As a tourist enters Mumbai (formerly Bombay), they are sure to receive the recommendation to go and see the Fort area for its beautiful buildings and trendy cafes, but not many are aware that the history of the city can be traced by taking a 2.5 hour walk in the same area. By Khaki Tours
We start our #Castle2Gateway walk at the iconic Horniman Circle, next to the Indian Red Cross Society which abuts the gate of naval establishment INS Angre. Just behind their gates lies the nucleus around which this city takes birth – The Bombay Castle. A castle in Bombay? That does seem very hard to believe but the story of this castle starts 500 years ago.
History of South Bombay
Portuguese beginnings
What we know today as South Bombay or SoBo once existed in the form of seven islands. Namely, Worli, Mahim, Parel, Mazgaon, Colaba, Little Colaba and Bombay. It was on the eastern coast of Bombay island where the story of this city began. Under the Portuguese reign, a spot here was chosen by a physician and botanist by the name of Garcia D’Orta to build the first ever modern structure in the city in the 1500s, later on fortified by the Portuguese as well.
In 1661, under a royal marriage between England and Portugal, the islands were handed from the Portuguese to the British crown but soon enough given away to the East India Company at a rate of 10 pounds per annum. Around the spot where Garica D’Orta’s bungalow stood, came up the Bombay Castle, the base of the East India Company on the Western Coast.
With the sole purpose of trade, the company invited communities from all over to settle and trade, providing them with religious freedom and security. To ensure that they are protected from their enemies, they established a fortified town which was one kilometre in length and half a kilometre wide. This town had three gates to it, the Bazargate in the north, the Apollo gate in the south and the Churchgate in the west. In front of the Bombay Castle stood the Bombay Green, the centre point of the Fort that was a hub for military training, trading and even entertainment. The first theatre of the city was situated here since the mid 1700s.
Turn towards Neoclassical structures
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As we turn around, we stand facing the side entrance of a large Neoclassical structure. This is the Town Hall, that was established in the 1830s on the Bombay Green which became the most important venue for the town and housed the Asiatic Society as well. A treasure trove of information and historical artefacts, including the one of the only surviving copies of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
As one crosses the road to enter the Horniman Circle, the old name of the circle appears “Elphinstone Circle”, named after the presiding governor, John Lord Elphinstone who set the wheels rolling for converting this town into ‘Urbs Prima In Indis’. During the mid 1800s, many changes had taken place in the world outside the Fort. The fortunes of the city had risen with the escalated demand of cotton owing to the American Civil War, the East India Company had relinquished its control to the British Crown, railways had arrived in the country which meant that the town needed to be expanded beyond the walls of the Fort.
This was the period when the Fort walls underwent demolition and the Bombay Green was revamped to the Elphinstone Circle, the first business district of the city.
As one walks around the Horniman circle, one witnesses the evolution of the Neoclassical architecture of an era known as the Victorian which is characterised by multiple embellishments. On the other side of the Circle, one faces the offices of the Mumbai Samachar, the oldest published newspaper in Asia! Which has turned 200 years old in 2021. This structure has housed the Times of India and also the Bombay Chronicle which played a huge role in the freedom movement especially under the editor, Benjamin Guy Horniman after whom this circle has been renamed.
A British Turn
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On taking a left from the Mumbai Samachar, one finds themselves facing the ornate gates of the Horniman Circle garden and if one looks closely, you can notice the British crown sitting atop of it. These gates are an exact inspiration from the Coalbrookdale gates of the Kensington Gardens, London that were built during the occasion of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Beside the gates, one can find a fountain that was built 150 years back funded by a woman in memory of her late husband and catered not only to human but animals too! Before this fountain came up, there was an open well catering that need. This spot was a popular meeting point for many traders at the time which gave rise to the Native Share and Stockbroker’s Association which today has evolved into the Bombay Stock Exchange, one of the largest stock exchanges in the continent.
As we shift our gaze from the Garden and proceed westwards, we find ourselves facing a street leading up to the Flora Fountain. This was once the Churchgate Street, that led to the Church Gate of the Fort and was the dividing line between the European and the Native quarter of the Fort. Walking down the street on the right, one witnesses three grand structures, the first is a prime example of Venetian Neo Gothic architecture which is identified by the basalt stone facade, the pointed Gothic arches and the intricate Venetian styling on each floor. The second and third structures are more examples of the Neoclassical style of architecture but with fine embellishments, unlike the Town Hall.
Towards Faith and Religion
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At the end of the third structure, as you turn to the left, one finds themselves facing the ‘Church’ of ‘Church Gate’, the St. Thomas Cathedral. Having been completed in 1718, this was once the Zero Point of the city and the city had milestone markers stretching all the way up to Sion, many of them being restored to their past glory. This church has seen many visitors such as the King and Queen of England during their visit in 1911, a more recent visitor, Mother Teresa and an infant child who was baptised here 150 years back and went on to create the Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling.
As one walks from the Church towards the Flora Fountain, one comes across a house with a peculiar name, the ‘Readymoney Mansion’, this name pertains to Cowasjee Jehangir Readymoney who had this elusive title that was bestowed upon his ancestor for being a person who was readily available with money!
Walking ahead, before we touch the fountain, a look towards the lane on the right brings us in sight with the oldest place of worship for the Parsis in Mumbai, this is Banaji Limji Fire temple that was built over 310 years ago and consists of a fire that has been burning continuously since then.
From Bombay to Mumbai
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Finally, as you arrive at the plaza of the Flora Fountain, there are multiple sights to appreciate but more importantly, to remember that this is the spot of the Church Gate of the Fort where it once stood, beyond which would have been the vast expanse of the Esplanade while the Fort walls would be running to the left and right from here. Today on portions of Esplanade stand grand structures such as the Oriental Building, the erstwhile Public Works Department (High Court Annexe), the old General Post Office (Central Telegraph Office), the HSBC bank and many others. To the left stands the Flora fountain which was sculpted out of Portland Stone adorned by nymphs at the base and goddess Flora at the top. Beneath us can be found remnants of the tram tracks that once lined this city as electric trams meandered through the streets from Colaba till Matunga. And on the right is the Hutatma Smarak which immortalises the names of those who lost their lives for the cause of the establishment of the state of Maharashtra in the years leading up to May 1st, 1960.
In this short walk of less than a kilometre, one has witnessed the evolution of the Fort and Mumbai over centuries from a mere set of malaria infested islands to the giant metropolis that we know of today.
Khaki Tours organises private and group walking tours around the city of Mumbai. To book the #Castle2Gateway walk, click here.
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