist group from Goregaon under the personal direction of the Rector before him, Msgr. Nereus Rodrigues.
The Teak Wood Workmanship
The nave’s ceiling, 42 feet in height, is constructed of teak wood. A wooden loft supports this with three sides at the beginning of the floor. The loft is positioned on either side of four teak wood columns with fluted shafts and Corinthian capitals.
A solid base of stone supports each column. The columns can support all the load of the loft, and the ceiling is made of wood. On the west end, a second choir loft is located on one of the floors. The entire top made of wood is protected by a roof clad with Mangalore tiles.
Timing Of Mount Mary Church
The shrine is open all days of the week.
Weekdays – 8:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Church is closed between 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm)
Sun – 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Address:
Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050.
The Best Time To Go To Mount Mary Church In Mumbai
September is the perfect time to visit since it’s the time when you can experience the Mount Mary Fair being held. The atmosphere and energy of the fair are infectious and leave the crowd amazed. The truth is that Mount Mary Church can be visited at any time of the year.
Basilica Of Our Lady of The Mount
Mount Mary RoadMount Mary Church Bandra – The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, commonly known as Mount Mary Church, is a Roman Catholic Basilica located in Bandra, Mumbai.
Even though the church tower is 100 years old, the history of the current statue of Our Lady dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal got the statue to the current place and built a chapel.
In 1700, the Arab pirates interested in the gilt-lined object held in hand disfigured the statue and cut the right hand.
In the year 1760, the church was rebuilt, with the statue being substituted with a statue of ‘Our Lady of Navigators’ in St. Andrew’s Church which is nearby.
The statue has a fascinating history. It is told that a Koli fisherman had a dream of finding a statue in the sea, and the statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760.
The Jesuit Annual Letter, which is dated 1669 and was published in the book of St. Andrew’s Church, Bandra (1616–1966), confirms this fact.
The Koli Fishermen refer to the statue as Mot Mauli, which means ‘The Pearl Mother.’ Mot started being referred to as “mount” and Mauli, meaning “Mother.”
The earlier statue is restored and enjoys the special place of honor in the Basilica. People of all religions, mainly Hindu and Koli Christians, often visit this shrine and ask Mother Mary to bless them with their intentions.
The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated here on the first Sunday after 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. The feast is followed by a week-long celebration known locally as the Bandra Fair, which thousands of people visit. 7 days of excitement at Bandra Fair in Mumbai. This is the feast of the birth of ‘Mother Mary.’ Celebrated throughout the country. In Mumbai, thousands of people come to this celebration at Mount Mary Church Bandra West.
There are masses held in the mornings. Devotes must first pass through the church by offering flowers and candles, followed by entering the fair, where you have all types of rides, sweets, household items, children’s toys, etc.
The fair is on for around 7 days. Bandra Fair attracts lakhs of pilgrim devotees every year. People of all faiths and religions come to this feast to ask for favors or to thank Mother Mary for the blessings granted. It is believed that anything asked in faith at the shire of Mount Mary is fulfilled.
Even though the church tower is 100 years old, the history of the current statue of Our Lady dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal got the statue to the current place and built a chapel.
In 1700, the Arab pirates interested in the gilt-lined object held in hand disfigured the statue and cut the right hand.
In the year 1760, the church was rebuilt, with the statue being substituted with a statue of ‘Our Lady of Navigators’ in St. Andrew’s Church which is nearby.
The statue has a fascinating history. It is told that a Koli fisherman had a dream of finding a statue in the sea, and the statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760.
Mount Mary Church Bandra
The Jesuit Annual Letter, which is dated 1669 and was published in the book of St. Andrew’s Church, Bandra (1616–1966), confirms this fact.
The Koli Fishermen refer to the statue as Mot Mauli, which means ‘The Pearl Mother.’ Mot started being referred to as “mount” and Mauli, meaning “Mother.”
The earlier statue is restored and enjoys the special place of honor in the Basilica. People of all religions, mainly Hindu and Koli Christians, often visit this shrine and ask Mother Mary to bless them with their intentions.
The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated here on the first Sunday after 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. The feast is followed by a week-long celebration known locally as the Bandra Fair, which thousands of people visit. 7 days of excitement at Bandra Fair in Mumbai. This is the feast of the birth of ‘Mother Mary.’ Celebrated throughout the country. In Mumbai, thousands of people come to this celebration at Mount Mary Church Bandra West.
There are masses held in the mornings. Devotes must first pass through the church by offering flowers and candles, followed by entering the fair, where you have all types of rides, sweets, household items, children’s toys, etc.
Mount Mary Church
Statue of Mother Mary opposite the Church. Devotes visiting the church ensure to visit the statue. Besides, you can see a beautiful view of the Arabian Sea from here.
The fair is on for around 7 days. Bandra Fair attracts lakhs of pilgrim devotees every year. People of all faiths and religions come to this feast to ask for favors or to thank Mother Mary for the blessings granted. It is believed that anything asked in faith at the shire of Mount Mary is fulfilled.
ARCHITECTURE
The minor basilica’ transformed from a simple shrine to a beautiful semi-gothic structure is still in use and appreciated by Devotees. Time dedication and affection for Our Lady have enabled many people to support the building’s development and maintenance.
This article explains the design that is Mount Mary’s. The photos of the Basilica were carefully taken and selected and put into perspective the dimensions of this structure, its materials, and ornaments that work in synergy to build this magnificent structure in stone.
The magnificent façade of the Basilica. Basilica has a width of 67 1/2 feet wide.
The foundations are embedded in the rock and are supported by sturdy buttresses.
The facade is comprised of four horizontal floors:
The floor below has the main entrance, as well as two windows on the sides to shield the wooden panels that form the main entrance from rain and to increase the appearance of the front entrance area, two gothic stone arches that are supported by the beautiful stone that is made from Malad Stone, were erected on top of it.
The first floor is home to five windows. Two are contained within the towers, while the remaining three provide ventilation to the nave. An arch over the main entrance has the symbol of the Basilica AM, the first character of the famous greeting from Angel Gabriel to Mary at the moment of the Annunciation and in Latin, “AVE MARIA. The letters are affixed to the crown, adorned with two lily stems, to symbolize Mary’s queenship and pure virginity.
The third floor has four windows and an impressive circle that bears ANNO JUBILAEI 1904. The golden jubilee year of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception and an anniversary year for the official opening of the Basilica’s new construction. The cross crowns the triangular central aspect of the pointed façade.
The fourth floor is comprised of the spires of a pyramid on either side. They are set with the Cross, which juts up to the skies.
The interior walls of this stone structure had stunning murals that emphasized the happenings in Mary’s life. This painting was created during the reign of the Rector, who was first elected. They had faded over time; they were replaced with gorgeous fiberglass murals telling the identical story of Mary.
These huge panels were designed in the hands of Sr. Vimala (PDDM) and an artist group from Goregaon under the personal direction of the Rector before him, Msgr. Nereus Rodrigues.
The Teak Wood Workmanship
The nave’s ceiling, 42 feet in height, is constructed of teak wood. A wooden loft supports this with three sides at the beginning of the floor. The loft is positioned on either side of four teak wood columns with fluted shafts and Corinthian capitals.
A solid base of stone supports each column. The columns can support all the load of the loft, and the ceiling is made of wood. On the west end, a second choir loft is located on one of the floors. The entire top made of wood is protected by a roof clad with Mangalore tiles.
Timing Of Mount Mary Church
The shrine is open all days of the week.
Weekdays – 8:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Church is closed between 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm)
Sun – 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Address:
Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050.
The Best Time To Go To Mount Mary Church In Mumbai
September is the perfect time to visit since it’s the time when you can experience the Mount Mary Fair being held. The atmosphere and energy of the fair are infectious and leave the crowd amazed. The truth is that Mount Mary Church can be visited at any time of the year.
St Peter’s Church – Hill Road, Bandra
About St Peter’s Church – The foundation of the original St Peter’s Church was laid in April 12, 1852, by Bishop Hartmann.
St. Peter`s Church, located in Bandra, Mumbai, is a beautiful and historic church that is renowned for its striking architecture and peaceful atmosphere. The church is dedicated to St. Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.
The church has a gothic style of architecture with beautiful stained glass windows, carvings details that make it a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. The interiors are spacious and well-maintained with elegant wooden benches, an altar adorned with flowers and candles.
The church is also famous for its Christmas midnight mass, which is attended by thousands of people from all over the city.
The new Church has been built on the site of the old and has been designed on the Romanesque style. In the front, as one enters, stands a life-size marble statue of Christ bearing the inscription “I am the Resurrection and the Life”. St Peter’s Church is capacious and can accommodate a thousand people easily. Inside, its excellent stained-glass windows, around twenty in number, look resplendent in the sunshine or when the lights are on.
Overall, St. Peter`s Church is a must-visit
St Peter's Church
Hill RoadSt Peter’s Church – Hill Road, Bandra
About St Peter’s Church – The foundation of the original St Peter’s Church was laid in April 12, 1852, by Bishop Hartmann.
St. Peter`s Church, located in Bandra, Mumbai, is a beautiful and historic church that is renowned for its striking architecture and peaceful atmosphere. The church is dedicated to St. Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.
The church has a gothic style of architecture with beautiful stained glass windows, carvings details that make it a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. The interiors are spacious and well-maintained with elegant wooden benches, an altar adorned with flowers and candles.
The church is also famous for its Christmas midnight mass, which is attended by thousands of people from all over the city.
The new Church has been built on the site of the old and has been designed on the Romanesque style. In the front, as one enters, stands a life-size marble statue of Christ bearing the inscription “I am the Resurrection and the Life”. St Peter’s Church is capacious and can accommodate a thousand people easily. Inside, its excellent stained-glass windows, around twenty in number, look resplendent in the sunshine or when the lights are on.
Overall, St. Peter`s Church is a must-visit
Circa 1575, the church of St. Andrew was built at the dawn of Christianity in Bombay (Mumbai).
For over four centuries, it has withstood the fury of the Monsoons and political upheaval. While even a visitor from the 16th century would instantly recognize this heritage church, it has evolved into a vibrant Parish of the 21st century. We invite you, dear Visitor, to take a tour around our website.
VISION
To be a worshipping community, reaching out to others in love and service, empowering the youth, inspiring families to live and spread the Gospel values.
Origins
Braz Fernandes, the noted historian, in his ‘History of Bandra’ dates the building of the Church of St. Andrew, somewhere from 1575, calling it “the oldest building now standing in Bandra”. He also bemoans the lack of respect for the antiquity of the building that houses so many relics of the old Portugese era. While many of us marvel at the old Portuguese churches in Goa, and even as far away as Macao – which is only the empty façade of a church, few really know of this historical gem in our midst – the Curch of St. Andrew.
As early as 1534, when Christianity was in its infancy in Bandra, the island of Salsette of which Bandra was a part, came under Portuguese rule.
Brother Manual Gomes a Portuguese missionary, known as the apostle of Salsette, was responsible for the spread of Christianity in Bandra. Ordained in 1583, he and his band of enterprising missionaries, speaking the language of the people and learning their customs were, by 1603, able to multiply the whole of Bandra into a Catholic community.
Urban Heritage Award
In 1618, a hurricane destroyed many of the buildings and the Church of St. Andrew lost its roof but, Braz Fernandes records that till the “first quarter of the 17th Century, St. Andrew’s was the only church in Bandra”, the college and the chapel of St. Anne’s being built in 1620. This is contested by other reports which refer to St. Andrew’ s church being built later than that of St. Anne’s recorded as being built in 1583, in the grounds of the fortress which later housed the Bandra slaughter house, and is now occupied by the B.E.S.T. Depot near the Bandra station.
In March 1739, the Church of St. Anne was blown up by the English leaving the Church of St. Andrew as the only Church in Bandra. All the other churches in Bandra are of later origin.
The Church of St. Andrew first stood at 100 ft. long, 42 ft. wide with walls of 5 ½ ft. thick rising 58 ft. into the sky. The large porch that was once at the entrance was demolished in 1965 to make room for the growing numbers thus extending the Church by 75 ft. which now gives it a length of 175 ft. This was done during the tenure of the late Msgr. George Fernandes, Vicar of St. Andrew’s. In keeping with the wish of the parishioners the original Portuguese façade was retained.
EXTENSION
20th February, 1966 church Extension Opening Ceremony: “This was a memorable day and, perhaps many did not realize its historical importance in the annals of our parish; it‘s a milestone on the long road which marks the end of a period of over 350 years as no major alteration to this ancient church was undertaken until then. One must see it to appreciate how changed the church looks in its interior, the view of the altars is unobstructed by pillars, and we can say with the poet “distance lends enchantment” when one views from the altar, the congregation that would fill the church as it was filled on the evening when His Eminence Valerian Cardinal Gracias came for the Opening Ceremony and celebrated Pontifical High Mass. The Mass was sung by the entire congregation led by the choir conducted by Mr. Raul Viegas (Andrean Notes, 1966).
A tour round this very historical church will give us an insight into the heritage that is our parish:
MAIN ALTAR
AltarThe original main altar had the twelve apostles. St. Andrew was given the first place. This altar was destroyed by white ants and was replaced by the present altar in 1906 “built on a brick base paved with marble and which extends almost to the roof”. “The present altar has three niches – the Sacred Heart and Our Lady in the two outer niches, with the statue of St. Andrew in the central niche. Above these are three smaller niches with statues of St. John the Baptist and St. Sebastian and the third one a little higher containing the statue of the Bom Jesu.
SIDE ALTARS
Mary AltarBoth the side altars are the original altars built of wood in the sixteenth century, carved and painted in the popular Portuguese style of that period called the Flamboyant. The north side altar has the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Baby was taken up to the Mount and kept there from 1700 to 1760. The entire historical data of this has been very well documented by Carlisle Curry in his booklet entitled: ‘The Story of the Two Statues”.
Jesus Altar
The south side altar depicts the scene of Mount Calvary. It has the statues of Our Lady of the Cross upon which Christ hangs with St. John standing at the foot. Beneath this altar lies one of our most reassured historical statues – the Body of the dead Christ after it was taken down from the Cross. It is used even today every year in the Lenten Service of the Passos on Good Friday – the Taking Down from the Cross, when this statue is kept for veneration till the Easter Vigil commences.
WOOD PANELS
Two original wood panels above the two front doors depicting the Resurrection of Christ and the Assumption of Mary Immaculate are also of sixteenth century origin. The Resurrection scene shows Christ trampling over death represented by a skeleton that is wasted and rotted, thus showing the triumph of Christ’s redemption of mankind over death and sin. The Assumption of our Lady into heaven is depicted by a crown held over her head by the hands of God, the Father and God the Son, while the Holy Spirit hovers above. It is interesting to note that the representation of the Assumption of Our Lady was already part of religious art even before the dogma of the Assumption became the Magisterium of the Church.
THE PULPIT
The beautifully carved pulpit is of great historical significance as well, since it is also the original one of the sixteenth century. Carved to resemble a flower on a stalk it has seven sepals that turn outward and are held together by angels. On each petal is a carving representing the prophets of the Old Testament. Above hangs a canopy with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove carved on it. Old parishioners remember the stone steps leading to the pulpit from the outside which were demolished and walled in when the Church was being extended and steps built from the inside of the Church, necessitating the removal of two of the beautifully carved panels.
CHRIST THE KING
Christ the KingThe imposing statue of Christ the King which stands at the entrance and greets all who enter, was installed on 3rdFebruary 1935 when Bandra was consecrated to Christ the King with pomp and spiritual splendour.
THE BELLS OF ST. ANDREW
On either side of the façade the two towers which originally flanked it were demolished and new ones, having stained glass windows were built with the new façade when the church was extended. The base of the north tower now accommodates the stairway to the choir. The base of the other tower houses the Baptistery whose stained glass window has been recently restored. The bell that was first kept in the window facing east is the oldest. It bears the inscription “SANTO ANDRE DE BANDORA 1793” round the outside of the rim and on the body is a cross in an oval. It was used to announce deaths, arrival of funerals at the church and on All Souls Day. The bell that was kept in the window facing north, has the inscription partly in Portuguese and partly in English : “SANTO ANDRE DE BANDORA 1900”. This was used for the Angelus and to summon the faithful to services and on festive occasions. The largest bell in the center of the Belfry is of more recent origin being presented in 1934 by Sir Dominic Joseph Fereira, K.C.S.S. in memory of his wife Josephine. It was cast by Gogossen Von Humpert, Brilon, and was used daily at 8.30 p.m. “to remind the faithful to pray for the departed souls, for the Angelus and on festive occasions”. All three bells are now in the new north tower.
CROSSES IN ST. ANDREW
St. Andrew’s Church has one of the most historical crosses in Bandra, yet few of us may even give it a cursory glance on our way into the Church. It stands in the south side of the Church compound towards the Hill Road wall. This cross originally belonged to the old college of St. Anne’s (present Bandra Station Depot) and was brought to St. Andrew’s compound in 1870. It stands 17 ft. over the pedestal which in itself is 12 ft high and it has the unique feature of being carved from single stone. On the surface are 39 carved emblems symbolizing the Passion of Christ. Unfortunately, in our enthusiasm when painting the Church, these emblems have been painted over, but for those who have the time and inclination, a study of each of these emblems might prove to be a rewarding exercise. The cross originally had steps but a dome lie base was built in 1917. This cross is the oldest cross in Bandra.
There is a cross of unknown bearing the inscription “1720” standing in the cemetery at the southern extreme end of the Church compound.
The compound walls: These were built by a Parsi gentleman Mr. Manockjee Sorabjee Ashburner in 1862 and which historical fact was recorded on a small marble slab at the main gate of the enclosure. This evidence has now been lost while the wall was being rebuilt.
THE GROTTO
grottoThe Grotto near the main entrance of the compound was built in 1921, by Mr. Augustus Pereira of St. Andrew’s Road. In memory of his deceased wife, Mr. Dominic Miranda of Chimbai erected in 1929, the St. Theresa’s Oratory in the walled in cemetery after the older dilapidated one had been demolished. The archway for the main entrance to the compound was built in 1955 by Mr. Francis Joseph Baptista of New Kantwady.
ALTAR RESTORED
The altar which looks new is in fact an old one dating back to 1910. It was set up as a side altar opposite the Altarold Portuguese style Pulpit. On this altar was placed the statue of St. Francis of Assisi. In 1966, when the Church was extended, the altar was dismantled and discarded on the groundfloor ofBosco Hall. The statue of St. Francis was donated to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi at the Cemetery Road. We have restored the altar and extended the platform. We are grateful to Damien Brothers for bearing a major portion of the cost of restoring the altar, extending the platform and having it carpeted. We also thank Conrad Gonsalves for guiding us through this project.
RESTORATION OF THE PAROCHIAL HOUSE
AndronelleThe Parochial House was in urgent need of renovation. Hence, the then Parish Priest, Msgr. Nereus Rodrigues, took it upon himself to provide comfortable lodging for the clergy of St. Andrews. Thanks to Andrean Fair 6 and his tireless efforts, St. Andrew’s Parish can now boast of a new Parochial House, “Andrenelle”, which was inaugurated on 30th November, 1994, on the feast of ST. Andrew. It was blessed and commissioned by Simon Cardinal Pimenta. “Andrenelle” now has ample room for association meetings, a fairly large Church Office and comfortable living quarters for the priests. The highlight of this Presbytery is the ‘Chapel’ on the ground floor which remains open day and night inviting people to Come and Adore!
ANDREW’S CHURCH GRAVEYARD
GraveyardThe Graveyard of St. Andrew’s which covers a very large area, was initially meant for the parishioners of St. Andrew’s. However, in 1946, when parts of the Parish were sliced to form the parishes of St. Theresa’s. St. Vincent de Paul’s and St. Anne’s, some of the parishioners so transferred, have still a claim for burial I the graves of their ancestors in St. Andrew’s graveyard. Due to non-availability of space, it is not possible to allot fresh permanent graves even to the existing parishioners of St. Andrew’s whose numbers have increased tremendously. To meet the shortage, persons who do not have permanent graves are buried in temporary graves.
Vaulting of Graves: Section ‘B’ (area along Chimbai Road) needs to be re-planned as there are a number of overhanging trees which not only cause a cleaning problem but graves cannot be dug in the allotted space because of the spreading roots, resulting in problems of encroachment. Besides the passage in the corner is very narrow and gets waterlogged during the monsoons. It was therefore decided to vault the graves so that the area would be leveled up and easy to clean. Each grave holder is expected to defray part of the expenses by paying Rs.2,000/-.
In 1964 the graveyard was rearranged and the entire area divided into sections marked ‘A’, to ‘H’. Some of these sections were vaulted. Each permanent grave owner was issued a Registration Card giving the name of the grave-owner, the co-users and the grave number and section and a plan showing the location of the grave. It may be noted that while allotting a permanent grave, the property rights of the Church are not transferred but only the right of use of the particular grave is given to the family concerned, subject to the rules and regulations governing the graveyard. As regards temporary graves, permission is given for one particular burial and the family members have no right over the grave.
SUNLIGHT IN THE CHURCH
SunlightIn the centre of the façade is a small hole just above the statue of St. Andrew. Its purpose: to let the rising sun shine through the church to give a solar phenomenon which has been researched and documented by Carlisle Curry and was presented in the supplement to the Andrean Notes of 1 July, 1989.
This phenomenon still occurs twice a year on the days of the Equinox on 21st and 22nd March (the Vernal Equinox) and on 22nd and 23rd September (Autumnal Equinox). Inside the church the sun shines on the keystone of the arch which separates the sanctuary from the main altar exactly at 7 a.m. This phenomenon still occurs, so look out for it.
Mr. Curry observed that the Portuguese with their knowledge of astronomy for over 500 years used it to create this unique phenomenon in the Church of St. Andrew.
For more details about the Church and other institutions, please download the Andrean Vista issue of 1976.
St. Andrew's Church
115 Hill RdCirca 1575, the church of St. Andrew was built at the dawn of Christianity in Bombay (Mumbai).
For over four centuries, it has withstood the fury of the Monsoons and political upheaval. While even a visitor from the 16th century would instantly recognize this heritage church, it has evolved into a vibrant Parish of the 21st century. We invite you, dear Visitor, to take a tour around our website.
VISION
To be a worshipping community, reaching out to others in love and service, empowering the youth, inspiring families to live and spread the Gospel values.
Origins
Braz Fernandes, the noted historian, in his ‘History of Bandra’ dates the building of the Church of St. Andrew, somewhere from 1575, calling it “the oldest building now standing in Bandra”. He also bemoans the lack of respect for the antiquity of the building that houses so many relics of the old Portugese era. While many of us marvel at the old Portuguese churches in Goa, and even as far away as Macao – which is only the empty façade of a church, few really know of this historical gem in our midst – the Curch of St. Andrew.
As early as 1534, when Christianity was in its infancy in Bandra, the island of Salsette of which Bandra was a part, came under Portuguese rule.
Brother Manual Gomes a Portuguese missionary, known as the apostle of Salsette, was responsible for the spread of Christianity in Bandra. Ordained in 1583, he and his band of enterprising missionaries, speaking the language of the people and learning their customs were, by 1603, able to multiply the whole of Bandra into a Catholic community.
Urban Heritage Award
In 1618, a hurricane destroyed many of the buildings and the Church of St. Andrew lost its roof but, Braz Fernandes records that till the “first quarter of the 17th Century, St. Andrew’s was the only church in Bandra”, the college and the chapel of St. Anne’s being built in 1620. This is contested by other reports which refer to St. Andrew’ s church being built later than that of St. Anne’s recorded as being built in 1583, in the grounds of the fortress which later housed the Bandra slaughter house, and is now occupied by the B.E.S.T. Depot near the Bandra station.
In March 1739, the Church of St. Anne was blown up by the English leaving the Church of St. Andrew as the only Church in Bandra. All the other churches in Bandra are of later origin.
The Church of St. Andrew first stood at 100 ft. long, 42 ft. wide with walls of 5 ½ ft. thick rising 58 ft. into the sky. The large porch that was once at the entrance was demolished in 1965 to make room for the growing numbers thus extending the Church by 75 ft. which now gives it a length of 175 ft. This was done during the tenure of the late Msgr. George Fernandes, Vicar of St. Andrew’s. In keeping with the wish of the parishioners the original Portuguese façade was retained.
EXTENSION
20th February, 1966 church Extension Opening Ceremony: “This was a memorable day and, perhaps many did not realize its historical importance in the annals of our parish; it‘s a milestone on the long road which marks the end of a period of over 350 years as no major alteration to this ancient church was undertaken until then. One must see it to appreciate how changed the church looks in its interior, the view of the altars is unobstructed by pillars, and we can say with the poet “distance lends enchantment” when one views from the altar, the congregation that would fill the church as it was filled on the evening when His Eminence Valerian Cardinal Gracias came for the Opening Ceremony and celebrated Pontifical High Mass. The Mass was sung by the entire congregation led by the choir conducted by Mr. Raul Viegas (Andrean Notes, 1966).
A tour round this very historical church will give us an insight into the heritage that is our parish:
MAIN ALTAR
AltarThe original main altar had the twelve apostles. St. Andrew was given the first place. This altar was destroyed by white ants and was replaced by the present altar in 1906 “built on a brick base paved with marble and which extends almost to the roof”. “The present altar has three niches – the Sacred Heart and Our Lady in the two outer niches, with the statue of St. Andrew in the central niche. Above these are three smaller niches with statues of St. John the Baptist and St. Sebastian and the third one a little higher containing the statue of the Bom Jesu.
SIDE ALTARS
Mary AltarBoth the side altars are the original altars built of wood in the sixteenth century, carved and painted in the popular Portuguese style of that period called the Flamboyant. The north side altar has the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Baby was taken up to the Mount and kept there from 1700 to 1760. The entire historical data of this has been very well documented by Carlisle Curry in his booklet entitled: ‘The Story of the Two Statues”.
Jesus Altar
The south side altar depicts the scene of Mount Calvary. It has the statues of Our Lady of the Cross upon which Christ hangs with St. John standing at the foot. Beneath this altar lies one of our most reassured historical statues – the Body of the dead Christ after it was taken down from the Cross. It is used even today every year in the Lenten Service of the Passos on Good Friday – the Taking Down from the Cross, when this statue is kept for veneration till the Easter Vigil commences.
WOOD PANELS
Two original wood panels above the two front doors depicting the Resurrection of Christ and the Assumption of Mary Immaculate are also of sixteenth century origin. The Resurrection scene shows Christ trampling over death represented by a skeleton that is wasted and rotted, thus showing the triumph of Christ’s redemption of mankind over death and sin. The Assumption of our Lady into heaven is depicted by a crown held over her head by the hands of God, the Father and God the Son, while the Holy Spirit hovers above. It is interesting to note that the representation of the Assumption of Our Lady was already part of religious art even before the dogma of the Assumption became the Magisterium of the Church.
THE PULPIT
The beautifully carved pulpit is of great historical significance as well, since it is also the original one of the sixteenth century. Carved to resemble a flower on a stalk it has seven sepals that turn outward and are held together by angels. On each petal is a carving representing the prophets of the Old Testament. Above hangs a canopy with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove carved on it. Old parishioners remember the stone steps leading to the pulpit from the outside which were demolished and walled in when the Church was being extended and steps built from the inside of the Church, necessitating the removal of two of the beautifully carved panels.
CHRIST THE KING
Christ the KingThe imposing statue of Christ the King which stands at the entrance and greets all who enter, was installed on 3rdFebruary 1935 when Bandra was consecrated to Christ the King with pomp and spiritual splendour.
THE BELLS OF ST. ANDREW
On either side of the façade the two towers which originally flanked it were demolished and new ones, having stained glass windows were built with the new façade when the church was extended. The base of the north tower now accommodates the stairway to the choir. The base of the other tower houses the Baptistery whose stained glass window has been recently restored. The bell that was first kept in the window facing east is the oldest. It bears the inscription “SANTO ANDRE DE BANDORA 1793” round the outside of the rim and on the body is a cross in an oval. It was used to announce deaths, arrival of funerals at the church and on All Souls Day. The bell that was kept in the window facing north, has the inscription partly in Portuguese and partly in English : “SANTO ANDRE DE BANDORA 1900”. This was used for the Angelus and to summon the faithful to services and on festive occasions. The largest bell in the center of the Belfry is of more recent origin being presented in 1934 by Sir Dominic Joseph Fereira, K.C.S.S. in memory of his wife Josephine. It was cast by Gogossen Von Humpert, Brilon, and was used daily at 8.30 p.m. “to remind the faithful to pray for the departed souls, for the Angelus and on festive occasions”. All three bells are now in the new north tower.
CROSSES IN ST. ANDREW
St. Andrew’s Church has one of the most historical crosses in Bandra, yet few of us may even give it a cursory glance on our way into the Church. It stands in the south side of the Church compound towards the Hill Road wall. This cross originally belonged to the old college of St. Anne’s (present Bandra Station Depot) and was brought to St. Andrew’s compound in 1870. It stands 17 ft. over the pedestal which in itself is 12 ft high and it has the unique feature of being carved from single stone. On the surface are 39 carved emblems symbolizing the Passion of Christ. Unfortunately, in our enthusiasm when painting the Church, these emblems have been painted over, but for those who have the time and inclination, a study of each of these emblems might prove to be a rewarding exercise. The cross originally had steps but a dome lie base was built in 1917. This cross is the oldest cross in Bandra.
There is a cross of unknown bearing the inscription “1720” standing in the cemetery at the southern extreme end of the Church compound.
The compound walls: These were built by a Parsi gentleman Mr. Manockjee Sorabjee Ashburner in 1862 and which historical fact was recorded on a small marble slab at the main gate of the enclosure. This evidence has now been lost while the wall was being rebuilt.
THE GROTTO
grottoThe Grotto near the main entrance of the compound was built in 1921, by Mr. Augustus Pereira of St. Andrew’s Road. In memory of his deceased wife, Mr. Dominic Miranda of Chimbai erected in 1929, the St. Theresa’s Oratory in the walled in cemetery after the older dilapidated one had been demolished. The archway for the main entrance to the compound was built in 1955 by Mr. Francis Joseph Baptista of New Kantwady.
ALTAR RESTORED
The altar which looks new is in fact an old one dating back to 1910. It was set up as a side altar opposite the Altarold Portuguese style Pulpit. On this altar was placed the statue of St. Francis of Assisi. In 1966, when the Church was extended, the altar was dismantled and discarded on the groundfloor ofBosco Hall. The statue of St. Francis was donated to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi at the Cemetery Road. We have restored the altar and extended the platform. We are grateful to Damien Brothers for bearing a major portion of the cost of restoring the altar, extending the platform and having it carpeted. We also thank Conrad Gonsalves for guiding us through this project.
RESTORATION OF THE PAROCHIAL HOUSE
AndronelleThe Parochial House was in urgent need of renovation. Hence, the then Parish Priest, Msgr. Nereus Rodrigues, took it upon himself to provide comfortable lodging for the clergy of St. Andrews. Thanks to Andrean Fair 6 and his tireless efforts, St. Andrew’s Parish can now boast of a new Parochial House, “Andrenelle”, which was inaugurated on 30th November, 1994, on the feast of ST. Andrew. It was blessed and commissioned by Simon Cardinal Pimenta. “Andrenelle” now has ample room for association meetings, a fairly large Church Office and comfortable living quarters for the priests. The highlight of this Presbytery is the ‘Chapel’ on the ground floor which remains open day and night inviting people to Come and Adore!
ANDREW’S CHURCH GRAVEYARD
GraveyardThe Graveyard of St. Andrew’s which covers a very large area, was initially meant for the parishioners of St. Andrew’s. However, in 1946, when parts of the Parish were sliced to form the parishes of St. Theresa’s. St. Vincent de Paul’s and St. Anne’s, some of the parishioners so transferred, have still a claim for burial I the graves of their ancestors in St. Andrew’s graveyard. Due to non-availability of space, it is not possible to allot fresh permanent graves even to the existing parishioners of St. Andrew’s whose numbers have increased tremendously. To meet the shortage, persons who do not have permanent graves are buried in temporary graves.
Vaulting of Graves: Section ‘B’ (area along Chimbai Road) needs to be re-planned as there are a number of overhanging trees which not only cause a cleaning problem but graves cannot be dug in the allotted space because of the spreading roots, resulting in problems of encroachment. Besides the passage in the corner is very narrow and gets waterlogged during the monsoons. It was therefore decided to vault the graves so that the area would be leveled up and easy to clean. Each grave holder is expected to defray part of the expenses by paying Rs.2,000/-.
In 1964 the graveyard was rearranged and the entire area divided into sections marked ‘A’, to ‘H’. Some of these sections were vaulted. Each permanent grave owner was issued a Registration Card giving the name of the grave-owner, the co-users and the grave number and section and a plan showing the location of the grave. It may be noted that while allotting a permanent grave, the property rights of the Church are not transferred but only the right of use of the particular grave is given to the family concerned, subject to the rules and regulations governing the graveyard. As regards temporary graves, permission is given for one particular burial and the family members have no right over the grave.
SUNLIGHT IN THE CHURCH
SunlightIn the centre of the façade is a small hole just above the statue of St. Andrew. Its purpose: to let the rising sun shine through the church to give a solar phenomenon which has been researched and documented by Carlisle Curry and was presented in the supplement to the Andrean Notes of 1 July, 1989.
This phenomenon still occurs twice a year on the days of the Equinox on 21st and 22nd March (the Vernal Equinox) and on 22nd and 23rd September (Autumnal Equinox). Inside the church the sun shines on the keystone of the arch which separates the sanctuary from the main altar exactly at 7 a.m. This phenomenon still occurs, so look out for it.
Mr. Curry observed that the Portuguese with their knowledge of astronomy for over 500 years used it to create this unique phenomenon in the Church of St. Andrew.
For more details about the Church and other institutions, please download the Andrean Vista issue of 1976.
In May 2008, the famous and magical Carter Road that winds through the north west coast line of Bandra West was renamed as Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali Marg, in memory of Bollywood supreme, music director Naushad Ali.
The Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali Marg (formerly known as Carter Road Promenade and even today commonly referred to by it former name) is a 1.25 kilometres (0.78 mi) long walkway along the Arabian Sea coast on the north western coast of Bombay (Mumbai), India.
This promenade was opened up to the public in January 2002. The promenade has been managed by the Bandra West Residents' Association. The Carter Road Promenade starts from the extremely famous and elite private club Otters and extends up to the fishing village of Khar Danda.
Carter Road has a sea-facing location connecting Khar Danda in the north with Turner Road, Bandra in the south. The promenade is located along the Arabian sea on the west-coast of Bandra and Khar. The walkway is 4,800 feet long. The walkway was redeveloped in 2008 as part of the larger movement in Mumbai to reclaim public spaces and to protect Mumbai's coastline.
Finding a bench to sit on on a weekend is the hardest thing. Lots of places to eat and chill at. Watch out for the cops who like to harass past 10:30 PM.
Carter Road
Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali RoadIn May 2008, the famous and magical Carter Road that winds through the north west coast line of Bandra West was renamed as Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali Marg, in memory of Bollywood supreme, music director Naushad Ali.
The Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali Marg (formerly known as Carter Road Promenade and even today commonly referred to by it former name) is a 1.25 kilometres (0.78 mi) long walkway along the Arabian Sea coast on the north western coast of Bombay (Mumbai), India.
This promenade was opened up to the public in January 2002. The promenade has been managed by the Bandra West Residents' Association. The Carter Road Promenade starts from the extremely famous and elite private club Otters and extends up to the fishing village of Khar Danda.
Carter Road has a sea-facing location connecting Khar Danda in the north with Turner Road, Bandra in the south. The promenade is located along the Arabian sea on the west-coast of Bandra and Khar. The walkway is 4,800 feet long. The walkway was redeveloped in 2008 as part of the larger movement in Mumbai to reclaim public spaces and to protect Mumbai's coastline.
Finding a bench to sit on on a weekend is the hardest thing. Lots of places to eat and chill at. Watch out for the cops who like to harass past 10:30 PM.
Whether you like branded cosmetic products or some cheap shoes, it is time to visit Linking Road of Bandra. This is the fashion shopping spot of Mumbai and the place to buy souvenirs and personal items without burning a hole in your wallet.
All trendy fashion products starting from clothing to cosmetics are found in this market at an economical rate.
True, the number of fake products is higher. If you analyze and compare the products, you can choose an authentic one at awe-inspiring price, provided you can bargain.
History of Linking Road Market
During the early 1940s, this road was the link between Juhu and Bandra and thus, it is called the Linking Road. This is one of the first arterial roads of Mumbai. When it was constructed, it was called, the Dadabhai Naoroji Road. Linking Road did not start as a shopping paradise.
Over the next decade after its construction, a few shops started to appear along the length of the road.
After the construction of RD National College, closer to the road, the fashion stores started to thrive and many new shops started to appear.
Later, the road started getting more attention for its nightlife and economic shopping option.
Things to Shop in Linking Road Market
This is a female-dominated market. You can find numerous feminine products like accessories, fashion clothing, leather products, cosmetics, and others.
Most of the stores have a small section for the other gender too, but comparatively, it is negligible. If you are looking for a break from shopping there are some branded showrooms for window shopping, some fast-food chains for munching like KFC, CCD, McDonald's, and others.
There are two types of stores here. There is a large complex, where you can find many private shops and on the roadside, you will find rows of shops licensed by the government.
This license allows them to perform trade and the government does not authorize the quality of the product or its authenticity. You can find numerous hawkers along the road.
Top things to shop here are -
Traditional and modern clothing
Textile materials
Leather accessories like shoes, belts, and others
Fashion accessories like rings, bangles, anklets, and others
Embroidered handbags
Indian maps and world maps
Cosmetic items
Scarves
Toys and showcase items
How to Bargain at Bandra Linking Road Market
Most of the tourists who visit Mumbai markets are warned about the pricing style. If you look like a foreigner, they would do the currency exchange in their heads and mark up the products several times.
If the seller gives you a price for the price, you can be very sure that the actual price is at the most quarter of the selling price. If you start to bargain, they might start to converse in the local language, making it difficult.
The best tip is to walk around and get the cost of the product from a few sellers. Analyze the difference in the quality of the product and propose a price half of what was given by the seller.
You will have a short argument before both you would meet at a mid-price. Some sellers might be adamant about their prices. If you feel it is not worth it, just move on. There are hundreds of shops selling almost similar products and you need not worry about missing it out.
As a matter of fact, once you start walking away, the seller might reduce his mark-up and try to get your attention. If possible, bring along someone who is versed in the local language. There are numerous fake Chinese products in the market thus, it is best to look for the authenticity of the item before bargaining.
Visiting Time of Linking Road Market
The Market visiting timing is 10 Am to 9 Pm. The opening and closing times of individual stores depend on the seller. During festival times and weekends, the shops might open a little early and close way past 9 pm.
How to Reach Linking Road Market
Once you are inside Mumbai, reaching Linking Road is not very difficult. Although there are numerous markets in Mumbai, Linking Road is an important one and Bandra is a high-class residential region. Thus, finding directions to the market is not hard.
By Trains
If you are looking for an economical way to reach the market, choose the metro trains. The closest metro station is the Bandra Railway Station West. The market is just 15 minutes of walking away from the station.
Walk out of the station and take the right. Walk until you cross a traffic junction and the market starts along the roadside. The market area is very crowded and you will be able to get to the market region much faster on foot rather than any road transportation from the metro station.
If you want to save energy, you can find autos and rickshaws in front of the station for a ride to the market. The auto rider would ask for at least INR 50 but, if you are visiting during a lean tourism season, bargain to INR 25 or 30. During the tourism season, the price can hike up to INR 50 or even more.
Finding autos or rickshaws during the rainy season would be very hard and even if you find one, the cost of the service will be sky-high.
By Car
If you are starting from central Mumbai or North Mumbai, choose the NH8, which covers the Worli sea link and on the right to SV Road, you will find the shopping area. It is better to avoid driving your own vehicle, as the process of parking your vehicle is a total nightmare here. There are numerous parking spots around the region and yet, every spot will be filled as the place is always crowded with customers.
By Bus
If you are choosing buses, the nearest bus stand is located on Linking Road. You can find buses from Mumbai Central bus stand, SV road, Elphinstone Road, Sahar Road, and others.
Buses are usually crowded. It might be comfortable to reach Linking Road via bus but, if you are returning back after a long shopping trip, it would be hard to board the crowded bus with bags and bags of items. Buses will be even more crowded during the rainy season.
Best Time to Visit Linking Road Market
The market will be flooding with products throughout the year. However, you would have to walk through the streets of shops, in and out of alleys and the crowd here is unexplainable. If you visit during summer (starts by the end of February and ends by mid of June), you would be sweating a lot and it might be uncomfortable.
Weekends and festival times would turn the place into mayhem.
Thus, stick with weekdays. The rainy season (starts by end of June and ends by the beginning of October) is another problematic time as the streets will be messy and it would be harder to surf around when it is pouring. Mumbai is a coastal region and thus, monsoon can be moderately heavy. Hiring transportations would also be hard during the rainy season.
Winter is the right time to visit. Winter starts by end of November and ends by February. The sky will be clear and humidity will be lower. This allows a comfortable ambiance for you to shop as long as possible.
According to avid shoppers, it is better to skip mornings. Each shop opens at a different time and you might miss a few good stores if you get there early. Afternoons are the best if you are looking for a less-crowded shopping experience. Weekday afternoons would be much easier as most of the shops will be scarcely crowded.
Evening times are the most crowded ones but, you get to enjoy the street food of the land, only by evening. Many street vendors would be opening their business by early evening.
Also Read : Best Time to Visit Mumbai
Apart from shopping and trying out local street food dishes, you can enjoy sightseeing by visiting St. Theresa Church, Shree Ram Krishna Matt, Hanuman Temple, Bandra Fort, and others.
If you are up for some pampering time, get skin massage, authentic Thai massage, visit a spa or catch a live concert (during festival times). There are a few theatres around the road for catching a Bollywood movie or even a Hollywood movie too.
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Linking Road
Whether you like branded cosmetic products or some cheap shoes, it is time to visit Linking Road of Bandra. This is the fashion shopping spot of Mumbai and the place to buy souvenirs and personal items without burning a hole in your wallet.
All trendy fashion products starting from clothing to cosmetics are found in this market at an economical rate.
True, the number of fake products is higher. If you analyze and compare the products, you can choose an authentic one at awe-inspiring price, provided you can bargain.
History of Linking Road Market
During the early 1940s, this road was the link between Juhu and Bandra and thus, it is called the Linking Road. This is one of the first arterial roads of Mumbai. When it was constructed, it was called, the Dadabhai Naoroji Road. Linking Road did not start as a shopping paradise.
Over the next decade after its construction, a few shops started to appear along the length of the road.
After the construction of RD National College, closer to the road, the fashion stores started to thrive and many new shops started to appear.
Later, the road started getting more attention for its nightlife and economic shopping option.
Things to Shop in Linking Road Market
This is a female-dominated market. You can find numerous feminine products like accessories, fashion clothing, leather products, cosmetics, and others.
Most of the stores have a small section for the other gender too, but comparatively, it is negligible. If you are looking for a break from shopping there are some branded showrooms for window shopping, some fast-food chains for munching like KFC, CCD, McDonald's, and others.
There are two types of stores here. There is a large complex, where you can find many private shops and on the roadside, you will find rows of shops licensed by the government.
This license allows them to perform trade and the government does not authorize the quality of the product or its authenticity. You can find numerous hawkers along the road.
Top things to shop here are -
Traditional and modern clothing
Textile materials
Leather accessories like shoes, belts, and others
Fashion accessories like rings, bangles, anklets, and others
Embroidered handbags
Indian maps and world maps
Cosmetic items
Scarves
Toys and showcase items
How to Bargain at Bandra Linking Road Market
Most of the tourists who visit Mumbai markets are warned about the pricing style. If you look like a foreigner, they would do the currency exchange in their heads and mark up the products several times.
If the seller gives you a price for the price, you can be very sure that the actual price is at the most quarter of the selling price. If you start to bargain, they might start to converse in the local language, making it difficult.
The best tip is to walk around and get the cost of the product from a few sellers. Analyze the difference in the quality of the product and propose a price half of what was given by the seller.
You will have a short argument before both you would meet at a mid-price. Some sellers might be adamant about their prices. If you feel it is not worth it, just move on. There are hundreds of shops selling almost similar products and you need not worry about missing it out.
As a matter of fact, once you start walking away, the seller might reduce his mark-up and try to get your attention. If possible, bring along someone who is versed in the local language. There are numerous fake Chinese products in the market thus, it is best to look for the authenticity of the item before bargaining.
Visiting Time of Linking Road Market
The Market visiting timing is 10 Am to 9 Pm. The opening and closing times of individual stores depend on the seller. During festival times and weekends, the shops might open a little early and close way past 9 pm.
How to Reach Linking Road Market
Once you are inside Mumbai, reaching Linking Road is not very difficult. Although there are numerous markets in Mumbai, Linking Road is an important one and Bandra is a high-class residential region. Thus, finding directions to the market is not hard.
By Trains
If you are looking for an economical way to reach the market, choose the metro trains. The closest metro station is the Bandra Railway Station West. The market is just 15 minutes of walking away from the station.
Walk out of the station and take the right. Walk until you cross a traffic junction and the market starts along the roadside. The market area is very crowded and you will be able to get to the market region much faster on foot rather than any road transportation from the metro station.
If you want to save energy, you can find autos and rickshaws in front of the station for a ride to the market. The auto rider would ask for at least INR 50 but, if you are visiting during a lean tourism season, bargain to INR 25 or 30. During the tourism season, the price can hike up to INR 50 or even more.
Finding autos or rickshaws during the rainy season would be very hard and even if you find one, the cost of the service will be sky-high.
By Car
If you are starting from central Mumbai or North Mumbai, choose the NH8, which covers the Worli sea link and on the right to SV Road, you will find the shopping area. It is better to avoid driving your own vehicle, as the process of parking your vehicle is a total nightmare here. There are numerous parking spots around the region and yet, every spot will be filled as the place is always crowded with customers.
By Bus
If you are choosing buses, the nearest bus stand is located on Linking Road. You can find buses from Mumbai Central bus stand, SV road, Elphinstone Road, Sahar Road, and others.
Buses are usually crowded. It might be comfortable to reach Linking Road via bus but, if you are returning back after a long shopping trip, it would be hard to board the crowded bus with bags and bags of items. Buses will be even more crowded during the rainy season.
Best Time to Visit Linking Road Market
The market will be flooding with products throughout the year. However, you would have to walk through the streets of shops, in and out of alleys and the crowd here is unexplainable. If you visit during summer (starts by the end of February and ends by mid of June), you would be sweating a lot and it might be uncomfortable.
Weekends and festival times would turn the place into mayhem.
Thus, stick with weekdays. The rainy season (starts by end of June and ends by the beginning of October) is another problematic time as the streets will be messy and it would be harder to surf around when it is pouring. Mumbai is a coastal region and thus, monsoon can be moderately heavy. Hiring transportations would also be hard during the rainy season.
Winter is the right time to visit. Winter starts by end of November and ends by February. The sky will be clear and humidity will be lower. This allows a comfortable ambiance for you to shop as long as possible.
According to avid shoppers, it is better to skip mornings. Each shop opens at a different time and you might miss a few good stores if you get there early. Afternoons are the best if you are looking for a less-crowded shopping experience. Weekday afternoons would be much easier as most of the shops will be scarcely crowded.
Evening times are the most crowded ones but, you get to enjoy the street food of the land, only by evening. Many street vendors would be opening their business by early evening.
Also Read : Best Time to Visit Mumbai
Apart from shopping and trying out local street food dishes, you can enjoy sightseeing by visiting St. Theresa Church, Shree Ram Krishna Matt, Hanuman Temple, Bandra Fort, and others.
If you are up for some pampering time, get skin massage, authentic Thai massage, visit a spa or catch a live concert (during festival times). There are a few theatres around the road for catching a Bollywood movie or even a Hollywood movie too.
Bandra Worli Sea Link, Mumbai Overview
Officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, this eight-lane cable-stayed bridge in Mumbai is the first project initiated by Maharashtra Government that commences West Island Freeway System.
Bandra Worli Sea Link is one of the few bridges that is a cable-stayed with pre-stressed concrete-steel viaducts to hold it in place. Spanning across the arc of Mumbai's coastline, this sea link is a civil engineering wonder that reflects the modern infrastructure of the city of Mumbai. The bridge is designed to cater around 37,500 vehicles per day while reducing the time travel between Bandra and Worli by a big margin.
The beauty of the Bandra Worli Sea Link is in its engineering genius which compliments the sea that it is built over.
Overlooking the magnificent blue waters of Mahim Bay, this splendid architecture is a mighty sight to behold. Undeniably, the Bandra Worli Sea Link is an amalgamation of natural beauty and man-made marvel. Roll your windows down as you whizz past the bridge and let the salty sea breeze run through your hair.
The spectacle of Mumbai is especially appealing from the elevation of the bridge and makes it the perfect destination to capture a few candid shots of the city in all its glory. Bandra Worli Sea Link also overlooks the Worli Bridge and has a small park located nearby. The beauty of this attraction is enhanced during the night when twinkling lights adorn the bridge.
History of Bandra Worli Sea Link
Before the Bandra Worli Sea Link was built, Mahim Causeway was the only road connecting the western suburbs to Mumbai's central business district. This led to the north-southwestern corridor becoming highly congested during peak hours. To solve this problem, the Western Freeway project was conceptualized and the Bandra Worli Sea Link was the first phase of the project aimed at providing an alternative route to the Mahim Causeway.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid down in the year 1999 by Bal Thackrey. The estimated cost of the project was INR 6.6 billion and was supposed to be completed in a time period of five years. However, the project lost its momentum when it was subjected to numerous public interest litigations. A five-year delay ensued which increased the cost of the bridge to INR 16 billion. The Bandra Worli Sea Link saw completion in the year 2009 - 2010.
How To Reach Bandra Worli Sea Link
It is easy to reach the link from either side of it. Bandra serves as the nearest bus depot (2km) and Bandra Railways Station serves as the nearest railway station (5 km) to the link. Other than that taxi, Uber and auto-rickshaws are also easily available.
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Bandra Worli Sea Link
Bandra Worli Sea Link FlyoverBandra Worli Sea Link, Mumbai Overview
Officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, this eight-lane cable-stayed bridge in Mumbai is the first project initiated by Maharashtra Government that commences West Island Freeway System.
Bandra Worli Sea Link is one of the few bridges that is a cable-stayed with pre-stressed concrete-steel viaducts to hold it in place. Spanning across the arc of Mumbai's coastline, this sea link is a civil engineering wonder that reflects the modern infrastructure of the city of Mumbai. The bridge is designed to cater around 37,500 vehicles per day while reducing the time travel between Bandra and Worli by a big margin.
The beauty of the Bandra Worli Sea Link is in its engineering genius which compliments the sea that it is built over.
Overlooking the magnificent blue waters of Mahim Bay, this splendid architecture is a mighty sight to behold. Undeniably, the Bandra Worli Sea Link is an amalgamation of natural beauty and man-made marvel. Roll your windows down as you whizz past the bridge and let the salty sea breeze run through your hair.
The spectacle of Mumbai is especially appealing from the elevation of the bridge and makes it the perfect destination to capture a few candid shots of the city in all its glory. Bandra Worli Sea Link also overlooks the Worli Bridge and has a small park located nearby. The beauty of this attraction is enhanced during the night when twinkling lights adorn the bridge.
History of Bandra Worli Sea Link
Before the Bandra Worli Sea Link was built, Mahim Causeway was the only road connecting the western suburbs to Mumbai's central business district. This led to the north-southwestern corridor becoming highly congested during peak hours. To solve this problem, the Western Freeway project was conceptualized and the Bandra Worli Sea Link was the first phase of the project aimed at providing an alternative route to the Mahim Causeway.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid down in the year 1999 by Bal Thackrey. The estimated cost of the project was INR 6.6 billion and was supposed to be completed in a time period of five years. However, the project lost its momentum when it was subjected to numerous public interest litigations. A five-year delay ensued which increased the cost of the bridge to INR 16 billion. The Bandra Worli Sea Link saw completion in the year 2009 - 2010.
How To Reach Bandra Worli Sea Link
It is easy to reach the link from either side of it. Bandra serves as the nearest bus depot (2km) and Bandra Railways Station serves as the nearest railway station (5 km) to the link. Other than that taxi, Uber and auto-rickshaws are also easily available.
Perfect evening place
"More dreams are realized and crushed in Bombay (Mumbai) than any other place in India".
Bandra Fort is a beautiful evening spot and also a great place to see off the setting sun. It is also known as Castella de Aguada located at Land's End in Bandra.
You can get a perfect picture with Bandra- Worli sea link in the background plus calm waves breaking on the rocky shoreline and then pulling away.
If you are visiting the city for the 1st time then it is not the place which should come on the top of your list.
The place will automatically be covered as people never leave Mumbai without saying 'Hi' to Sharuk Khan's MANNAT and Bandra Fort is at a walking distance from it.
An absolutely romantic and charming place for couples, especially during monsoon. Visitors are more from within the city then tourists here as this place is a Lover's Paradise all year round.
Sea Link Bridge View Point
Perfect evening place
"More dreams are realized and crushed in Bombay (Mumbai) than any other place in India".
Bandra Fort is a beautiful evening spot and also a great place to see off the setting sun. It is also known as Castella de Aguada located at Land's End in Bandra.
You can get a perfect picture with Bandra- Worli sea link in the background plus calm waves breaking on the rocky shoreline and then pulling away.
If you are visiting the city for the 1st time then it is not the place which should come on the top of your list.
The place will automatically be covered as people never leave Mumbai without saying 'Hi' to Sharuk Khan's MANNAT and Bandra Fort is at a walking distance from it.
An absolutely romantic and charming place for couples, especially during monsoon. Visitors are more from within the city then tourists here as this place is a Lover's Paradise all year round.
Juhu beach is at an approximate distance of 8.1 kms by road travel from our apartment building on Chapel road Juhu beach in Mumbai is among the famous beaches of India. It faces the Arabian Sea, and it is the longest beach in Mumbai. It is also the most popular beach in Mumbai spread over five Kms long seashore along the coastline.
The place is known for its street food stalls, the soothing views of the sunset and also, for encounters with celebrities.
The beach is a favourite among the film-makers and you can find photo sessions and video shoots going on now and then. And if you visit Juhu Beach early in the morning, you might catch up with the celebrities while they’re jogging or having coconut water there. Juhu Beach is in a posh area and many actors and actresses stay in the locality.
People visit this place to relax, enjoy the day with their loved ones. And while you’re there, don’t forget to check the local snacks of Mumbai.
Things to do at Juhu Beach
1. Taking in some healthy habits – At Juhu Beach, locals come for their morning walks or yoga sessions. So, if you want to get some exercises, work on abs or taste some cool coconut water, Juhu Beach is where you should go. If not interested in working out, the peaceful morning environment is suitable enough for jogging and cycling too.
2. Riding a horse – Juhu Beach is long and has ample space to check your horse-riding skills. Horses are available for hire and you can take them for a walk or a gallop along the sand. Apart from horses, camels are also there.
3. Watching the sunset – The beach faces the Arabian Sea, and every evening people come here to watch the golden sun going down. Some are here to taste the snacks platter on display and shell out their stress from the day. You too can savour some spicy panipuri with your group or reflect over your thoughts while sipping tea.
4. Being entertained by street artists – Monkey trainers, snake charmers and tarot card readers are some artists you’ll find at Juhu Beach Mumbai. On some days, you can also find sand artists carving out art displays. And the street food vendors catering to all their customers is an art in itself to enjoy.
5. Checking out the street food – The area around Juhu Beach has several restaurants serving International cuisines and sea-food delicacies. But it’s the street food at the beach which attracts people here. Food stalls selling panipuri, bhelpuri, pav-bhaji and other local dishes of Mumbai remain crowded the entire day. South Indian food and Chinese dishes are also available at Juhu Beach food stalls.
6. Enjoying the nightlife – Juhu Beach Mumbai nightlife is worth experiencing while you’re in Mumbai. You can spend the night at the beach feeling the waves and the cool breeze or mark attendance at one of the party destinations. Juhu has many bars, pubs and nightclubs where you can spend the night rejuvenating yourself.
7. Shopping some souvenirs – Among the food hawkers and street artists, you’ll also find other vendors selling toys and handicrafts. Browsing their collection would give you an opportunity to take some memory of Juhu Beach and Mumbai back to home.
Juhu Beach Timings and Entry Fee
The beach is open for you 24 hours a day. You can go to the place for some early morning running, watch the waves in the noon or enjoy some time alone at Juhu Beach Mumbai at night. However, Juhu Beach gets into its character in the evening when people flock in groups to relax after work or enjoy delicious snacks of the city.
Best Time to Visit Juhu Beach
The mornings are the best time to visit Juhu Beach; only a few people are there. So, it gives you the perfect opportunity to admire the beauty of the beach. You can pick a cup of tea and sit there, watching Mumbai gearing up for another day. And you might also have a chance encounter with a Bollywood celebrity walking along the shore.
The fun, however, begins in the evening, when locals and tourists come together to spend some time with the setting sun. The summer is hot and humid. Therefore, you should visit this beach during winter, when the climate is cooler. The ideal season starts in November and remains until March.
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Playa Juhu
Juhu beach is at an approximate distance of 8.1 kms by road travel from our apartment building on Chapel road Juhu beach in Mumbai is among the famous beaches of India. It faces the Arabian Sea, and it is the longest beach in Mumbai. It is also the most popular beach in Mumbai spread over five Kms long seashore along the coastline.
The place is known for its street food stalls, the soothing views of the sunset and also, for encounters with celebrities.
The beach is a favourite among the film-makers and you can find photo sessions and video shoots going on now and then. And if you visit Juhu Beach early in the morning, you might catch up with the celebrities while they’re jogging or having coconut water there. Juhu Beach is in a posh area and many actors and actresses stay in the locality.
People visit this place to relax, enjoy the day with their loved ones. And while you’re there, don’t forget to check the local snacks of Mumbai.
Things to do at Juhu Beach
1. Taking in some healthy habits – At Juhu Beach, locals come for their morning walks or yoga sessions. So, if you want to get some exercises, work on abs or taste some cool coconut water, Juhu Beach is where you should go. If not interested in working out, the peaceful morning environment is suitable enough for jogging and cycling too.
2. Riding a horse – Juhu Beach is long and has ample space to check your horse-riding skills. Horses are available for hire and you can take them for a walk or a gallop along the sand. Apart from horses, camels are also there.
3. Watching the sunset – The beach faces the Arabian Sea, and every evening people come here to watch the golden sun going down. Some are here to taste the snacks platter on display and shell out their stress from the day. You too can savour some spicy panipuri with your group or reflect over your thoughts while sipping tea.
4. Being entertained by street artists – Monkey trainers, snake charmers and tarot card readers are some artists you’ll find at Juhu Beach Mumbai. On some days, you can also find sand artists carving out art displays. And the street food vendors catering to all their customers is an art in itself to enjoy.
5. Checking out the street food – The area around Juhu Beach has several restaurants serving International cuisines and sea-food delicacies. But it’s the street food at the beach which attracts people here. Food stalls selling panipuri, bhelpuri, pav-bhaji and other local dishes of Mumbai remain crowded the entire day. South Indian food and Chinese dishes are also available at Juhu Beach food stalls.
6. Enjoying the nightlife – Juhu Beach Mumbai nightlife is worth experiencing while you’re in Mumbai. You can spend the night at the beach feeling the waves and the cool breeze or mark attendance at one of the party destinations. Juhu has many bars, pubs and nightclubs where you can spend the night rejuvenating yourself.
7. Shopping some souvenirs – Among the food hawkers and street artists, you’ll also find other vendors selling toys and handicrafts. Browsing their collection would give you an opportunity to take some memory of Juhu Beach and Mumbai back to home.
Juhu Beach Timings and Entry Fee
The beach is open for you 24 hours a day. You can go to the place for some early morning running, watch the waves in the noon or enjoy some time alone at Juhu Beach Mumbai at night. However, Juhu Beach gets into its character in the evening when people flock in groups to relax after work or enjoy delicious snacks of the city.
Best Time to Visit Juhu Beach
The mornings are the best time to visit Juhu Beach; only a few people are there. So, it gives you the perfect opportunity to admire the beauty of the beach. You can pick a cup of tea and sit there, watching Mumbai gearing up for another day. And you might also have a chance encounter with a Bollywood celebrity walking along the shore.
The fun, however, begins in the evening, when locals and tourists come together to spend some time with the setting sun. The summer is hot and humid. Therefore, you should visit this beach during winter, when the climate is cooler. The ideal season starts in November and remains until March.
The Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the god of good fortune and destroyer of all difficulties and hurdles. It is located in Prabhadevi, an area of Midtown Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was originally built by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil on 19 November 1801. It is one of the richest temples in India.
Temple door remain close from Morning 10.45 a.m. to afternoon 1.30 p.m. for pooja, naivedhya and Aarti by that time Ganesha Darshan will be posible from a far.
For more than two centuries, the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, has been devoted to fulfilling the desires of those who come to worship there.
For more than two centuries, the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, has been devoted to fulfilling the desires of those who come to worship there.
The temple has a small mandap with the shrine for Siddhi Vinayak ("Ganesha who grants your wish"). The wooden doors to the sanctum are carved with images of the Ashtavinayak (the eight manifestations of Ganesha in Maharashtra). The inner roof of the sanctum is plated with gold, and the central statue is of Ganesha. In the periphery, there is a Hanuman temple as well. The exterior of the temple consists of a dome which is lit up with multiple colors in the evenings and they keep changing every few hours. The statue of Shri Ganesha is located exactly under the dome. The pillars are carved out with the images of ashtvinayak.
The Daily Schedule Is As Follows
Wednesday to Monday
5.30 AM to 6.00 AM – Kakad Aarti
6.00 AM to 12.15 PM – Shree Darshan
12.15 PM to 12.30 PM – Naivedhya
12.30 PM to 7.20 PM – Shree Darshan
7.30 PM to 8.00 PM – Aarti
8.00 PM to 9.50 PM – Shree Darshan
9.50 PM – Shejaarti
Timings on Tuesdays
3.15 AM to 4.45 AM – Shree Darshan
5.00 AM to 5.30 AM – Kakad Aarti
5.30 AM to 12.15 PM – Shree Darshan
12.15 PM to 12.30 PM – Naivedhya
12.30 PM to 8.45 PM – Shree Darshan
9.30 PM to 10.00 PM – Aarti
12.00 AM – Shejaarti
After ‘Shejaarti,’ the Temple will be completely shuttered till the next morning.
Live Darshan Of Shree Siddhivinayak Temple
Poojas
Visiting hours for the Pooja booking office are daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Pooja Booking Counter outside Gate No. 3.
The following poojas are only done under the clear instructions and guidance of qualified priests.
Ashtottar Naam Pooja
Avartan Panchamrut Pooja
2 Avartan Shodashopchar Pooja
5 Avartan Shodshopchar Pooja
Temple Idol

Among the most notable altars is Ganesh, the son of Lord Shiva, who is revered and worshipped by many devotees who come to the temple to offer their prayers and offerings.
In addition to being 2.5 feet high and 2 feet broad, the statue of Shree Siddhivinayak has a trunk on the right side, which is made of black stone. The upper right-hand holds a lotus, while the left hand holds an axe in its grip. ‘Modaka’ is held in the lower right hand, while the lower-left clutches a rosary in the lower right hand.
The holy thread, which resembles a serpent, is wrapped around the neck. All the details on the statue are carved into a single block of stone. On each side of Shree Siddhivinayak are the idols of Riddhi and Siddhi.
Goddesses of success, wealth, and prosperity, Riddhi and Siddhi, are two of the most powerful deities in Hinduism. This is a rare sighting of Shree Siddhivinayak, whose trunk has been twisted to the right since the trunk is typically seen bending to the left in this form.
Several changes were made to the deity’s sanctum sanctorum before it was transformed into a beautiful moorty, which was achieved via a series of more than two weeks of ceremonies.
Temple Architecture
The old architecture of the temple was built in the ancient architectural style, consisting of a hall, a sanctum sanctorum, some open space, the temple’s administrative office to the right, and a water tank in the front.
By visiting the Kashi – Vishveshwar temple, located between the Matunga signal and the Citilight Cinema, one may get a sense of what it may have been like in the past.
Ar designed the temple’s new architecture. Shri. Sharad Athale of SK Athale & Associates, after thoroughly studying temples in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Dry, hot, and semi-arid weather prevails most of the year in both states’ climatic characteristics. Given the hot and humid climate, severe monsoon season lasting almost 4 months, and closeness of the temple to the sea, architects concluded that Ambernath’s Shiva Temple would be an excellent model for this new temple.
The temple is scheduled to open in 2018. This Shiva Temple is built on a solid stone foundation and has withstood the harshness of the local climate excellently. The efforts of Ar. Shri. Sharad Athale of SK Athale & Associates has resulted in a full architectural makeover of the Siddhivinayak temple, which may now be seen in its current state.
The temple has been constructed around the idol in a unique multiangular, six-storeyed building that rises to the heavens and is topped with a central gold-plated dome. The idol has been preserved throughout the construction.
The other tiny crowns surrounding it are gold, representing panchayats (village councils) (five metals). The interior is accessible via three major entrances.
The father-son pair of Suresh and Mitesh Mistry created the Makhar (framing) of the sanctum sanctorum, following a long-standing family tradition and creating a beautiful and complex design.
They have provided their services at renowned religious institutions, which speaks much about their level of knowledge. The temple’s crown was made by a Marathi craftsman using traditional techniques.
Renovations to the temple began in 1990 and are expected to be completed by 2000. In three years and costing three crore rupees, the project was finished. Marble and pink granite were the primary stones utilized in the construction.
The temple was intended to be a great example of architectural design. It was, therefore, possible to transform a temple that had been standing for 200 years into a beautiful, multistory, palace-like structure.
The first level of the temple is a mezzanine floor primarily utilized for poojas and darshan (admission to the temple). The kitchen prepares Shree’s Maha Naivedya (offering), and a restroom is on the second level.
The Naivedya cooked in the kitchen is transported to the sanctum sanctorum through elevators. Using surveillance cameras, the floor is constantly monitored for security and alertness. Additionally, the administrative offices of the supervisor and deputy supervisor are located on this level.
The primary office of the temple is located on the third level. Among its many features are a committee member’s chamber, a CEO chamber, a member’s chamber, an auditorium, and a computer room equipped to handle all contemporary administrative and information data processing needs.
The temple’s library, located on the fourth level, has an extensive collection of 8000 volumes on religion, literature, medicine, engineering, economics, and other topics. New titles and editions are regularly added to the site.
In addition, the library includes a study area where students may use the library’s valuable collection of books on medicine and engineering for reference or further study. The library and study hall are available to the public at no charge.
The fifth level is mostly utilized for food preparation for festivals, fire offerings, and other purposes. It was formerly used to hold a solar heater, which was removed during restoration.
The temple’s top is crowned with a cluster of crowns, 47 of which are gold-plated and include the central 12 feet crown and three excellent foot crowns, and 33 of which are 3.5 feet tall.
The crown installation and Kumbhabhishek ceremony for the magnificent and graceful temple took place on June 13, 1994 (Hindu Calendar: – Jestha Shukla Chaturthi Shaka 1916) under the auspicious hands of Shree Shankaracharya Dakshinamnay, Shree Shraddha Pitha, Shamgeri, and Shree 2008 Bharti Tirtha Mahaswamiji, on the auspicious day of Jestha Shukla Chat.
When the temple was being renovated, the crown of the temple was taken down in a methodical and orderly manner, following traditional rituals. It was then adorned and placed in the hall for public sight. During the restoration, every precaution and attention was taken to maintain the holiness and purity of the temple and the idol.
To maintain open space up to the top of the temple’s multistory construction, the walls around the center have been constructed so that the region above the sacred sanctum sanctorum is shielded from foot traffic on the upper floors.
With its spectacular gold-plated dome, Shree’s grandeur, power, and presence are represented in the temple’s primary crowning glory. Devotees who cannot view the main idol due to traffic congestion or time limitations often seek the darshan of the dome, which provides them with the same level of comfort.
During the Aashadhi and Kartika Ekadashi festivals in Pandharpur, when many devotees (varkari) gather to get a sight of the goddess Vithal, they often come to the Vithal Mandir and have darshan of the temple’s crown.
With excellent entrances, including three major doors with a height of 13 feet, the sanctum sanctorum of the restored temple is large and elegantly designed. They are so tall that they allow more than 300 worshippers to view the idol at the same time from the main hall and the mezzanine level, all at the same time.
The center hall, which surrounds the sanctum sanctorum, has high seats and a flight of steps. Immediately beyond the stain is a massive platform for poojas, maha poojas, and other ceremonies.
There is a view of Shree Siddhivinayak from this platform, which also adds to the pleasure of those doing poojas on this platform. Every day on important days such as Tuesday, Sankashthi Chaturthi, and Angarkhi Chaturthi (when the number of devotees exceeds 2 lakhs), devotees gather on the platform to offer Shree their prayers and blessings.
On certain days, the poojas are performed on the mezzanine level, which offers a beautiful view of Shree Sidhivinayak and the surrounding area.
Immediately after completing the pooja rites at 1 AM, devotees may have darshan from the mezzanine level, which allows devotees to return to work in ten to fifteen minutes.
The whole architectural design is based on the comfort of the devotees and their surroundings. The repair and restoration work were done to the temple’s physical structure and the faith of the devotees who came to worship there.
Giving Back To The Community
The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust is active in various philanthropic endeavors. Here are a few examples.
Celebrating religious festivals and Utsavs, such as
Maghi and Bhadrapd Ganeshotsav
Mahashivratri pooja
Angarki Chaturthi pooja
Ramnavami pooja
Magh Mahotsav
Ganeshotsav
Gudipadwa Celebrations
Navratrotsav
Kumbhabhishek
7 personas locales recomiendan
Shri Siddhi Vinayak Ganpati Mandir
SK Bole RoadThe Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the god of good fortune and destroyer of all difficulties and hurdles. It is located in Prabhadevi, an area of Midtown Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was originally built by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil on 19 November 1801. It is one of the richest temples in India.
Temple door remain close from Morning 10.45 a.m. to afternoon 1.30 p.m. for pooja, naivedhya and Aarti by that time Ganesha Darshan will be posible from a far.
For more than two centuries, the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, has been devoted to fulfilling the desires of those who come to worship there.
For more than two centuries, the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, has been devoted to fulfilling the desires of those who come to worship there.
The temple has a small mandap with the shrine for Siddhi Vinayak ("Ganesha who grants your wish"). The wooden doors to the sanctum are carved with images of the Ashtavinayak (the eight manifestations of Ganesha in Maharashtra). The inner roof of the sanctum is plated with gold, and the central statue is of Ganesha. In the periphery, there is a Hanuman temple as well. The exterior of the temple consists of a dome which is lit up with multiple colors in the evenings and they keep changing every few hours. The statue of Shri Ganesha is located exactly under the dome. The pillars are carved out with the images of ashtvinayak.
The Daily Schedule Is As Follows
Wednesday to Monday
5.30 AM to 6.00 AM – Kakad Aarti
6.00 AM to 12.15 PM – Shree Darshan
12.15 PM to 12.30 PM – Naivedhya
12.30 PM to 7.20 PM – Shree Darshan
7.30 PM to 8.00 PM – Aarti
8.00 PM to 9.50 PM – Shree Darshan
9.50 PM – Shejaarti
Timings on Tuesdays
3.15 AM to 4.45 AM – Shree Darshan
5.00 AM to 5.30 AM – Kakad Aarti
5.30 AM to 12.15 PM – Shree Darshan
12.15 PM to 12.30 PM – Naivedhya
12.30 PM to 8.45 PM – Shree Darshan
9.30 PM to 10.00 PM – Aarti
12.00 AM – Shejaarti
After ‘Shejaarti,’ the Temple will be completely shuttered till the next morning.
Live Darshan Of Shree Siddhivinayak Temple
Poojas
Visiting hours for the Pooja booking office are daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Pooja Booking Counter outside Gate No. 3.
The following poojas are only done under the clear instructions and guidance of qualified priests.
Ashtottar Naam Pooja
Avartan Panchamrut Pooja
2 Avartan Shodashopchar Pooja
5 Avartan Shodshopchar Pooja
Temple Idol

Among the most notable altars is Ganesh, the son of Lord Shiva, who is revered and worshipped by many devotees who come to the temple to offer their prayers and offerings.
In addition to being 2.5 feet high and 2 feet broad, the statue of Shree Siddhivinayak has a trunk on the right side, which is made of black stone. The upper right-hand holds a lotus, while the left hand holds an axe in its grip. ‘Modaka’ is held in the lower right hand, while the lower-left clutches a rosary in the lower right hand.
The holy thread, which resembles a serpent, is wrapped around the neck. All the details on the statue are carved into a single block of stone. On each side of Shree Siddhivinayak are the idols of Riddhi and Siddhi.
Goddesses of success, wealth, and prosperity, Riddhi and Siddhi, are two of the most powerful deities in Hinduism. This is a rare sighting of Shree Siddhivinayak, whose trunk has been twisted to the right since the trunk is typically seen bending to the left in this form.
Several changes were made to the deity’s sanctum sanctorum before it was transformed into a beautiful moorty, which was achieved via a series of more than two weeks of ceremonies.
Temple Architecture
The old architecture of the temple was built in the ancient architectural style, consisting of a hall, a sanctum sanctorum, some open space, the temple’s administrative office to the right, and a water tank in the front.
By visiting the Kashi – Vishveshwar temple, located between the Matunga signal and the Citilight Cinema, one may get a sense of what it may have been like in the past.
Ar designed the temple’s new architecture. Shri. Sharad Athale of SK Athale & Associates, after thoroughly studying temples in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Dry, hot, and semi-arid weather prevails most of the year in both states’ climatic characteristics. Given the hot and humid climate, severe monsoon season lasting almost 4 months, and closeness of the temple to the sea, architects concluded that Ambernath’s Shiva Temple would be an excellent model for this new temple.
The temple is scheduled to open in 2018. This Shiva Temple is built on a solid stone foundation and has withstood the harshness of the local climate excellently. The efforts of Ar. Shri. Sharad Athale of SK Athale & Associates has resulted in a full architectural makeover of the Siddhivinayak temple, which may now be seen in its current state.
The temple has been constructed around the idol in a unique multiangular, six-storeyed building that rises to the heavens and is topped with a central gold-plated dome. The idol has been preserved throughout the construction.
The other tiny crowns surrounding it are gold, representing panchayats (village councils) (five metals). The interior is accessible via three major entrances.
The father-son pair of Suresh and Mitesh Mistry created the Makhar (framing) of the sanctum sanctorum, following a long-standing family tradition and creating a beautiful and complex design.
They have provided their services at renowned religious institutions, which speaks much about their level of knowledge. The temple’s crown was made by a Marathi craftsman using traditional techniques.
Renovations to the temple began in 1990 and are expected to be completed by 2000. In three years and costing three crore rupees, the project was finished. Marble and pink granite were the primary stones utilized in the construction.
The temple was intended to be a great example of architectural design. It was, therefore, possible to transform a temple that had been standing for 200 years into a beautiful, multistory, palace-like structure.
The first level of the temple is a mezzanine floor primarily utilized for poojas and darshan (admission to the temple). The kitchen prepares Shree’s Maha Naivedya (offering), and a restroom is on the second level.
The Naivedya cooked in the kitchen is transported to the sanctum sanctorum through elevators. Using surveillance cameras, the floor is constantly monitored for security and alertness. Additionally, the administrative offices of the supervisor and deputy supervisor are located on this level.
The primary office of the temple is located on the third level. Among its many features are a committee member’s chamber, a CEO chamber, a member’s chamber, an auditorium, and a computer room equipped to handle all contemporary administrative and information data processing needs.
The temple’s library, located on the fourth level, has an extensive collection of 8000 volumes on religion, literature, medicine, engineering, economics, and other topics. New titles and editions are regularly added to the site.
In addition, the library includes a study area where students may use the library’s valuable collection of books on medicine and engineering for reference or further study. The library and study hall are available to the public at no charge.
The fifth level is mostly utilized for food preparation for festivals, fire offerings, and other purposes. It was formerly used to hold a solar heater, which was removed during restoration.
The temple’s top is crowned with a cluster of crowns, 47 of which are gold-plated and include the central 12 feet crown and three excellent foot crowns, and 33 of which are 3.5 feet tall.
The crown installation and Kumbhabhishek ceremony for the magnificent and graceful temple took place on June 13, 1994 (Hindu Calendar: – Jestha Shukla Chaturthi Shaka 1916) under the auspicious hands of Shree Shankaracharya Dakshinamnay, Shree Shraddha Pitha, Shamgeri, and Shree 2008 Bharti Tirtha Mahaswamiji, on the auspicious day of Jestha Shukla Chat.
When the temple was being renovated, the crown of the temple was taken down in a methodical and orderly manner, following traditional rituals. It was then adorned and placed in the hall for public sight. During the restoration, every precaution and attention was taken to maintain the holiness and purity of the temple and the idol.
To maintain open space up to the top of the temple’s multistory construction, the walls around the center have been constructed so that the region above the sacred sanctum sanctorum is shielded from foot traffic on the upper floors.
With its spectacular gold-plated dome, Shree’s grandeur, power, and presence are represented in the temple’s primary crowning glory. Devotees who cannot view the main idol due to traffic congestion or time limitations often seek the darshan of the dome, which provides them with the same level of comfort.
During the Aashadhi and Kartika Ekadashi festivals in Pandharpur, when many devotees (varkari) gather to get a sight of the goddess Vithal, they often come to the Vithal Mandir and have darshan of the temple’s crown.
With excellent entrances, including three major doors with a height of 13 feet, the sanctum sanctorum of the restored temple is large and elegantly designed. They are so tall that they allow more than 300 worshippers to view the idol at the same time from the main hall and the mezzanine level, all at the same time.
The center hall, which surrounds the sanctum sanctorum, has high seats and a flight of steps. Immediately beyond the stain is a massive platform for poojas, maha poojas, and other ceremonies.
There is a view of Shree Siddhivinayak from this platform, which also adds to the pleasure of those doing poojas on this platform. Every day on important days such as Tuesday, Sankashthi Chaturthi, and Angarkhi Chaturthi (when the number of devotees exceeds 2 lakhs), devotees gather on the platform to offer Shree their prayers and blessings.
On certain days, the poojas are performed on the mezzanine level, which offers a beautiful view of Shree Sidhivinayak and the surrounding area.
Immediately after completing the pooja rites at 1 AM, devotees may have darshan from the mezzanine level, which allows devotees to return to work in ten to fifteen minutes.
The whole architectural design is based on the comfort of the devotees and their surroundings. The repair and restoration work were done to the temple’s physical structure and the faith of the devotees who came to worship there.
Giving Back To The Community
The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust is active in various philanthropic endeavors. Here are a few examples.
Celebrating religious festivals and Utsavs, such as
Maghi and Bhadrapd Ganeshotsav
Mahashivratri pooja
Angarki Chaturthi pooja
Ramnavami pooja
Magh Mahotsav
Ganeshotsav
Gudipadwa Celebrations
Navratrotsav
Kumbhabhishek
Haji Ali Dargah
Dargah RoadTower of Silence
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Western Express HighwayHanging Gardens (Ferozeshah Mehta)
Ridge RoadGateway Of India Mumbai
Devicha Pada
Shree Mahalakshmi Temple
Jogger's Park
Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali RoadLands End Garden
Taj Lands End, Mumbai
Bandstand PromenadeTaj Mahal Palace & Tower
Nehru Planetarium
Doctor Annie Besant RoadBabulnath Temple
16 Babulnath RdInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness® (ISKCON® - Juhu)
Sri Mukteshwar Devalaya RoadFlora Fountain
Mahatma Gandhi RoadReeser Str. 106, 46446 Emmerich am Rhein, Alemania
Jijamata Udyaan, Zoo.
91A Lalbaug FlyoverChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
159-161 MG RoadTaraporewala Aquarium
NCPA Entry Gate, Nariman Point
Prithvi Theatre
20 Juhu Church RdThe Royal Opera House
Shrimad Rajchandraji MargMahalakshmi Race Course
Keshavrao Khadye MargStreet Food stalls
Reeser Str. 106, 46446 Emmerich am Rhein, Alemania
Ferry Wharf
Worli Seaface Promenade
Bhau Daji Lad Museum
91 A Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar RdNational Gallery of Modern Art
Mahatma Gandhi RoadArt Gallery
Nehru Centre Art Gallery
Doctor Annie Besant RoadMethod Kala Ghoda
Chemould Prescott Road
Ghanshyam Talwatkar MargHaji Ali Sea Face
Bandra Station (West)
Bandra Sea View
26 Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali MargBandstand
Bandra Fort
Band Stand
Byramji Jeejeebhoy RoadNeighbourhoods
Step Away From The Honking Chaos With A Walk Down Ranwar Village.
Bandra’s Ranwar Village Is A Portuguese Gem That WIll Surely Transport You To The Colonial Era!
One of the original hamlets of Bandra, Ranwar Village has a history that dates back to 1716. We went for a quiet walk down the village and got away from all the honking. Ranwar is today officially declared as THE STREET ART DISTRICT of Bombay holding in its embrace the quaint twin streets of Waroda Road & Chapel Road along with their tributaries - Veronica Road, Veronica Street, St. Roque Road and surrounding areas.
What Makes It Awesome
The quaint village consists of bungalows on each side, divided by Veronica Street. We always talk about how magical Waroda Road and its eateries are, but if you stray from the usual route, you’ll stumble upon something magical.
The streets of Ranwar Village are almost like like a river’s tributaries, all venturing into a peaceful place. As you walk down any one of the by lanes leading to the village, you’ll walk by resurrected shrines, cats roaming/chilling around in clusters and bungalows – breathtakingly beautiful bungalows which have been standing there since the early 1900s.
The short walk inside leads to the Ranwar Square – the main hub of cultural activities in the past. Erected in 1866, the Ranwar square cross was host to the Cross feat, community rosary recitals and wells where gold was hidden to save them from Arab pirates.
With so much history and quaintness contained in one small village in the busy Bandra, we were more than happy to indulge in some chit-chat with the current residents of the village, who are still very proud of the heritage that their ancestors have left for them.
Popular For: Decades old history and culture, Portuguese art & architecture, hidden gem.
Pro-Tip
If you’re at Waroda Road and want to wander off to a quiet place with lots of greenery, go to Ranwar. Maybe the cats will chill with you
Ranwar
Step Away From The Honking Chaos With A Walk Down Ranwar Village.
Bandra’s Ranwar Village Is A Portuguese Gem That WIll Surely Transport You To The Colonial Era!
One of the original hamlets of Bandra, Ranwar Village has a history that dates back to 1716. We went for a quiet walk down the village and got away from all the honking. Ranwar is today officially declared as THE STREET ART DISTRICT of Bombay holding in its embrace the quaint twin streets of Waroda Road & Chapel Road along with their tributaries - Veronica Road, Veronica Street, St. Roque Road and surrounding areas.
What Makes It Awesome
The quaint village consists of bungalows on each side, divided by Veronica Street. We always talk about how magical Waroda Road and its eateries are, but if you stray from the usual route, you’ll stumble upon something magical.
The streets of Ranwar Village are almost like like a river’s tributaries, all venturing into a peaceful place. As you walk down any one of the by lanes leading to the village, you’ll walk by resurrected shrines, cats roaming/chilling around in clusters and bungalows – breathtakingly beautiful bungalows which have been standing there since the early 1900s.
The short walk inside leads to the Ranwar Square – the main hub of cultural activities in the past. Erected in 1866, the Ranwar square cross was host to the Cross feat, community rosary recitals and wells where gold was hidden to save them from Arab pirates.
With so much history and quaintness contained in one small village in the busy Bandra, we were more than happy to indulge in some chit-chat with the current residents of the village, who are still very proud of the heritage that their ancestors have left for them.
Popular For: Decades old history and culture, Portuguese art & architecture, hidden gem.
Pro-Tip
If you’re at Waroda Road and want to wander off to a quiet place with lots of greenery, go to Ranwar. Maybe the cats will chill with you
Welcome to Bandra’s Chapel Road. It is a road that connects Mount Carmel Church to Hill Road. It is narrow, winding road that runs through what was once the independent Runwar Village, but is now part of Bandra. It is a road that is used as a short-cut by many residents of Bandra travelling to or from the Bandra-Worli Sealink. But most importantly, and in the context of this post, it is also a road that is world-famous, thanks to the graffiti and street art there.
In the last decade, the road that connects the area from St Stanislaus to Mt Carmel Church, has become the home for Bollywood Art Project (BAP). Chapel Road is one of the oldest streets in the western suburb of Bandra and the lane had several houses that resembled Goan architecture. However, as time passed, some of the old structures were redeveloped but it’s old world charm and quaintness still hold strong even today.
Chapel Rd, Ranwar, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050, India
Welcome to Bandra’s Chapel Road. It is a road that connects Mount Carmel Church to Hill Road. It is narrow, winding road that runs through what was once the independent Runwar Village, but is now part of Bandra. It is a road that is used as a short-cut by many residents of Bandra travelling to or from the Bandra-Worli Sealink. But most importantly, and in the context of this post, it is also a road that is world-famous, thanks to the graffiti and street art there.
In the last decade, the road that connects the area from St Stanislaus to Mt Carmel Church, has become the home for Bollywood Art Project (BAP). Chapel Road is one of the oldest streets in the western suburb of Bandra and the lane had several houses that resembled Goan architecture. However, as time passed, some of the old structures were redeveloped but it’s old world charm and quaintness still hold strong even today.
How Bandra’s Ranwar village - Waroda Road holds on to the vestiges of a glorious past
You step into the idea of Bandra before its physical spaces. An idea that is marketed, sold, re-sold and packaged in myriad ways. Fondly known as the queen of suburbs, Bandra houses Bollywood stars and studios where our celluloid dreams are meticulously crafted. Its quaint streets, shaded by mast trees and gluten-free cafés snake their way across streets named after saints, trade union leaders and Christian politicians. But beyond the keto ice-cream parlours and the looming presence of Mannat, and just minutes beyond Waroda Road with its glowing eateries, the Ranwar village in Bandra beats to a hum of its own.
This (Waroda Road-Ranwar) is not a village frozen in time; it is far from it. At once, it both defies and marries the conventional idea of an urban village. Its recorded history dates back to 1716, when it was, and still is, home to the city’s dwindling East Indian population. For the most part, Veronica Street divides Ranwar’s bungalows. Some of them seem as old as time and others still have architectural vestiges of our colonial past—from their gothic frames to figures of Queen Victoria carved into the metallic grills.
But what are the pretty homes hiding? Is there something amiss?
Heat of Bombay
On a still August day, even by Mumbai standards, I meet Owen Pereira at Ranwar Square (off Waroda Road), the beating heart of the urban village dotted by a resurrected shrine, houses in vivid colours of blue and a wash of carmine, and a newly built residential building that tries hard to blend in with its ornate columns and cornices.
A blue board at the entrance tells me that Ranwar is one of the original pakhadis or hamlets of Bandra that consisted of cultivators or curumbins (kunbis), and was situated on what is called the gaothan or village settlement. In the fields surrounding these villages, mainly rice, coconuts, onions, vegetables and garden fruit were cultivated.
“The central passage through Ranwar, Veronica Street, was named in honour of the holy woman, Veronica, who, with a soothing cloth, wiped the bloodied face of Christ, as he carried his Cross on the way to Mount Calvary,” the information board reads. “For her compassion, she was rewarded with an image of Christ on the cloth.”
Pereira tells me that not so long ago, the Lenten procession on Palm Sunday passed through Ranwar on its way to the open ground—culminating with the reenactment of Veronica wiping the face of Jesus. Traditionally, the role of Veronica was enacted by one of the young women from Ranwar.
“My house was built in 1910 by my grandfather,” he says. “There was a lovely cottage here with a big garden at the back with tamarind and apple trees. But things are not the same as most of the houses are now rented for Rs. 50k or so for a month.”
We pass by workers unloading concrete on the road, even things out. Pereira wishes the administration had used cobblestones instead of concrete, which will stick out like a sore thumb. “They tell us, traffic will not pass by on cobblestones and I tell them you haven’t gone to Europe. It’s all modernization and economic drive, or whatever fancy term you want to use for it.”
Ideally, an urban village is not supposed to have roads intercutting through it for traffic. After all, its quaint streets were never meant to take on zipping auto rickshaws and luxury cars zooming past at three in the night. Designed to be pedestrian-friendly, the slow transition of these lanes into cramped thoroughfares is an unfortunate reality across nearly all the urban villages in Bandra.
Vestiges of History
Everywhere in Bandra and Ranwar (WA Ida Road), you cannot miss the highrises. They are always around the street in all their glass-facade glory. The view from one of the 25-storey towers abutting the Ranwar village is that of minimizing the living pages of history, both figuratively and literally.
“If you want to trace the roots of any city, it’s these urban villages that are the city’s umbilical cords,” says conservation architect Vikas Dilawari who has restored numerous at-risk monuments and heritage buildings in Mumbai, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Rajabai Clock Tower, Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Wellington Fountain and Christ Church, Byculla. “These houses are beautiful examples of responsive architecture, designed for the city’s climatic and socio-cultural needs.”
The residents of Ranwar - Waroda Road find innovative, community-based ways of keeping traditional bonds alive. Some of their food pop-ups come alive during Christmas or during the feast of the Lady. Every evening, in the month of May and October, the villagers come together to recite the rosary in Ranwar Square.
“You should come here on Christmas when every inch of the street is decorated with local flowers,” he says. “We started chit funds back in the 1890s so that the locals could contribute to each other’s amenities, which actually started from giving incentives to use the Bandra railway station. So, the traditions are the same but on a much larger scale.”
Pereira still has memories of the community coming together and making bottle masala, with all the homes facing each other so that children can freely move. In his own backyard, smaller in size, vegetables from cucumbers to carrots and ladyfingers grow fresh and luscious.
“Now, every house has a gate,” he says. “As children, we would run into anyone’s home, some aunty would call us for sweets and we would keep floating about. All the young people have gone now and the average age of the residents in the village is not less than 70. How will the traditions continue without them?”
Dilawari says that the winding roads of the village have now been converted to straight roads. The architectural features of the Ranwar homes now comprise roof overhangs, Mangalorean tiles, decorative designs if some residents could afford, use of timber, decorative fascia, innovative employment of colours, and open balconies.
“Rather than demolishing these homes, they should be conserved for adaptive reuse,” he says. “They must have incentives to rebuild so that there are more chances of survival. Otherwise, it will be like an Einstein’s bulb that the future generations will never use but simply look at in a museum.”
Waroda Road
Waroda RoadHow Bandra’s Ranwar village - Waroda Road holds on to the vestiges of a glorious past
You step into the idea of Bandra before its physical spaces. An idea that is marketed, sold, re-sold and packaged in myriad ways. Fondly known as the queen of suburbs, Bandra houses Bollywood stars and studios where our celluloid dreams are meticulously crafted. Its quaint streets, shaded by mast trees and gluten-free cafés snake their way across streets named after saints, trade union leaders and Christian politicians. But beyond the keto ice-cream parlours and the looming presence of Mannat, and just minutes beyond Waroda Road with its glowing eateries, the Ranwar village in Bandra beats to a hum of its own.
This (Waroda Road-Ranwar) is not a village frozen in time; it is far from it. At once, it both defies and marries the conventional idea of an urban village. Its recorded history dates back to 1716, when it was, and still is, home to the city’s dwindling East Indian population. For the most part, Veronica Street divides Ranwar’s bungalows. Some of them seem as old as time and others still have architectural vestiges of our colonial past—from their gothic frames to figures of Queen Victoria carved into the metallic grills.
But what are the pretty homes hiding? Is there something amiss?
Heat of Bombay
On a still August day, even by Mumbai standards, I meet Owen Pereira at Ranwar Square (off Waroda Road), the beating heart of the urban village dotted by a resurrected shrine, houses in vivid colours of blue and a wash of carmine, and a newly built residential building that tries hard to blend in with its ornate columns and cornices.
A blue board at the entrance tells me that Ranwar is one of the original pakhadis or hamlets of Bandra that consisted of cultivators or curumbins (kunbis), and was situated on what is called the gaothan or village settlement. In the fields surrounding these villages, mainly rice, coconuts, onions, vegetables and garden fruit were cultivated.
“The central passage through Ranwar, Veronica Street, was named in honour of the holy woman, Veronica, who, with a soothing cloth, wiped the bloodied face of Christ, as he carried his Cross on the way to Mount Calvary,” the information board reads. “For her compassion, she was rewarded with an image of Christ on the cloth.”
Pereira tells me that not so long ago, the Lenten procession on Palm Sunday passed through Ranwar on its way to the open ground—culminating with the reenactment of Veronica wiping the face of Jesus. Traditionally, the role of Veronica was enacted by one of the young women from Ranwar.
“My house was built in 1910 by my grandfather,” he says. “There was a lovely cottage here with a big garden at the back with tamarind and apple trees. But things are not the same as most of the houses are now rented for Rs. 50k or so for a month.”
We pass by workers unloading concrete on the road, even things out. Pereira wishes the administration had used cobblestones instead of concrete, which will stick out like a sore thumb. “They tell us, traffic will not pass by on cobblestones and I tell them you haven’t gone to Europe. It’s all modernization and economic drive, or whatever fancy term you want to use for it.”
Ideally, an urban village is not supposed to have roads intercutting through it for traffic. After all, its quaint streets were never meant to take on zipping auto rickshaws and luxury cars zooming past at three in the night. Designed to be pedestrian-friendly, the slow transition of these lanes into cramped thoroughfares is an unfortunate reality across nearly all the urban villages in Bandra.
Vestiges of History
Everywhere in Bandra and Ranwar (WA Ida Road), you cannot miss the highrises. They are always around the street in all their glass-facade glory. The view from one of the 25-storey towers abutting the Ranwar village is that of minimizing the living pages of history, both figuratively and literally.
“If you want to trace the roots of any city, it’s these urban villages that are the city’s umbilical cords,” says conservation architect Vikas Dilawari who has restored numerous at-risk monuments and heritage buildings in Mumbai, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Rajabai Clock Tower, Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Wellington Fountain and Christ Church, Byculla. “These houses are beautiful examples of responsive architecture, designed for the city’s climatic and socio-cultural needs.”
The residents of Ranwar - Waroda Road find innovative, community-based ways of keeping traditional bonds alive. Some of their food pop-ups come alive during Christmas or during the feast of the Lady. Every evening, in the month of May and October, the villagers come together to recite the rosary in Ranwar Square.
“You should come here on Christmas when every inch of the street is decorated with local flowers,” he says. “We started chit funds back in the 1890s so that the locals could contribute to each other’s amenities, which actually started from giving incentives to use the Bandra railway station. So, the traditions are the same but on a much larger scale.”
Pereira still has memories of the community coming together and making bottle masala, with all the homes facing each other so that children can freely move. In his own backyard, smaller in size, vegetables from cucumbers to carrots and ladyfingers grow fresh and luscious.
“Now, every house has a gate,” he says. “As children, we would run into anyone’s home, some aunty would call us for sweets and we would keep floating about. All the young people have gone now and the average age of the residents in the village is not less than 70. How will the traditions continue without them?”
Dilawari says that the winding roads of the village have now been converted to straight roads. The architectural features of the Ranwar homes now comprise roof overhangs, Mangalorean tiles, decorative designs if some residents could afford, use of timber, decorative fascia, innovative employment of colours, and open balconies.
“Rather than demolishing these homes, they should be conserved for adaptive reuse,” he says. “They must have incentives to rebuild so that there are more chances of survival. Otherwise, it will be like an Einstein’s bulb that the future generations will never use but simply look at in a museum.”
Hill Road is an arterial road in Bandra, Mumbai, India. It starts from the intersection of Bandra railway station road and Swami Vivekanand Road and goes west up to Mehboob Studio, leading to the Bandstand Promenade, the Bandra Fort, and Mount Mary Basilica (Church), Bandra.
Bandra is one of Mumbai’s popular and posh localities. One of the major attractions that makes Bandra popular is the Hill Road Shopping Market. This shopping market is similar to the Janpath and Sarojini Nagar street shopping markets in Delhi. Be it Indian wear, denims, shirts, tops or footwear, you can shop to your heart’s content at this Mumbai market at just half the showroom cost.
Bandra Shopping
Hill Road (officially renamed as Ramdas Nayak Road) is an arterial road in Bandra. It stretches from the Bandra Railway Station road and S.V. (Swami Vivekanand) Road to the Mehboob Studios, leading to the Bandstand Promenade, the Bandra Fort and the Mount Mary church.
There are hardware shops and few small restaurants as you enter Hill road. Lucky restaurant known for its biryani and Happy Book Store are important landmarks. Starting from the Marks and Spencer store building to the St. Peter’s Church, you will come across some of the best shops on Hill Road.
Hill Road can be divided into three prominent areas, namely the Sona Shopping Centre, the Elco Market, and the standalone shops.
Sona Shopping Centre
The Sona Shopping Centre has readymade garment shops, lingerie shops and tailoring establishments. Further, shops in the back lane stock tunics and casual wear dresses that are primarily export rejects.
Elco Arcade
The Elco Arcade Center has ethnic wear shops. They have restaurants and food stalls in between the shopping markets and these are always crowded. The area is famous for its paani puri and chaat shops too.
Like any other street market, Hill Road reflects the local culture of Mumbai and its people.
What to expect in the Hill Road Shopping Market – International retail stores, mini shopping markets and tiny street shops.
All shops, markets and street vendors sell ready-made garments for both formal and casual wear, lingerie, fancy party dresses, imitation jewellery and footwear at very reasonable prices.
How to reach Hill Road?
The Bandra Train Station is a mere 1 km from Hill Road.
Best time to visit – 4 p.m to 10 p.m on weekdays. It is very crowded on weekends.
Shopping Tips
Bargaining is definitely an integral part of the shopping experience here. However, there’s no trial room available in many of the shops. So know your sizes pretty well before you go shopping to this market.
Also, we recommend you to check the refund policy before making a final purchase. There is no exchange or refund policy available in many shops.
Hill Road
Hill RoadHill Road is an arterial road in Bandra, Mumbai, India. It starts from the intersection of Bandra railway station road and Swami Vivekanand Road and goes west up to Mehboob Studio, leading to the Bandstand Promenade, the Bandra Fort, and Mount Mary Basilica (Church), Bandra.
Bandra is one of Mumbai’s popular and posh localities. One of the major attractions that makes Bandra popular is the Hill Road Shopping Market. This shopping market is similar to the Janpath and Sarojini Nagar street shopping markets in Delhi. Be it Indian wear, denims, shirts, tops or footwear, you can shop to your heart’s content at this Mumbai market at just half the showroom cost.
Bandra Shopping
Hill Road (officially renamed as Ramdas Nayak Road) is an arterial road in Bandra. It stretches from the Bandra Railway Station road and S.V. (Swami Vivekanand) Road to the Mehboob Studios, leading to the Bandstand Promenade, the Bandra Fort and the Mount Mary church.
There are hardware shops and few small restaurants as you enter Hill road. Lucky restaurant known for its biryani and Happy Book Store are important landmarks. Starting from the Marks and Spencer store building to the St. Peter’s Church, you will come across some of the best shops on Hill Road.
Hill Road can be divided into three prominent areas, namely the Sona Shopping Centre, the Elco Market, and the standalone shops.
Sona Shopping Centre
The Sona Shopping Centre has readymade garment shops, lingerie shops and tailoring establishments. Further, shops in the back lane stock tunics and casual wear dresses that are primarily export rejects.
Elco Arcade
The Elco Arcade Center has ethnic wear shops. They have restaurants and food stalls in between the shopping markets and these are always crowded. The area is famous for its paani puri and chaat shops too.
Like any other street market, Hill Road reflects the local culture of Mumbai and its people.
What to expect in the Hill Road Shopping Market – International retail stores, mini shopping markets and tiny street shops.
All shops, markets and street vendors sell ready-made garments for both formal and casual wear, lingerie, fancy party dresses, imitation jewellery and footwear at very reasonable prices.
How to reach Hill Road?
The Bandra Train Station is a mere 1 km from Hill Road.
Best time to visit – 4 p.m to 10 p.m on weekdays. It is very crowded on weekends.
Shopping Tips
Bargaining is definitely an integral part of the shopping experience here. However, there’s no trial room available in many of the shops. So know your sizes pretty well before you go shopping to this market.
Also, we recommend you to check the refund policy before making a final purchase. There is no exchange or refund policy available in many shops.
Eat, Sleep, Charm, Repeat:
Why Chimbai Is Our Favourite Bandra Village
Chimbai Road is a native local KOLI fishing village between Hill Road on one end and Carter Road on the other in Bandra West, Mumbai 400050, Mahārāshtra, India L. Chimbai Village is a sub locality in Bandra West, Mumbai South West, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India.
Bandra West (0.0 Km), Khar West (2.96 Km), Mahim (3.63 Km), Bandra East (4.26 Km), Shivaji Park (4.3 Km) are the nearby areas to Chimbai Village.
Sion Koliwada, Mumbai are the nearby sub cities to Chimbai Village.
What Makes It Awesome
We take a walk down Chimbai village – one of the oldest settlements in the good old Bandra and explore its gems, old and new.
With its existence dating back to about 400 years, Chimbai is a fishing village inhabited by the Kolis. It was one of the most coveted beaches in Bandra at one point but now the coast lays littered, sadly. Chimbai still doesn’t disappoint, though. It’s a charming little lane extending a sense of comfort with its shops (small and big) and eateries that don’t let you pass by hungry. As you dwell on the quirky messages put out by St. Andrew’s Church on Hill Road, Chimbai Road quietly peaks from behind. As you ignore the traffic on the posh St. Paul’s road, Chimbai is laid back and is a one-way street to calm.
With the sea breeze in tow, The Village Shop (re-opening soon) lures you with ‘organic’ as a keyword, painted on its white tiles followed by On My Own, a strict but charming indie competitor to Fab India, selling ethnic wear. Walk a little ahead and you’ll come across a small stall on your right selling Maharashtrian snacks and a home cook who bravely puts out a Biryani notice chalked on a blackboard. This is Chimbai for you, unpretentious and simple.
Big burger joint Frisbees also calls Chimbai home (not on a Monday, though). One must try their jerk chicken burger along with their herbed fries to completely induce a food coma. Just beside Frisbees is your neighbourhood Chinese joint in Green Chili, serving yummy Chinese to satiate those cravings that hit often.
And if you wish to indulge in a Mughlai treat, please do visit the biryani and kebab counter a little up ahead of Frisbees. The fun lies in taking a closer look at tiny stalls that sell everything from dried fish to papaya pickle.
Even with high rises lining the beach, Chimbai retains the old world charm with the fishermen’s traditional, old school houses on the shore. They still have a sense of community living which is a fresh change from all the individualism this city throws at you. If you’re there, do stop by the to pick up fresh fish from the fisherwomen selling fresh catch every morning.
Disclaimer
If you do plan to head out, please ensure you maintain all necessary protocols and maintain social distance and wear face masks. Stay safe, folks! Business hours of some of the mentioned places may be affected by Covid-19.
Chimbai Road
Chimbai RoadEat, Sleep, Charm, Repeat:
Why Chimbai Is Our Favourite Bandra Village
Chimbai Road is a native local KOLI fishing village between Hill Road on one end and Carter Road on the other in Bandra West, Mumbai 400050, Mahārāshtra, India L. Chimbai Village is a sub locality in Bandra West, Mumbai South West, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India.
Bandra West (0.0 Km), Khar West (2.96 Km), Mahim (3.63 Km), Bandra East (4.26 Km), Shivaji Park (4.3 Km) are the nearby areas to Chimbai Village.
Sion Koliwada, Mumbai are the nearby sub cities to Chimbai Village.
What Makes It Awesome
We take a walk down Chimbai village – one of the oldest settlements in the good old Bandra and explore its gems, old and new.
With its existence dating back to about 400 years, Chimbai is a fishing village inhabited by the Kolis. It was one of the most coveted beaches in Bandra at one point but now the coast lays littered, sadly. Chimbai still doesn’t disappoint, though. It’s a charming little lane extending a sense of comfort with its shops (small and big) and eateries that don’t let you pass by hungry. As you dwell on the quirky messages put out by St. Andrew’s Church on Hill Road, Chimbai Road quietly peaks from behind. As you ignore the traffic on the posh St. Paul’s road, Chimbai is laid back and is a one-way street to calm.
With the sea breeze in tow, The Village Shop (re-opening soon) lures you with ‘organic’ as a keyword, painted on its white tiles followed by On My Own, a strict but charming indie competitor to Fab India, selling ethnic wear. Walk a little ahead and you’ll come across a small stall on your right selling Maharashtrian snacks and a home cook who bravely puts out a Biryani notice chalked on a blackboard. This is Chimbai for you, unpretentious and simple.
Big burger joint Frisbees also calls Chimbai home (not on a Monday, though). One must try their jerk chicken burger along with their herbed fries to completely induce a food coma. Just beside Frisbees is your neighbourhood Chinese joint in Green Chili, serving yummy Chinese to satiate those cravings that hit often.
And if you wish to indulge in a Mughlai treat, please do visit the biryani and kebab counter a little up ahead of Frisbees. The fun lies in taking a closer look at tiny stalls that sell everything from dried fish to papaya pickle.
Even with high rises lining the beach, Chimbai retains the old world charm with the fishermen’s traditional, old school houses on the shore. They still have a sense of community living which is a fresh change from all the individualism this city throws at you. If you’re there, do stop by the to pick up fresh fish from the fisherwomen selling fresh catch every morning.
Disclaimer
If you do plan to head out, please ensure you maintain all necessary protocols and maintain social distance and wear face masks. Stay safe, folks! Business hours of some of the mentioned places may be affected by Covid-19.
Reclamation
Pali Hill is an affluent residential area spread across adjoined suburbs of Bandra & Khar and lies on the western side of Mumbai. It runs parallel to the famous Carter Road sea front, a popular sea-front & promenade that stretches frm Jogger's Park, Bandra to the Khar Danda fishing village in Khar.
Situated mainly on rolling hills wid alternate steep and shallow sides, the buildings and bungalows are set within the "valleys" and "crests" of the hills. Nearby localities include Pali Village and Pali Naka.
Pali Hill lies on the western side of Mumbai. It runs parallel to the famous Carter Road (Naushad Ali Road), a popular sea-front and promenade that stretches from Jogger's Park, Bandra to the Khar Danda fishing village in Khar.
Situated mainly on rolling hills with alternate steep and shallow sides, it garnered the name Pali Hill, although more than one hill is present. The main route of the road was smoothed and paved. The buildings and bungalows are set within the "valleys" and "crests" of the hills. Nearby localities include Pali Village and Pali Naka.
Originally most people lived in large cottages, private villas and stately bungalows. Construction of apartment buildings commenced in the mid to late 1960s and local cottage dwellers slowly sold their homes to real estate developers and Pali Hill grew into an affluent large scale neighbourhood.
Landmarks Edit
Pali Hill's landmarks are its buildings and bungalows. At the southern end is Rajendra Kumar Junction (Chowk). Its four roads lead west to Carter Road (via Pali Mala Road), north to Pali Hill, east to Pali Naka and south to the Auxilium Convent High School. At the northern end in Khar is Union Park, another crossing and the area around it. Candies eatery is another local landmark.
The road diverges downhill on the East side – the Zig Zag Road (named after its steep incline and acute curves). At this junction was the Anand Bungalow (owned by Dev Anand). Also at this junction is the bungalow of the Narangs, hoteliers, and owners of the Croissants patisserie and the Ambassador Flight kitchen.
Lying adjacent is the Reservoir at 'The Top Of The Hill' holding and supplying Water to the residents of both sides of the Hill. Further down the southern slopes of the hill resided the Late Nargis Dutt and her husband the late Sunil Dutt, the two besides been thespians of BOLLYWOOD were also connected politically. On the bend is the Residence of the famous Dilip Kumar whose thespian wife Saira Banu lives therein.
Other landmarks include Kangaroo Kids Nursery and Playschool, Juice Salon, Sundaram Stores, cozy home apartments. At Union Park lies Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls' High School. Down the slope on the eastern side is the Pali Market, recently newly reconstructed. In the 19th Century, Pali Hill was called Pakhari HIll.
6 personas locales recomiendan
Pali Hill
Pali Hill is an affluent residential area spread across adjoined suburbs of Bandra & Khar and lies on the western side of Mumbai. It runs parallel to the famous Carter Road sea front, a popular sea-front & promenade that stretches frm Jogger's Park, Bandra to the Khar Danda fishing village in Khar.
Situated mainly on rolling hills wid alternate steep and shallow sides, the buildings and bungalows are set within the "valleys" and "crests" of the hills. Nearby localities include Pali Village and Pali Naka.
Pali Hill lies on the western side of Mumbai. It runs parallel to the famous Carter Road (Naushad Ali Road), a popular sea-front and promenade that stretches from Jogger's Park, Bandra to the Khar Danda fishing village in Khar.
Situated mainly on rolling hills with alternate steep and shallow sides, it garnered the name Pali Hill, although more than one hill is present. The main route of the road was smoothed and paved. The buildings and bungalows are set within the "valleys" and "crests" of the hills. Nearby localities include Pali Village and Pali Naka.
Originally most people lived in large cottages, private villas and stately bungalows. Construction of apartment buildings commenced in the mid to late 1960s and local cottage dwellers slowly sold their homes to real estate developers and Pali Hill grew into an affluent large scale neighbourhood.
Landmarks Edit
Pali Hill's landmarks are its buildings and bungalows. At the southern end is Rajendra Kumar Junction (Chowk). Its four roads lead west to Carter Road (via Pali Mala Road), north to Pali Hill, east to Pali Naka and south to the Auxilium Convent High School. At the northern end in Khar is Union Park, another crossing and the area around it. Candies eatery is another local landmark.
The road diverges downhill on the East side – the Zig Zag Road (named after its steep incline and acute curves). At this junction was the Anand Bungalow (owned by Dev Anand). Also at this junction is the bungalow of the Narangs, hoteliers, and owners of the Croissants patisserie and the Ambassador Flight kitchen.
Lying adjacent is the Reservoir at 'The Top Of The Hill' holding and supplying Water to the residents of both sides of the Hill. Further down the southern slopes of the hill resided the Late Nargis Dutt and her husband the late Sunil Dutt, the two besides been thespians of BOLLYWOOD were also connected politically. On the bend is the Residence of the famous Dilip Kumar whose thespian wife Saira Banu lives therein.
Other landmarks include Kangaroo Kids Nursery and Playschool, Juice Salon, Sundaram Stores, cozy home apartments. At Union Park lies Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls' High School. Down the slope on the eastern side is the Pali Market, recently newly reconstructed. In the 19th Century, Pali Hill was called Pakhari HIll.
Bandra West owes its hip vibe to trendy craft-beer bars and upscale global restaurants, as well as stylish cafes that serve chia juice by day and creative cocktails at night. The area’s old-world bungalows sit alongside chic fashion boutiques, wall murals and street stalls.
Restored 17th-century Bandra Fort, which hosts music performances, is at one end of waterfront Bandstand Promenade, a popular meeting point.
Bandra ([bæːɳɖɾa]) also known as Vandre ([ʋaːn̪d̪ɾe]) is an upscale coastal suburb located in Mumbai (Bombay), part of the Konkan division in Maharashtra, India.
The area is located to the immediate north of the River Mithi, which separates Bandra from the Mumbai City district. It is the third-largest commercial hub in Maharashtra, after Bombay city district and Poona (Pune), primarily aided by the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
Originally, Bandra was a larger area, whence the present day Khar neighbourhood was also a part of it. Almost a century ago it was considered too large a suburb to be served by one railway station. As a result, the Khar Road railway station was established in 1924 to give the northern part of Bandra closer access to the Western Railway line. This eventually led to Khar being considered a separate suburb.
However, to this day, the two adjoined suburbs make up one homogeneous zone. A number of prominent residents of Bandra are celebrities or VIPs who are active in Bollywood cinema, media, cricket and politics.
The name "Bandra" possibly originates from the Persian word for port, or "bandar." It is described by Duncan Forbes's A Dictionary, Hindustani and English' (1848) as "a city; an emporium; a port, harbor; a trading town to which numbers of foreign merchants resort".
In Konkani, bandar is a loanword from Parsi (Persian) meaning harbour or port. In Marathi, Bandra is known as Vandre, which means 'port' and is possibly derived from the same Hindi-Urdu/ Persian word meaning the same.
The area along with the much of the Konkan region, was ruled by the Silhara dynasty in the 12th century. Bandra was a tiny fishing village inhabited by Kolis (fishermen) and salt farmers. The area was part of Portuguese Bombay territory extending from Damaon to Chaul, before its acquisition by the English East India Company.
22 personas locales recomiendan
Bandra West
Bandra West owes its hip vibe to trendy craft-beer bars and upscale global restaurants, as well as stylish cafes that serve chia juice by day and creative cocktails at night. The area’s old-world bungalows sit alongside chic fashion boutiques, wall murals and street stalls.
Restored 17th-century Bandra Fort, which hosts music performances, is at one end of waterfront Bandstand Promenade, a popular meeting point.
Bandra ([bæːɳɖɾa]) also known as Vandre ([ʋaːn̪d̪ɾe]) is an upscale coastal suburb located in Mumbai (Bombay), part of the Konkan division in Maharashtra, India.
The area is located to the immediate north of the River Mithi, which separates Bandra from the Mumbai City district. It is the third-largest commercial hub in Maharashtra, after Bombay city district and Poona (Pune), primarily aided by the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
Originally, Bandra was a larger area, whence the present day Khar neighbourhood was also a part of it. Almost a century ago it was considered too large a suburb to be served by one railway station. As a result, the Khar Road railway station was established in 1924 to give the northern part of Bandra closer access to the Western Railway line. This eventually led to Khar being considered a separate suburb.
However, to this day, the two adjoined suburbs make up one homogeneous zone. A number of prominent residents of Bandra are celebrities or VIPs who are active in Bollywood cinema, media, cricket and politics.
The name "Bandra" possibly originates from the Persian word for port, or "bandar." It is described by Duncan Forbes's A Dictionary, Hindustani and English' (1848) as "a city; an emporium; a port, harbor; a trading town to which numbers of foreign merchants resort".
In Konkani, bandar is a loanword from Parsi (Persian) meaning harbour or port. In Marathi, Bandra is known as Vandre, which means 'port' and is possibly derived from the same Hindi-Urdu/ Persian word meaning the same.
The area along with the much of the Konkan region, was ruled by the Silhara dynasty in the 12th century. Bandra was a tiny fishing village inhabited by Kolis (fishermen) and salt farmers. The area was part of Portuguese Bombay territory extending from Damaon to Chaul, before its acquisition by the English East India Company.
Khar Danda is a major village on the Salsette Island of Mumbai, India. Located on the north-western coast of Bandra district. It is a fishing village inhabited by the Koli & East Indian Catholics who are also the original inhabitants of the city and suburb of Mumbai. This village is famously known for its quaint fishing business, modern piers, colorful fishing vessels, and traditional homemade soft liquor extracted from fermented fruits known as Sara, in ancient Hindi known as Sura (alcoholic drink). Khar Danda Koliwada. Danda Gaothan. Village. Nickname: Danda Gaon. Khar
It is also an eponym for Khar Road. One of the oldest settlements in Mumbai and the original inhabitants of Mumbai have been living here for centuries.
Khar Danda is a popular location considered while shooting Bollywood, Hollywood movies and documentaries. Several blockbuster movies have been shot here including Akshay Kumar's Special
Bandra has been known to be a natural harbor since ancient times, then called "Bandora". Khar Danda & Chimbai were the only suitable shores for habitation. Chimbai village was a small rocky wetland then and was frequently flooded during monsoons due to being in a low-lying area. The fishermen community hence preferred to settle in Khar Danda.
During the Portugal Era, the Portuguese sailors along with the villagers built a beacon on a coral reef near Khar Danda, which is till date battling the sea tides and alerting the fishermen and the sailors about the sea rock's presence in that area, previously named as "Uarashi Reef" and now renamed to "Varashi Reef".
The Ministry of Home, Maharashtra government has its office of the regional port officer in Khar Danda. During 1944 Bombay explosion, Khar Danda residents opened doors for around hundreds of people. A few generations later as the community grew in this Koliwada, the local panchayat Danda Koli Samaj divided the village into small gaothans in order to ease the management. The gaothan were named Dandpada, Madhala pada, Kotpada, Patilpada, Varin Pada & Vetalpada with each gaothan having its own deity. Soon after the Bombay land reclamation progressed Hanuman Nagar & Gulab Nagar were added to the official map of Khar Danda.
Khar Danda is an locality in Mumbai South West, Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India.
Santacruz West (1.84 Km), Khar West (3.64 Km), Juhu (4.48 Km), Vile Parle West (4.88 Km), Santacruz East (5.8 Km) are the nearby areas to Khar Danda.
Mumbai are the nearby cities to Khar Danda.
Khar - Danda Road
Khar - Danda RoadKhar Danda is a major village on the Salsette Island of Mumbai, India. Located on the north-western coast of Bandra district. It is a fishing village inhabited by the Koli & East Indian Catholics who are also the original inhabitants of the city and suburb of Mumbai. This village is famously known for its quaint fishing business, modern piers, colorful fishing vessels, and traditional homemade soft liquor extracted from fermented fruits known as Sara, in ancient Hindi known as Sura (alcoholic drink). Khar Danda Koliwada. Danda Gaothan. Village. Nickname: Danda Gaon. Khar
It is also an eponym for Khar Road. One of the oldest settlements in Mumbai and the original inhabitants of Mumbai have been living here for centuries.
Khar Danda is a popular location considered while shooting Bollywood, Hollywood movies and documentaries. Several blockbuster movies have been shot here including Akshay Kumar's Special
Bandra has been known to be a natural harbor since ancient times, then called "Bandora". Khar Danda & Chimbai were the only suitable shores for habitation. Chimbai village was a small rocky wetland then and was frequently flooded during monsoons due to being in a low-lying area. The fishermen community hence preferred to settle in Khar Danda.
During the Portugal Era, the Portuguese sailors along with the villagers built a beacon on a coral reef near Khar Danda, which is till date battling the sea tides and alerting the fishermen and the sailors about the sea rock's presence in that area, previously named as "Uarashi Reef" and now renamed to "Varashi Reef".
The Ministry of Home, Maharashtra government has its office of the regional port officer in Khar Danda. During 1944 Bombay explosion, Khar Danda residents opened doors for around hundreds of people. A few generations later as the community grew in this Koliwada, the local panchayat Danda Koli Samaj divided the village into small gaothans in order to ease the management. The gaothan were named Dandpada, Madhala pada, Kotpada, Patilpada, Varin Pada & Vetalpada with each gaothan having its own deity. Soon after the Bombay land reclamation progressed Hanuman Nagar & Gulab Nagar were added to the official map of Khar Danda.
Khar Danda is an locality in Mumbai South West, Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India.
Santacruz West (1.84 Km), Khar West (3.64 Km), Juhu (4.48 Km), Vile Parle West (4.88 Km), Santacruz East (5.8 Km) are the nearby areas to Khar Danda.
Mumbai are the nearby cities to Khar Danda.
The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is a business and residential district in the city of Mumbai, India. It is a prominent upscale commercial hub which commands some of the highest property rates in the country.
An upscale commercial hub, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is a business and residential district in Mumbai catering to high-end users. It is a planned commercial centre with designated areas for office space and commercial activities. The locality boasts multiple commercial establishments, planned social infrastructure, and sound connectivity. 99acres brings you an overview of features that make the locale popular among tenants and homebuyers!
• How are the social amenities of Bandra Kurla Complex?
The locality is dotted with prominent schools such as Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mount Litera International School, and American School of Bombay. Home to the Mumbai Cricket Association's cricket ground, prominent corporate offices include T witter India, Spotify, Amazon, NABARD head office, SEBI, and ONGC among others.
Bandra Kurla Complex has access to well-developed medical infrastructure. Criti Care Asia Multispeciality Hospital, Sion Hospital, and KJ Somaiya Hospital & Research Center are located within 6 km radius.
Besides, the area is within 4 km of various retail hubs including City Centre, Jio World Drive, and Phoenix Marketcity. Local markets for daily grocery needs are located in neighbouring localities of Kalina and Bandra East.
A few hotels including Grand Hyatt Mumbai and Taj Santacruz are also located in the vicinity.
• How well is Bandra Kurla Complex connected?
Strategically located between the Western and Eastern Expressway Highways, Bandra Kurla Complex is easily accessible via the Sion-Bandra Link Road. BKC-Eastern Express highway connector ensures smooth commute, and cuts travel time to Dharavi and Sion.
BKC boasts of robust public transportation with the easy availability of buses, cabs, and autos.
The nearest railway station is Kurla Railway Station on the Central and Harbour lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Besides, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is about 11 km from BKC via Sahar Airport Road.
Bandra Kurla Complex
Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) is one of the key areas for which MMRDA is the "Special Planning Authority". Today, the complex enjoys a status that is similar to that of Nariman Point. The complex is already providing more than two lakh jobs and is a perfect solution to absorb future growth of offices and commercial activities successfully. The complex has showcased tremendous growth in the changing times and the development of 'E' block is noteworthy.
The Authority has developed land with the presence of prominent institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, Income Tax, Sales Tax, Provident Fund and many other corporate and commercial establishments. Together, these buildings offer an office space as large as 1,65,000 sq. mtrs. in G-Block and 13000 sq. mtrs in E-Block, potential enough to accommodate thousands of jobs. This meticulously planned complex also showcases a City Park which is regularly thronged with people.
Currently, the BKC also hosts 30 kilometers cycle track and corporate headquarters of MNCs. Several companies operate from BKC. The complex has staff quarters, club, 5 Star Hotels, Convention Complex, Diamond Bourse, hospitals and schools apart from offices.
History
In 1977, the MMRDA was appointed as the Special Planning Authority for planning and development of this complex. It covers 370 ha. area of once low-lying land on either side of the Mithi River, Vakola Nalla and Mahim Creek. The area had poor surface drainage and was severely affected by pollution in the Mahim Creek. The channelization of 6.0 Km of the length of the Mithi River from Mahim causeway to CST Road Bridge and its tributary Vakolla Nalla was undertaken since 1980's to improve water carrying capacity and reduce pollution. Following the floods of 2005, further widening and deepening took place along with improvement of bed gradient.
Bandra Kurla Complex
The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is a business and residential district in the city of Mumbai, India. It is a prominent upscale commercial hub which commands some of the highest property rates in the country.
An upscale commercial hub, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is a business and residential district in Mumbai catering to high-end users. It is a planned commercial centre with designated areas for office space and commercial activities. The locality boasts multiple commercial establishments, planned social infrastructure, and sound connectivity. 99acres brings you an overview of features that make the locale popular among tenants and homebuyers!
• How are the social amenities of Bandra Kurla Complex?
The locality is dotted with prominent schools such as Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mount Litera International School, and American School of Bombay. Home to the Mumbai Cricket Association's cricket ground, prominent corporate offices include T witter India, Spotify, Amazon, NABARD head office, SEBI, and ONGC among others.
Bandra Kurla Complex has access to well-developed medical infrastructure. Criti Care Asia Multispeciality Hospital, Sion Hospital, and KJ Somaiya Hospital & Research Center are located within 6 km radius.
Besides, the area is within 4 km of various retail hubs including City Centre, Jio World Drive, and Phoenix Marketcity. Local markets for daily grocery needs are located in neighbouring localities of Kalina and Bandra East.
A few hotels including Grand Hyatt Mumbai and Taj Santacruz are also located in the vicinity.
• How well is Bandra Kurla Complex connected?
Strategically located between the Western and Eastern Expressway Highways, Bandra Kurla Complex is easily accessible via the Sion-Bandra Link Road. BKC-Eastern Express highway connector ensures smooth commute, and cuts travel time to Dharavi and Sion.
BKC boasts of robust public transportation with the easy availability of buses, cabs, and autos.
The nearest railway station is Kurla Railway Station on the Central and Harbour lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Besides, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is about 11 km from BKC via Sahar Airport Road.
Bandra Kurla Complex
Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) is one of the key areas for which MMRDA is the "Special Planning Authority". Today, the complex enjoys a status that is similar to that of Nariman Point. The complex is already providing more than two lakh jobs and is a perfect solution to absorb future growth of offices and commercial activities successfully. The complex has showcased tremendous growth in the changing times and the development of 'E' block is noteworthy.
The Authority has developed land with the presence of prominent institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, Income Tax, Sales Tax, Provident Fund and many other corporate and commercial establishments. Together, these buildings offer an office space as large as 1,65,000 sq. mtrs. in G-Block and 13000 sq. mtrs in E-Block, potential enough to accommodate thousands of jobs. This meticulously planned complex also showcases a City Park which is regularly thronged with people.
Currently, the BKC also hosts 30 kilometers cycle track and corporate headquarters of MNCs. Several companies operate from BKC. The complex has staff quarters, club, 5 Star Hotels, Convention Complex, Diamond Bourse, hospitals and schools apart from offices.
History
In 1977, the MMRDA was appointed as the Special Planning Authority for planning and development of this complex. It covers 370 ha. area of once low-lying land on either side of the Mithi River, Vakola Nalla and Mahim Creek. The area had poor surface drainage and was severely affected by pollution in the Mahim Creek. The channelization of 6.0 Km of the length of the Mithi River from Mahim causeway to CST Road Bridge and its tributary Vakolla Nalla was undertaken since 1980's to improve water carrying capacity and reduce pollution. Following the floods of 2005, further widening and deepening took place along with improvement of bed gradient.
Cafes & Bistros
Subko Specialty Coffee Roasters and Bakehouse
Subko Specialty Coffee Roasters and Bakehouse
IZUMI
Road Number 24Veronica's
Birdsong Organic Cafe
Shop No. 1-5 Waroda RdTrue Fit Gourmet Bistro & Cafe
Earth Cafe @ Waterfield
Candies
Kuuraku Bandra West Mumbai
Food scene
Global Fusion
Bastian
Linking RoadWoodside Inn - Bandra
The Coconut Boy
Pali Bhavan
10 Pali Mala RdJai Jawan
IZUMI
Road Number 24Watering Hole / Night Club
Soul Fry
Pali Mala Road