Mumbai_History and Architecture

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19°4′33.56″ N, 72°52′38.62″ E

Insight into the city that is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and the city's distinctive ensemble of Victorian and Art Deco buildings.

History of Mumbai The Victorian Gothic Art Deco Building

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History of

Mumbai

The first Indian National Congress

Mumbai|History & Architecture

1885

A brief introduction | Portuguese rule | British rule

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‘Panoramic View of Mumbai taken from Malabar Hill’

History of Mumbai

A brief introduction

Mumbai, also known as Bombay (the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-most populous city in the country after Delhi and the seventh-most populous city in the world with a population of roughly 20 million. Mumbai is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and the city's distinctive ensemble of Victorian and Art Deco buildings.

The seven islands that constitute Mumbai were originally home to communities of Marathi language speaking Koli people. For centuries, the islands were under the control of successive indigenous empires before being ceded to the Portuguese Empire and subsequently to the East India Company when in 1661 Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza and as part of her dowry Charles received the ports of Tangier and Seven Islands of Bombay.

The present-day Mumbai was originally an archipelago of seven islands. Pleistocene sediments found around Kandivali on Salsette Island north of the seven islands by Todd in 1939 indicate that these islands were inhabited since the Stone Age. The archipelago had been named after the Koli Goddess Mumbadevi. The port of Sopara (present day Nala Sopara near Mumbai) was an important trading centre during ancient times. In the 3rd century BCE, the islands were incorporated into the Maurya

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History of Mumbai 02

1862

A watercolour on 5 folding pages by Mary Ann Scott-Moncrieff

Empire under the expansion campaign of Emperor Ashoka of Magadha. The empire's patronage gradually made the islands a centre of Hindu and Buddhist religion and culture. Buddhist monks, scholars, and artists created the artwork, inscriptions, and sculpture of the Kanheri and Mahakali caves. The total number of Buddhist cave temples numbered 109, dating from the end of the 2nd century BCE. After the decline of the Maurya Empire around 185 BCE, these islands fell to the Satvahanas.

The islands were known as Heptanesia (Ancient Greek: A Cluster of Seven Islands) to the Greek geographer Ptolemy in 150 CE. After the end of the Satvahana rule in 250 CE, the Abhiras of Western Maharashtra and Vakatakas of Vidarbha held dominion over Bombay. The Abhiras ruled for 167 years, till around 417 CE. During the 5th century, Bombay was ruled by the Kalachuris. These islands were then acquired by the Mauryas of Konkan, who were feudatories of Kalachuris. The Jogeshwari Caves were constructed during the Mauryan regime between 520 and 550. The Mauryan presence ended when the Chalukyas under Pulakeshin II invaded Bombay in 610. During 749–750, Dantidurga of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty conquered Bombay. The Silhara dynasty ruled the region between 810 and 1240. The Banganga Tank, Walkeshwar Temple, and Elephanta Caves were constructed under the patronage of the Silhara rulers. The Italian explorer Marco Polo had sailed through the islands of Bombay during the 13th century. In the 13th century, King Bhimdev had built his capital in Mahikawati, present day Mahim and Prabhadevi. After his death in 1303, he was

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succeeded by his son Pratapbimba, who had built his capital city at Marol in Salsette, which he named Pratappur. The islands were wrested from Pratapbimba's control by Mubarak, the emperor of Delhi, who had occupied Mahim and Salsette under his expansion campaign in 1318. But it was later reconquered by Pratapbimba, which he ruled till 1331. Later, his brother-in-law Nagardev reigned for 17 years till 1348. In 1348, the islands came under the control of the Muzaffarid dynasty of Gujarat, thus ending the sovereignty of Hindu rulers over the islands of Bombay.

The islands were later governed by the independent Gujarat Sultanate, which was established in 1407. The Sultanate's patronage led to the construction of many mosques, prominent being the Haji Ali Dargah in Worli, built in honour of the Muslim saint Haji Ali in 1431. From 1429 to 1431, the islands were a source of contention between the Gujarat Sultanate and the Bahmani Sultanate of Deccan. In 1493, Bahadur Khan Gilani of the Bahmani Sultanate attempted to conquer the islands but was defeated.

Mumbai|History & Architecture

The seven islands of Mumbai.

History of Mumbai 04 1626

The Madh Fort built by the Portuguese One of the most important in Salsette

Davies’ sketch of Bombay harbour

Portuguese rule

The Mughal Empire, founded in 1526, was the dominant power in the Indian subcontinent during the mid-16th century. Growing apprehensive of the power of the Mughal emperor Humayun, Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat was obliged to sign the Treaty of Bassein with the Portuguese Empire on 23 December 1534. According to the treaty, the Seven Islands of Bombay, the nearby strategic town of Bassein and its dependencies were offered to the Portuguese. The territories were later surrendered on 25 October 1535.

The Portuguese were actively involved in the foundation and growth of their Roman Catholic religious orders in Bombay. They called the islands by various names, which finally took the written form Bombaim.

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1893

British rule

The English were in constant struggle with the Portuguese vying for hegemony over Bombay, as they recognised its strategic natural harbour and its natural isolation from land attacks. By the middle of the 17th century the growing power of the Dutch Empire forced the English to acquire a station in western India. On 11 May 1661, the marriage treaty of Charles II of England and Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King John IV of Portugal, placed the islands in possession of the English Empire, as part of Catherine's dowry to Charles. However, Salsette, Bassein, Mazagaon, Parel, Worli, Sion, Dharavi, and Wadala still remained under Portuguese possession. From 1665 to 1666, the English managed to acquire Mahim, Sion, Dharavi, and Wadala.

Map of Bombay

In accordance with the Royal Charter of 27 March 1668, England leased these islands to the English East India Company in 1668 for a sum of £10 per annum. The population quickly rose from 10,000 in 1661, to 60,000 in 1675. The islands were subsequently attacked by Yakut Khan, the Muslim Koli admiral of the Mughal Empire, in October 1672, Rickloffe van Goen, the Governor-General of Dutch India on 20 February 1673,] and Siddi admiral Sambal on 10 October 1673.

In 1687, the English East India Company transferred its headquarters from Surat to Bombay.

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History of Mumbai 06

1760

Plan of Bombay

From 1782 onwards, the city was reshaped with large-scale civil engineering projects aimed at merging all the seven islands of Bombay into a single amalgamated mass by way of a causeway called the Hornby Vellard, which was completed by 1784. In 1817, the British East India Company under Mountstuart Elphinstone defeated Baji Rao II, the last of the Maratha Peshwa in the Battle of Khadki.

Following his defeat, almost the whole of the Deccan Plateau came under British suzerainty, and was incorporated into the Bombay Presidency. The success of the British campaign in the Deccan marked the end of all attacks by native powers.

By 1845, the seven islands coalesced into a single landmass by the Hornby Vellard project via large scale land reclamation. On 16 April 1853, India's first passenger railway line was established, connecting Bombay to the neighbouring town of Thana (now Thane). During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the city became the world's chief cotton-trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy that subsequently enhanced the city's stature.

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Ships in Bombay Harbour Bombay emerged as a significant trading town during the mid-18th century.

1826

Colaba Causeway construction using timber View from Colaba

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History of Mumbai 08

Two views of the English fort in Bombay

1665

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Mumbai Railways

The Mumbai Suburban Railway is an offshoot of the first passenger railway to be built by the British East India Company, and is also the oldest railway system in Asia.

The first train was run by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (now Central Railway) between Bori Bunder (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) and Thane, a distance of 34 km, on 16 April 1853 at 15:35. The 14-coach train took 1.25 h to complete the 34 km journey, with a halt at Sion to refill the train's water tanks.

The next major train was run between Virar and Churchgate by the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (now Western Railway), in April 1867. Colaba was also added as a station on this route, but later shut down. On 3 February 1925, the first EMU Service was started from Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) to Coorla Harbour (now Kurla) on the Central line which was run on 1.5 kV DC traction and also started on the Western line from Churchgate to Borivali on 5 January 1928. By 2016, the entire network had been converted to 25 kV 50 Hz AC traction.

The Bombay Railway History Group has been striving to document railway heritage along these lines.

History of Mumbai 10

The first EMU service

Launched in 1925

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An advertisement for the Bombay

1950’s-2016

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An ICF-built 1.5 kV DC EMU train. One of the first EMU of Mumbai suburban railway and was nicknamed as Lovemate.

A modified ICF EMU fitted with BHEL AC/DC propulsion system.

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History of Mumbai 12

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A MRVC Siemens EMU. These coaches are common on the Central line and Harbour line, due to clearance issues.

2009 2017

07 A Bombardier EMU.

An air-conditioned BHEL EMU

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A recently introduced Medha EMU

Mumbai Railways

18 March 2015

Manufacturing of

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The Victo

rian Gothic

Bombay University buildings(the library and the convocation hall)

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The Victorian Gothic 14

1869

A brief introduction | The Rajabai Tower | The University Library

Convocation Hall | The High Court of Bombay | The David Sassoon Library

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The Victorian Gothic

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The Victorian Gothic 16

A brief introduction

The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai is a collection of 19th-century Victorian neo-Gothic public buildings and 20th-century Art Deco in Mumbai buildings in the Fort precinct, Mumbai, India, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.

This collection of the Victorian Gothic buildings and Art Deco buildings are set around the Oval Maidan, a large recreational ground that was once known as the Esplanade. The east of the Oval is flanked by the Victorian Gothic public buildings and the western side is flanked by the Art Deco buildings of Backbay Reclamation and Marine Drive. This nomination aims to safeguard a total of 94 buildings.

This ensemble of Victorian Gothic and Art Deco buildings was added to the list of World Heritage Sites on 30 June 2018 during 42nd session of World Heritage Committee at Manama, Bahrain.

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17 The Rajabai Tower

The Rajabai Clock Tower was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, an English architect. He modeled it on Big Ben in London.The foundation stone was laid on 1 March 1869 and construction was completed in November 1878. The total cost of construction came to ₹550,000, a large amount of money for the time period. A portion of the total cost of construction was donated by Premchand Roychand, a prosperous broker who founded the Bombay Stock Exchange on the condition that the tower be named after his mother Rajabai.

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The Victorian Gothic 18

Premchand Roychand's mother was blind and as a staunch follower of Jain religion, she was supposed to consume her dinner before evening.

Legend says that the evening bell of the tower helped her to know the time without anyone's help.

The tower was closed to the public after it became a frequent spot for those attempting to commit suicide.

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19 Council Building of the University of Mumbai in India

The tower was built in a fusion of Venetian and Gothic styles. It is built out of the locally available buff coloured Kurla stone. The tower has one of the best stained glass windows in the city.

Council Building of the University of Mumbai in India, around 1860. The ground floor has two side rooms, each measuring 56 × 27.5 ft (17 × 8.5 m). The tower forms a carriage porch 2.4 m2 (26 ft2), and a spiral staircase vestibule of 2.6 m2 (28 ft2). The Tower, over

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the carriage porch, has a square form up to the gallery at the top of the first level which is at a height of 68 feet (20.7 m) from the ground.

The form changes from a square to an octagon and the height from this gallery to the top of the tower is 118 feet (36 m) and the third stage to the top of the finial is 94 feet (28.7 m), thus making a total height of 280 feet (85 m).

The Victorian Gothic 20

During its time, it was the tallest structure in the city of Mumbai.

1860

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Stained glass in the library

The University Library

The University Library of the University of Mumbai is part of the Victorian buildings complex around the Oval Maidan in Mumbai that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built between 1869 and 1878 along with the Rajabai Clock Tower, and designed

by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who incidentally never visited Bombay and worked from London.

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The Victorian Gothic 22

The architectural style is a mix of Venetian Gothic and Neoclassical

The interiors of the library

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An 1870s photograph of the Convocation Hall

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The Victorian Gothic 24

Convocation Hall

The Convocation Hall or Cowasji Jehangir Convocation Hall at the University of Mumbai is part of the Victorian buildings complex around the Oval Maidan in Mumbai that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was built between 1869 and 1874, and designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who incidentally never visited Bombay and worked from London.

It is also known as the Cowasji Jehangir Convocation Hall, after Parsi philanthropist Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney, who funded construction. In 2006–07, the hall was restored by a team led by conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah. The project was given Award of Distinction under the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards Cultural Heritage Conservation.

the the the the for

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25 The circular stained glass window with designs of the Zodiac signs

The semi-circular 'chancel' of the hall Mumbai|History & Architecture

The Victorian Gothic 26

The High Court of Bombay

The High Court of Bombay, also known as the Mumbai High Court, is the high court of the Indian states of Maharashtra and Goa, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is one of the oldest high courts in India.[1] It is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The High Court has regional branches at Nagpur and Aurangabad in Maharashtra and Panaji, the capital of Goa. The first Chief Justice, the Attorney General and Solicitor General of Independent India were from this court. Since India's Independence, 22 judges from this court have been elevated to the Supreme Court and 8 have been appointed to the office of Chief Justice of India.

The court has Original Jurisdiction in addition to its Appellate. The decisions of this court can be appealed only to the Supreme Court of India. The Bombay High Court has a sanctioned strength of 94 judges (71 permanent, 23 additional). The building is part of The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, which was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 2018.

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The Bombay High Court was one of the three High Courts in India established at the Presidency Towns by Letters patent granted by Queen Victoria, bearing date June 26, 1862. It was inaugurated on August 14, 1862 under the High Courts Act, 1861.

The work on the present building of the High Court was commenced in April 1871 and completed in November 1878. It was designed by British engineer Col. James A. Fuller. The first sitting in this building was on 10 January 1879. Justice M. C. Chagla was the first Indian permanent Chief Justice of Bombay High Court after independence [1948 - 1958][4] Architecture: Gothic revival in the Early English style. It is 562 feet (171 m) long and 187 feet (57 m) wide. To the west of the central tower are two octagonal towers. The statues of Justice and Mercy are atop this building.

Although the name of the city was changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995, the Court as an institution did not follow suit and retained the name Bombay High Court. Although, a bill to rename it as Mumbai High Court was approved by the Union Cabinet on July 5, 2016 along with the change of name of the Calcutta High Court and Madras High Court as Kolkata High Court and Chennai High Court respectively, the same is pending approval before the Parliament of India but may not be enacted for some time.

Mumbai|History & Architecture

The Victorian Gothic 28 1870

The David Sassoon Library

The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room is a famous library and heritage structure in Mumbai, India. The idea for a library to be situated in the center of the city came from Albert Sassoon, son of the famous Baghdadi Jewish philanthropist, David Sassoon. The building was designed by architects J. Campbell and G. E. Gosling, for the Scott McClelland and Company, at a cost of Rs. 125,000.

David Sassoon donated Rs. 60,000, while the rest of the cost was borne by the Government of Bombay Presidency. The library is located on Rampart Row, looking across the Kala Ghoda. The building, completed in 1870, is built using yellow Malad stone, much like the abutting Elphinstone College, Army and Navy Buildings and Watson's Hotel. Above the entrance portico is a white stone bust of David Sassoon. This marble bust was Thomas Woolner's working model for the statue of Sassoon standing at the front of the stairs of the David Sassoon Library. This standing marble statue, completed in 1865, was commissioned by Sir Bartle Frere, Governor of Bombay and personal friend of the sculptor, Woolner. Subscriptions came from the Jewish community, a myriad of traders, and friends in England.

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Art Deco

Building

Regal Cinema, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Chowk, Mumbai.

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Art Deco Building 30

1933

The David Sassoon Library

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31 The Brief Introduction

The Indian Institute of Architects, founded in Bombay in 1929, played a prominent role in propagating the Art Deco movement. In November 1937, this institute organized the 'Ideal Home Exhibition' held in the Town Hall in Mumbai which spanned over 12 days and attracted about one hundred thousand visitors.

As a result, it was declared a success by the 'Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects'.

The exhibits displayed the 'ideal', or better described as the most 'modern' arrangements for various parts of the house, paying close detail to avoid architectural blunders and present the most efficient and well-thought-out models. The exhibition focused on various elements of a home ranging from furniture, elements of interior decoration as well as radios and refrigerators using new and scientifically relevant materials and methods. Guided by their desire to emulate the west, the Indian architects were fascinated by the industrial modernity that Art

Mumbai|History & Architecture

Deco offered. The western elites were the first to experiment with the technologically advanced facets of Art Deco, and architects began the process of transformation by the early 1930s.

Bombay's expanding port commerce in the 1930s resulted in the growth of educated middle class population. It also saw an increase of people migrating to Bombay in search of job opportunities. This led to the pressing need for new developments through Land Reclamation Schemes and construction of new public and residential buildings.

Parallelly, the changing political climate in the country and the aspirational quality of the Art Deco aesthetics led to a whole-hearted acceptance of the building style in the city's development. Most of the buildings from this period can be seen spread throughout the city neighbourhoods in areas such as Churchgate, Colaba, Fort, Mohammed Ali Road, Cumbala Hill, Dadar, Matunga, Bandra and Chembur.

Art Deco Building 32 Characteristics

Streamlining And Rounded Corners

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Rounded corners and streamlined designs influenced by the design of airplanes, ships, trains, and automobiles in the early 20th century, made buildings appear aerodynamic, fast, futuristic and sleek. This was done with the intention to make Art Deco buildings appear modern and sophisticated.

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Nautical Features

Being a port city, Bombay was influenced by the era's new ocean liners: Bremen (1929), Queen Mary (1936) and Queen Elizabeth (1940). As a result of this enchantment with the luxury and grandeur that these ocean liners brought with them buildings were manifested with nautical features such as porthole windows, ship deck-style railings and observatory towers.

The Frozen Fountain

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The motif of the frozen fountain, a historical symbol for eternal life was popularized by the French Glass designer Rene Lalique. Some of his best-known works were seen in his designs at the 1926 Paris exposition. This symbol soon became a prevalent feature in building facades and metal grills on Art Deco buildings across Bombay Bookdesign_project01

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While Art Deco buildings in Bombay were associated with futurism, as seen in their streamlined and sleek facades, certain buildings also integrated themes of traditional Indian mythology into their design. Depictions of toiling Indian farmers, Hindu gods and goddesses and figures from Indian mythology were often incorporated into facade reliefs.

Egyptian and classical Elements The discovery of the tomb of King Tutakhamun in Egypt lead to a worldwide fascination with ancient Egyptian themes and symbols. Sphinxes, hard edged geometry and hieroglyphic styles made their way into the Indian urban Landscape. Influences of the features of traditional Greek and Roman temples could also be seen in buildings across Bombay.

Tropical Imagery

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Influenced by the city's abundance of tropical vegetation, Bombay's Art deco buildings are externally decorated with stylized forms of waves, sunburst rays, tropical flora and fauna which can be seen in porch railings, facades, metal balcony grilles, ornamental gates and porch railings.

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Eyebrows

Eyebrows are projecting edges or "shelves" above a structures portico to shade from direct sunlight and keep the interior cool. These also highlighted the rhythmic horizontality of buildings.

Architectural Lettering

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Art Deco lettering on buildings took on the sleek and streamlined appeal of the structure of these buildings. Typefaces consisted of a combination of straight lines and segments of circles.

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Ziggurats And Zigzags

In the 1930s, the height of buildings in Bombay was limited by strict developmental regulations over reclaimed land. In order to evoke allusions to the verticality of skyscrapers whilst being restricted in their height, Art Deco architects used the concept of stepping up and stepping back of roof lines, used to mimic a ziggurat (a temple tower design adopted by Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians of ancient Mesopotamia) Mumbai|History & Architecture

Art Deco Building 34

1938

Eros Cinema in Cambata Building

Eros Cinema

The foundation of Eros Cinema was laid in 1935. The cinema opened in 1938 and construction of this building on the then newly reclaimed Backbay plot housing shops and other businesses, apart from the cinema, took about two and a half years to complete.

Partially faced with red Agra sandstone, this building is painted cream. The two wings of this Art Deco building meet up in a central block. The foyer is in white and black marble with touches of gold. Marble staircases with chromium handrails lead up to the upper floor. The murals are in muted colours depicting Indian architectures.

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Regal Cinema

The Regal Cinema was built during the cinema boom of the 1930s during which Plaza Central, New Empire, Broadway, Eros and Metro all opened in Mumbai. Opened in 1933, Regal was designed by Charles Stevens, the son of the famous 19th century architect F. W. Stevens. Its interiors with extensive mirror-work were designed by the Czech artist Karl Schara. The main auditorium had a motif of sunrays in pale orange and jade green. Its interiors were designed to create an impression of airiness, coolness and size in harmony with the modern simplicity of the exteriors. The Regal was built completely in reinforced concrete cement (RCC), fully air conditioned, and had an underground parking lot for patrons. The elevator up from the parking area was a major innovation at the time. The cinema was the third venue to host the Filmfare Awards night.Today, it is a multi-use building combining a cinema with shops at street level.

The Regal Cinema was the lead theatre hosting the 17th Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), held in 2015, starting from Friday, 29 October 2015. Also, The Regal Cinema was the lead theatre hosting the 18th. Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), held in 2016.

1933

Regal Cinema Mumbai|History & Architecture

Art Deco Building 36 1936

New India Assurance Building

New India Assurance Building

The New India Assurance Building is an art deco office building made of reinforced concrete and designed by Master, Sarhe and Bhuta, with artistic designer N. G. Pansare. It was constructed in 1936 in Mumbai, India.

The building's art deco architectural style combines modern art deco features with a modified classicism, evidenced in the strong vertical ribs of the façade that give the building a monumental appearance, making it seem larger than it is in reality. Included in the design was a modern forced air cooling system with centralised duct work.

Projecting surfaces on the eastern and western sides protect windows from the sun. To deal with potential power failures, the windows were constructed to open and close.

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