Old Glory of Bombay (now Mumbai), India

Parsi Fire Temple, Bombay

Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster. Zoroastrians worship Fire, in temples such as this one. Zoroastrianism was once the dominant religion of much of Greater Iran. However, as of 2007 the faith is practiced by fewer than 200,000 worldwide, with its largest centers in India and Iran

F.D. Petit’s Parsi Sanitarium – Cumballa Hill, Bombay

A Parsi is a member of the close-knit Zoroastrian community based primarily in India. Parsis are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to the Indian subcontinent over 1,000 years ago.

Bombay Native Bazaar

Mumbai is a paradise for shoppers. The Zaveri Bazaar attracts those looking for diamond, silver and gold jeweler while Chor Bazaar is a haven for antique collectors. Apart from visiting Colaba Causeway and Fashion Street, shoppers looking for trendy clothes would find Breach Candy and Kemps Corner wort a visit. In fact, the bazaars of Mumbai showcase the vibrant and ethnically diverse faces of the city

General Post Office

In 1794, Mr. Charles Elphinstone, the Postmaster General for the then Bombay Presidency, founded the General Post Office. A cluster of small buildings close to the Apollo Pier in the south of the new city housed the Bombay GPO. However, due to the damage caused by a fire, the GPO changed locations in 1869

Parsee Lady

Parsi ladies were among the earliest Indian women who had an active public life. Parsi women who crafted their own identity included Pirojbai Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy (who worked for charitable institutions), Hirabai Cowasji Jahangir (community service) and Meherbai Tata (a champion of women’s issues). In general, Parsi ladies of the past had an aura of self-assurance, probably helped by a high literacy rate. Even during the recent past, the Parsis had the highest literacy rate (97.9% as in 2001) among Indian communities

A Peep into the Victoria Gardens The Victoria Gardens is also called Rani Bag or Rani Jijamata Udyan

These beautifully laid out gardens are a source of pleasure to the weary and jaded worker in the cool of the evening after a hard days work in the broiling sun and stuff offices.

Taj Hotel This hotel was completed on December 16, 1903

The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower offers a panoramic sight of the Gateway of India and the Arabian Sea. At present, this hotel offers 565 rooms for the guests that include 46 suites. There are 12 rooms in this hotel that can seat 18 to 2000 people for receptions and cocktails or 25 to 500 persons in auditorium style. Businessmen staying here can also use the state-of-the- art conference facilities for organizing their seminars and conferences.
The Taj Hotel has played the perfect host to several people, from Princes, Maharajas and Kings to Presidents, Ministers, Entertainers and CEOs, offering them the best of Indian hospitality

View of Bombay

Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, the most populous city of India, and by some measures the most populous city in the world with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006). Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra.
The Victorian townscape of Mumbai is reminiscent of a prosperous industrial city of the 19th century. Mumbai is famous for its Marine Drive along the ocean, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Prince of Wales Museum, Juhu Beach and the Hanging Gardens. It remains India’s commercial and entertainment center.

Bombay Beauty

The traditional attire of the women of Mumbai is saree worn in typical Maharashtrian style. The women of this city also love to wear flowers on the head, popularly called ‘gajras’. However, keeping pace with the cosmopolitan nature of Mumbai, women of the city now prefer to wear salwar kameez or western outfits with the traditional attire kept for festivals or special occasions like marriage and family get-togethers

Bombay. Shigean A cart driven by oxen

The Shigean is a small two-wheeled vehicle in use in Bombay and other Eastern cities. As a rule it is drawn by a couple of small oxen of the Zebu family. The Zebu, which varies considerably in size, is to be met with through India as a beast of draught and burden, and is occasionally used for riding. It can travel from twenty to thirty miles a day, and is a very docile creature.
In the past, carts driven by oxen and bullocks were a popular mode of transport for the people of Mumbai (earlier called Bombay). Some of these carts used by the elite had a covered roof and leather seats. The driver usually had a seat just behind the bullocks while his passengers were seated at a height behind him

The Times of India Building, Bombay

The Times of India (TOI), owned by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (also called The Times Group, ownership resting with the family of Sahu Jain), is the oldest daily newspaper of Mumbai and a leading daily of the country. It was founded as ‘The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce’ on 3rd November, 1838 and was published twice a week. The daily edition of this newspaper started from 1850. By 1861, it changed its name to The Times of India. During the 19th century, this newspaper had over 800 people as its employees and had a reasonable circulation in Europe and India. The Times of India was originally controlled and owned by British, Ivor S. Jehu being its last British editor who resigned from the post in 1950

Hornby Road & The Floral Fountain, Bombay. 1910

Bombay, unlike most of the other shipping towns of importance, is not situated upon a river. It is one of a cluster of Islands, which being artificially connected with each other and with the mainland by causeways and Railway Viaducts now forms a Peninsula, lying nearly N. and S., which makes the bay so created one of the finest harbors in the world.
Hornby Road was named after the Governor of Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) in 1794. In addition to tourist attractions like the Gateway Of India, Mumbai Zoo, Queens Necklace and Taj Mahal Hotel, the floral fountain is another place that attracts people owing to its historic charm

Esplanade Road – now called Mahatma Gandhi Road

View from Clock Tower. Sir George Gilbert, an English architect, designed the Clock Tower

The Clock Tower of Mumbai is also called Rajabai Clock Tower. The total cost of building this tower showcasing a blend of Gothic and Venetian architecture was Rs. 2 lakhs. Premchand Roychand, a rich broker who established the Bombay Stock Exchange, paid the cost of building the Clock Tower and named it after his mother Rajabai.
This Clock Tower offers a scenic view of the city that has orderly streets and well-built houses

Juma Masjid

Jama or Juma Masjid refers to the place where Muslims gather to perform Friday (Juma) prayers. It is usually the most important mosque in a city or town. Mumbai’s Jama Masjid was originally located close to Dongri. Later, it was moved to the Esplanade near the sea. In 1770, the Jama Masjid was destroyed following an order by Governor William Hornby that prohibited the existence of any construction near the British fort. The current Jama Masjid was constructed between 1775 and 1802 and remains an important center of Muslim life in Mumbai

Crawford Market located north of the Victoria terminus in South Mumbai

Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay, gave Crawford Market its name. Constructed in 1871, Crawford Market is now called Jyotiba Phule Market after an early social worker. The architecture of this covered market mixes Norman and Flemish styles. Crawford Market is a wholesale market and offers a variety of food items

Victoria Terminus The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO nominated Victoria Terminus as a World Heritage Site on July 2, 2004

Victoria Terminus, also called Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and exemplifies magnificent Victorian Gothic architecture. The construction of Victoria Terminus started during 1888 and continued over a period of 10 years. The British architect F. W. Stevens designed the structure which is abbreviated to as VT by city most current city residents

Horse carriage and colonial-area building of Bombay Municipal Corporation.

Hotel Majestic & Waterloo Mansions

Typical characteristics of Gothic architecture like large windows and pointed arches can be seen in Hotel Majestic & Waterloo Mansions, Mumbai (Bombay). This fine structure is ranked highly amongst those buildings which give Mumbai its distinct look and historic atmosphere

Gateway of India
A triumphal arch erected to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911
The Gateway of India is situated on the waterfront in South Mumbai. Made of reinforced concrete and yellow basalt, the Gateway of India has a central dome, measuring 15 meters in diameter and standing tall at 26 meters above the ground. The civil engineering firm named J C Gammon (Bombay) Pvt Ltd built this structure which showcases a magnificent blend of Indo-Saracenic and Muslim architectural style

The Bombay High Court is considered to be one of the oldest High Courts of India
Constructed of black basalt, the Bombay High Court building was built in the late nineteenth century. The Gothic styled architecture of this building is a treat to watch. The work on the present building began in April 1871 and was completed in November 1878. The structure was designed by Col. J.A. Fuller, a British engineer. The present building of Bombay High Court faces the Oval Maidan where aspiring young cricketers hone their paces

Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be.

A churchgate bound EMU on its way

A common scene of Mumbai then or now… Churchgate station always crowded to the brim

A vintage 3 coach EMU rake in the early 1940’s

A white Metro Cammell EMU rake of Western Railway arrives at Churchgate. Parked on the adjacent platform and ready to
depart is an original 1928 Cammell Laird rake..jpg