Did you know (Part 2)

Hope you all enjoyed the first part of my discoveries into Mumbai’s history and are ready for some more interesting bites of information!! Did you know….

The Victoria Terminus was designed by a British architect and took 10 years to complete. There are a number of animals carved into the facade of the building and it also has a lion (representing England) and a tiger (representing India) at the gate including a lot of flora and fauna on the facade. This was because even though the architect was British, the workers, laborers and artists were all Indian. It was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the Queen and Empress Victoria.

The Victoria Terminus Station

The lady that stands on top of the station is not Queen Victoria but the Lady of Progress holding a torch pointing upwards in her right hand and a spoked wheel in her left hand.

The Lady of Progress

The Ambassador Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Mumbai. It has a revolving restaurant that is called the “Pearl of the Orient”. Each revolution takes 90 minutes.

Ambassador Hotel

The Bombay High Court was built in the 1800s. To the west of the central tower are two octagonal towers. The statues of the Lady of Justice and the Lady of Mercy are atop this building – have you ever noticed them there???

Lady of Justice

Lady of Mercy

The Rajabai Tower was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, an English architect. He modeled on Big Ben, in London. It is said that he never once came to Mumbai to see his creation while it was being made! It was started March 1, 1869 and construction lasted 9 years. The total cost of construction came to Rs. 2 lakhs which was paid by Premchand Roychand, a prosperous broker who founded the Bombay Stock Exchange on the condition that the tower be named after his mother Rajabai.

Rajabai Tower

All the buildings in the University of Mumbai’s premises have beautiful stained glasses. In fact it has the highest collection of stained glass windows. In the Convention Hall of the University of Mumbai building there is a huge circular window (24-feet in diameter), also known as the Rose Window which has a design of the Zodiac signs.

The Flora Fountain was originally to be named after Sir Bartle Frère, the Governor of Bombay at the time, whose efforts to improve civic sanitation and the urban space requirements of the growing city had resulted in many of the great public buildings of Mumbai. However, the name was changed before the fountain was unveiled as Flora Fountain, named after the Goddess Flora, a Roman Goddess of flowers and the season of spring.

Flora Fountain

David Sasson, a Jewish businessman, he traded with China. He grew as a business man and built one of the largest and most beautiful synagogues of India, the Magen David Synagogue at Byculla, Bombay. He also constructed the Sassoon Dock at Colaba, one of the largest docks ever built in Bombay among other institutions.

David Sasson Library

Maybe you would all know this one... The Taj Mahal hotel was built because Jamsedji Tata decided to build the hotel after he was refused entry to one of the city's grand hotels of the time, Watson's Hotel, as it was restricted to "whites only". And yes, do you know that the hotel has been built in the opposite direction than the original architectural plans??

The Taj Mahal Hotel

Well, I hope that you have enjoyed the little tit-bits about Bombay - the original Mumbai!!!

Did you know? (Part 1)

Last week I went on a Heritage Bus Ride which was part of the Kala Ghoda Festival and the things that I learnt were amazing! Did you know….

The Police Headquarters near Regal cinema was once a sailor’s home where sailors would rest when visiting Mumbai. On the top of the building one can see King Neptune that is carved in stone.

King Neptune carved on top of the Police Headquarters

The Yacht Club which lies on the right side of the road as you approach the Gateway of India is not the original Yacht Club! The original club is the building that is opposite! It was shifted after the lease of the original club lapsed.

The Colaba Causeway is so called because it was built to join the islands of Colaba and Little Colaba. All roads that were built to join the islands together were called causeways hence Mahim Causeway!

The Regal circle was previously known as the Wellington circle and the fountain that stands there even today was known as the Wellington fountain and was built to commemorate the Duke of Wellington's visit to Bombay in 1801.

The Wellington Fountain

Churchgate is so called because it was an opening from the sea to the first church in Mumbai – the St. Thomas’ Cathedral, Fort.

Churchgate Station

All the land from Nariman Point to the Oval Maidan is reclaimed land.

The Fort area in Mumbai derives its name from the fact that the area fell within an actual fort! A small fragment survives as part of the eastern boundary wall of the St. George's Hospital. The buildings that are on D.N. Road like the Thomas Cook building and Siddharth college building are built where the moat of the Fort was!

The Bombay Gymkhana was formed in 1875 exclusively for Europeans. There was a sign which hung outside which said “Coloured people and Pets Not Allowed”. Indians then began started various gymkhanas based on the different communities existing in Mumbai at that time. Hence, various Parsi, Muslim, and Hindu gymkhanas were started nearby with fierce sports competitions among them being organized on a communal basis.

The first test cricket match was played on the grounds of the Bombay Gymkhana! This match was between India and England in 1933 where England won by 9 wickets.

Glimpses of Kala Ghoda, Feb 2012

It is that time of the year again when the Kala Ghoda Festival comes to tingle our art sense and love for culture. Whether it is through the innovative and creative installations or the colourful paintings or the performances that are showcased, culture drips from each second of the 9 day festival! As usual I have made sure that I am present for most of the days during the festival.

This year, most of the stage performances were held at Cross Maidan. There were also a few folk dances at the amphitheatre at Kala Ghoda. I managed to watch a long awaited dance form - the Lavni! This is one of Maharashtra's traditional dances which are performed to a dholak. Check out a brief video of the dance.

A few evenings ago, I attended a Flamenco dance routine at the Cross Maidan. The twirl of the dresses accompanied by the foot stomping kept me engrossed and by the end of the 4 routines my eyes and heart longed for more!! The way the dancers swayed to the music and the enthusiasm they exhibited on the stage, the audience, me included were transfixed to the dancing figures. See the twirls here...

The dances continued late into the night and as I walked home I found myself walking to the rhythm of the beats of the Flamenco! Ole!!!

Back again!

After a really long hiatus and a huge writer's / blogger's block I am back! Hopefully this time the writing will continue on a regular basis!