View-Mazagaon in 19th century
Mazagaon(Mazhgav in Marathi) is one of the seven islands of Mumbai. It is part of South Mumbai. Byculla Station on the Central railway line and Dockyard Road Station on the Harbour Railway line is accessible from here. Mumbai Port Trust and Mazagaon Dock Ltd., the Mazagaon Metropolitan Court, Sales Tax Office and Anglo-Indian schools like the St. Peters School and St. Mary's School are located in this area.
History
The word Mazagaon has been derived from the Sanskrit Matsya Gram, meaning fishing village. The original inhabitants were speculated to be tribals of Agari (salt-workers) and Koli (fishermen) tribes. However, folk etymology derives Mazagaon from the Marathi Maza Gaon, meaning my village. Another etymological claim suggests Portuguese origin, with the name borrowed from a city and fort of Mazagao in Morocco (now El Jadida) established by Portuguese in the beginning of the XVI century who totally evacuated to Brazil in 1769. One of Mazagaon's oldest claims to fame was a variety of mango trees which fruited twice a year. Apparently a few such trees were extant well into the twentieth century. The small island was rocky, with a hill rising at the north, and forming a cliff over the harbour. To see what Mazagaon might once have been, one has to visit any of the tiny rocky islands bearing mango trees and small villages further down the Konkan coast.
The first Portuguese settlers were the Jesuits, who established a church in the sixteenth century. Notwithstanding their claim, in 1572 the King of Portugal granted the island in perpetuity to the de Souza e Lima family, from whom the D'Souzas of Bombay trace their descent. When the Portuguese ceded the island to the British, there was a well established population of Roman Catholics, mainly fishermen. Most were Hindu converts, although Eurasians were not uncommon. Some black African slaves brought by the Portuguese, known as Kaffirs, had also entered the ethnic mix. Some of their traditional wooden houses can still be seen, and are now protected heritage structures.
The original Gloria church, Nossa Senhora de Gloria, was built in 1632 from a donation by the de Souza family. It was destroyed in 1911, being replaced two years later by a new Gothic church of the same name built a kilometer away.
Mazagaon was occupied by the Sidi of Janjira, an admiral in the Mughal navy in 1690. It is said that he was driven away a year later by the Rustomji Dorabji who organised the fishermen in Dongri into a fleet. Rustomji was given the title Patel after this feat, and his descendants have remained the only Parsi family of Patels.
With the reclamation of Umarkhadi, at the end of the seventeenth century, Mazagaon became an outlying suburb of Bombay and a fashionable place of residence. One of the famous houses was the neo-classical Tarala, built by a member of the Wadia family in the late eighteenth century. Sold to the Jeejeebhoy family about a century later, it became the Sadar Adalat in 1925, when they moved out to Malabar Hill. Later still it was taken over by the army, and then donated to the J. J. Hospital in 1943 after a fire. It was used as a staff hostel for a few years before it was demolished.
Other bungalows and plantations also grew up in Mazagaon as the British and the more affluent Indians moved out of the crowded fort. When the Esplanade was cleared in the Fort area, the armoury moved from Bombay Castle to Mazagaon in 1760 and gave its name to Gunpowder Lane. In 1790 the docks at Mazagaon were completed. In 1793, after the construction of the Hornby Vellard, the Bellasis Road was built to join Mazagaon and Malabar Hill.
The next century saw a slow decline in Mazagaon's fortunes, as the neighbouring Byculla became the fashionable suburb, and people began moving out. The process accelerated after the docks were reclaimed in the last thirty years of the century on the eastern shore of Mazagaon. Mazagaon was left landlocked, and the fumes from the developing mills drove the last money out of this area.
Among others, Tipu Sultan, the Mysore warrior's relative Nawab Ayaz Ali, migrated here after the British defeated the ruler in 1799 and was buried here.
The area
Once very fashionable, Mazgaon lost much of its charm after the more affluent British and Parsi residents relocated to Malabar Hill. Since independence, the area is generally considered to be a Catholic enclave. However, even though Mazagaon is still home to a large population of Catholics, Muslims (Dawoodi Bohras) are taking their place with most Catholics migrating abroad. A Catholic East Indian village can be found in the "Mathar Pakadi" area. The migrants originally from Goa set up transit camps, which later became permanent residences. The Goan Clubs are an integral part of this part of town. Nearby lie the famous Mazagaon Docks, famed as a site of ship building since the 18th century. It still builds warships for the Indian Navy and nearby is the Mazagaon Dock Colony which houses Angre house, Sarine house, Curry house and P & O Terrace. The Harbour Line station of Dockyard Road is the nearest railhead. The area is peaceful and quiet, unlike other parts of the city.
Churches in Mazagaon
Mazagaon is famous for its churches. Among the more prominent are: 1. St. Anne's Church (Roman Catholic) (next to St. Mary's School) in the West, 2. Our Lady of the Rosary Church (Roman Catholic) in the East (opposite Dockyard Road Station), 3. Our Lady of Glory Church (Roman Catholic) up north (in Byculla, opposite Byculla station), 4. St. Joseph's Church (Roman Catholic) down south (in Umerkhadi, Dongri), 5. St. Peter's Church (Protestant) (Non Functional) (near Mazagaon Hill) with 6. another Protestant Church towards J.J. Hospital. 7. Christ Church (Protestant) in the north. Also 8.9. two Methodist Churches in the vicinity. One near Victoria Gardens and the next opposite St. Agnes' School, Clare Road. Mazagaon has a prominent centre, commonly referred as to 'Mazagaon Circle' due to the presence of a roundabout.
Important landmarks in Mazagaon
St. Mary's School(ICSE)
St. Mary's High School, SSC
St. Peter's School, Mazagaon, ICSE
Mumbai Port Trust
Chinese temple (the only one in the city)
Framji Patel Parsi Agiary
Joseph Baptista Garden and Reservoir now named Bhandar Wada Water Reservoir (built in 1880)
Sales Tax Office
Angre House (named after the Maratha Navy Kanhoji Angre)
Schools in Mazagaon
The Roman Catholic Church runs almost a dozen schools in Mazagaon and the nearby vicinity. It houses one of the best schools for both girls and boys.
Islamic International School.
Mazagaon sales tax office
This is a landmark in Mazagaon situated at Nesbit Road/ Sardar Balwant Singh Lodhi Marg. Other important offices situated in this building are the Rationing office, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission Office, the Maharashtra Sales Tax Tribunal, and Bank of Maharashtra. This twin building has 9+9 floors. The Commissioner's office is situated on the 8th floor.
This office is one of the most important government buildings, open every day except the second and fourth Saturdays and public holidays. Offices are open from 0945 hrs to 1730 hrs. All Value Added Tax (VAT) administration is done from this building with the help of at least four thousand personnel.
The Bank of Maharashtra, the Rationing office, and the Post office are situated on the ground floor. Everyone entering the premises must go through a careful security check.
The word Mazagaon has been derived from the Sanskrit Matsya Gram, meaning fishing village. The original inhabitants were speculated to be tribals of Agari (salt-workers) and Koli (fishermen) tribes. However, folk etymology derives Mazagaon from the Marathi Maza Gaon, meaning my village. Another etymological claim suggests Portuguese origin, with the name borrowed from a city and fort of Mazagao in Morocco (now El Jadida) established by Portuguese in the beginning of the XVI century who totally evacuated to Brazil in 1769. One of Mazagaon's oldest claims to fame was a variety of mango trees which fruited twice a year. Apparently a few such trees were extant well into the twentieth century. The small island was rocky, with a hill rising at the north, and forming a cliff over the harbour. To see what Mazagaon might once have been, one has to visit any of the tiny rocky islands bearing mango trees and small villages further down the Konkan coast.
The first Portuguese settlers were the Jesuits, who established a church in the sixteenth century. Notwithstanding their claim, in 1572 the King of Portugal granted the island in perpetuity to the de Souza e Lima family, from whom the D'Souzas of Bombay trace their descent. When the Portuguese ceded the island to the British, there was a well established population of Roman Catholics, mainly fishermen. Most were Hindu converts, although Eurasians were not uncommon. Some black African slaves brought by the Portuguese, known as Kaffirs, had also entered the ethnic mix. Some of their traditional wooden houses can still be seen, and are now protected heritage structures.
The original Gloria church, Nossa Senhora de Gloria, was built in 1632 from a donation by the de Souza family. It was destroyed in 1911, being replaced two years later by a new Gothic church of the same name built a kilometer away.
Mazagaon was occupied by the Sidi of Janjira, an admiral in the Mughal navy in 1690. It is said that he was driven away a year later by the Rustomji Dorabji who organised the fishermen in Dongri into a fleet. Rustomji was given the title Patel after this feat, and his descendants have remained the only Parsi family of Patels.
With the reclamation of Umarkhadi, at the end of the seventeenth century, Mazagaon became an outlying suburb of Bombay and a fashionable place of residence. One of the famous houses was the neo-classical Tarala, built by a member of the Wadia family in the late eighteenth century. Sold to the Jeejeebhoy family about a century later, it became the Sadar Adalat in 1925, when they moved out to Malabar Hill. Later still it was taken over by the army, and then donated to the J. J. Hospital in 1943 after a fire. It was used as a staff hostel for a few years before it was demolished.
Other bungalows and plantations also grew up in Mazagaon as the British and the more affluent Indians moved out of the crowded fort. When the Esplanade was cleared in the Fort area, the armoury moved from Bombay Castle to Mazagaon in 1760 and gave its name to Gunpowder Lane. In 1790 the docks at Mazagaon were completed. In 1793, after the construction of the Hornby Vellard, the Bellasis Road was built to join Mazagaon and Malabar Hill.
The next century saw a slow decline in Mazagaon's fortunes, as the neighbouring Byculla became the fashionable suburb, and people began moving out. The process accelerated after the docks were reclaimed in the last thirty years of the century on the eastern shore of Mazagaon. Mazagaon was left landlocked, and the fumes from the developing mills drove the last money out of this area.
Among others, Tipu Sultan, the Mysore warrior's relative Nawab Ayaz Ali, migrated here after the British defeated the ruler in 1799 and was buried here.
The area
Once very fashionable, Mazgaon lost much of its charm after the more affluent British and Parsi residents relocated to Malabar Hill. Since independence, the area is generally considered to be a Catholic enclave. However, even though Mazagaon is still home to a large population of Catholics, Muslims (Dawoodi Bohras) are taking their place with most Catholics migrating abroad. A Catholic East Indian village can be found in the "Mathar Pakadi" area. The migrants originally from Goa set up transit camps, which later became permanent residences. The Goan Clubs are an integral part of this part of town. Nearby lie the famous Mazagaon Docks, famed as a site of ship building since the 18th century. It still builds warships for the Indian Navy and nearby is the Mazagaon Dock Colony which houses Angre house, Sarine house, Curry house and P & O Terrace. The Harbour Line station of Dockyard Road is the nearest railhead. The area is peaceful and quiet, unlike other parts of the city.
Churches in Mazagaon
Mazagaon is famous for its churches. Among the more prominent are: 1. St. Anne's Church (Roman Catholic) (next to St. Mary's School) in the West, 2. Our Lady of the Rosary Church (Roman Catholic) in the East (opposite Dockyard Road Station), 3. Our Lady of Glory Church (Roman Catholic) up north (in Byculla, opposite Byculla station), 4. St. Joseph's Church (Roman Catholic) down south (in Umerkhadi, Dongri), 5. St. Peter's Church (Protestant) (Non Functional) (near Mazagaon Hill) with 6. another Protestant Church towards J.J. Hospital. 7. Christ Church (Protestant) in the north. Also 8.9. two Methodist Churches in the vicinity. One near Victoria Gardens and the next opposite St. Agnes' School, Clare Road. Mazagaon has a prominent centre, commonly referred as to 'Mazagaon Circle' due to the presence of a roundabout.
Important landmarks in Mazagaon
St. Mary's School(ICSE)
St. Mary's High School, SSC
St. Peter's School, Mazagaon, ICSE
Mumbai Port Trust
Chinese temple (the only one in the city)
Framji Patel Parsi Agiary
Joseph Baptista Garden and Reservoir now named Bhandar Wada Water Reservoir (built in 1880)
Sales Tax Office
Angre House (named after the Maratha Navy Kanhoji Angre)
Schools in Mazagaon
The Roman Catholic Church runs almost a dozen schools in Mazagaon and the nearby vicinity. It houses one of the best schools for both girls and boys.
Islamic International School.
Mazagaon sales tax office
This is a landmark in Mazagaon situated at Nesbit Road/ Sardar Balwant Singh Lodhi Marg. Other important offices situated in this building are the Rationing office, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission Office, the Maharashtra Sales Tax Tribunal, and Bank of Maharashtra. This twin building has 9+9 floors. The Commissioner's office is situated on the 8th floor.
This office is one of the most important government buildings, open every day except the second and fourth Saturdays and public holidays. Offices are open from 0945 hrs to 1730 hrs. All Value Added Tax (VAT) administration is done from this building with the help of at least four thousand personnel.
The Bank of Maharashtra, the Rationing office, and the Post office are situated on the ground floor. Everyone entering the premises must go through a careful security check.
1 comment:
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ICSE Schools in Mumbai
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