Old Bombay Photos

A peek into the Parsi bastion in Colaba, which is out of bounds for most Mumbaikars On Colaba Causeway, there is a place that intrigues the non-Parsis a lot. For over six years, we’ve have gone up and down the Causeway a million times, each time thinking about what goes on within the fortress called Cusrow Baug. A lovely residential sanctuary, the Baug situated across the road from Café Churchill is also a gateway to traditional Parsi ways of life and culture. Cusrow Baug was built in 1934 after two years of construction. In present day Mumbai, it may seem totally unbelievable, but the Baug covers an area of 84,000 square yards and is home to over 500 families. The houses are all on a rental basis and cannot be sold. There is a designated trust looking after maintenance of the place. This ensures that the place remains exclusive to the community. A dedicated website called cusrowbaug.org tells us that self-contained as it is, the Baug has an Agiary named The Seth Nusserwanji Hirji Karani Agiary. It also has a social activities cell which carries out educational initiatives, including religion classes and some scholarships. The Religious Class in the baug is one of the most valuable and dedicated service of the colony to the Parsi community. This is credited to a few dedicated people who have carried out social service for the past 22 years. There is also a full-fledged sports centre called Cusrow Baug United Sports and Welfare League. They have a computer centre and a gymnasium too. However, this website hasn’t been updated since 2004. For the Parsis, the dwindling numbers of the community is quite a huge concern. Even at Cusrow Baug there aren’t many young people around. No wonder then that it is no less than a festival for them when neighbours fall in love and get married to stay in the Baug forever.

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) is a civic transport and electricity provider public body based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was originally set up in 1873 as a tramway company called “Bombay Tramway Company Limited”. The company set up a captive thermal power station at the Wadi bunder in November 1905 to generate electricity for its trams and positioned it to also supply electricity to the city and re-branded itself to “Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways (BEST)” Company. In 1926, BEST also became an operator of motor buses. In 1947, the BEST became an undertaking of the Municipal Corporation and rebranded itself to “Bombay Electric Supply & Transport (BEST)”. In 1995 the organisation was renamed to “Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST)” alongside Mumbai . It now operates as an autonomous body under the Municipal Corporation. BEST operates one of India’s largest fleets of buses. The bus transport service covers the entire city and also extends its operations outside city limits into neighbouring urban areas. In addition to buses, it also operates a ferry service in the northern reaches of the city. The electricity division of the organisation is also one of the few electricity departments in India to garner an annual gross profit. History: 1865–1873: Early proposals The idea of a mass public transport system for Bombay was first put forward in 1865 by an American company, which applied for a licence to operate a horse-drawn tramway system. Although a licence was granted, the project was never realized due to the prevailing economic depression in the city due to the end of the American Civil War, during which Bombay had made vast strides in its economy by supplying cotton and textiles to the world market,. On 27 November 1871, a notice in the Times of India newspaper found to be too expensive and the tender was promptly abandoned. 1873–1905: Bombay Tramway Company Limited, introduction of horse-drawn trams: The “Bombay Tramway Company Limited” was formally set up in 1873. After a contract was entered into between the Bombay Tramway Company, the municipality and Stearns and Kitteredge company, the Bombay Presidency enacted “The Bombay Tramways Act, 1874”, under which the company was licensed to run a horsecar tramway service in the city.[1] On 9 May 1874, the first horse-drawn tram made its début in the city, plying on the Colaba–Pydhone via Crawford Market, and Bori Bunder to Pydhonie via Kalbadevi routes. The initial fare was three annas (15 paise) , and no tickets were issued. As the service became increasingly popular, the fare was reduced to two annas (10 paise). Later that year, tickets were issued for the first time to curb increasing ticketless travel.[2] Stearns and Kitteredge reportedly had a stable of 900 horses when tram service began. In 1882 the municipality entered into an agreement with the Eastern Electric Light and Power Company to provide electric lighting in the Crawford Market and on some of the roads. But the company went into liquidation the following year and the market reverted to gas lighting. In 1899, Bombay Tramway Company applied to the municipality, for operation of electrically operated trams. Due to the high investment required, the company suggested that the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) should waive its right to take over the tramways, which was to take place in 1901 according to the Bombay Tramways Act. Instead, the BMC decided to take over the company, but was met with several legal problems. In 1904 the British Electric Traction Company (England) applied for a license to supply electricity to the city. The “Brush Electrical Engineering Company” was its agent. It got “The Bombay Electric License” on 31 July 1905 signed by Bombay Tramways Company, the Bombay Municipality and its agent, the Brush Electrical Company. 1905–1947: Bombay Electric Supply & Tramway Company Limited, introduction of electric trams and buses City’s first electric tram in 1907 Gas lamps of the early 20th century: In 1905, “Bombay Electric Supply & Tramway Company Limited” (B.E.S.T.) was formed. The B.E.S.T. Company was granted the monopoly for electric supply and the running of an electric tram service in the city. It bought the assets of the Bombay Tramway Company for Rs.9,850,000.[3] Two years later in 1907, the first electric tram debuted in the city. Later that year, a 4,300 kilowatts (5,800 hp) steam power generator was commissioned at Wari Bunder. In 1916, the Tata Power group began purchasing power and by 1925, all power generation was outsourced from Tata.[4] The passing years aggravated the problem of rush-hour traffic and to ease the situation, double-decker trams were introduced in September 1920. The city’s first bus in 1926: Since 1913, the company had been pondering over starting a motorised bus service. The main factor against its introduction was the high accident rate for a similar service in London. After years of debate, the company came to a decision on 10 February 1926, to start a bus service later that year. Bombay saw its first bus run on 15 July 1926 between Afghan Church and Crawford Market. The people of Bombay received the bus with enthusiasm, but it took some time before this means of conveyance really established itself. Despite stiff opposition and protests by taxi drivers, the service ran without a hitch, transporting 600,000 passengers by the end of that year. The following year the number had increased to 3.8 million. For several years, it was looked upon as transport for the upper-middle class. Those were the days when the tram was the poor man’s transport; it carried one all the way from the Sassoon Docks to Dadar. The bus fare for the same journey was 25 paise. In response to the pleas made by the Government and the Bombay Municipal Corporation, the company extended its services to the northern part of the city in 1934. The Indian independence movement’s call for mass non-violent strikes and general civil disobedience led to regular service disruptions, leading to the company incurring huge losses in 1929. The next year was a particular bad year for the company in the wake of the Great Depression.

The Eros Cinema opened in February 1938. It was designed by architect Sorabji Keikhushru Bhedwar with internal deco rations by Fritz von Dreiberg. Notice no Eros Cinema or Dinshaw Wachcha statue. In the pic Moris Minor Motorcar(left ) T Ford (right) History 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. Design 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. Importance 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. Current Status The Eros Cinema has been defunct since 2016. The Cambata Building which houses the theatre was sealed by the City Collector due to legal disputes but was later unsealed on the order of Bombay High Court, but the screening at the theatre has not been resumed. However, the Cambata Family who owns the building has been in talks with other cinema businesses to revive the Eros Cinema with some renovation and changes to the building without harming the heritage structure.

Olden days people waiting for him thrice a day to receive message from our friends n relatives. Notice he does not have shoes.

Formerly known as ‘Rani Bagh’ or ‘Victoria Gardens’, this place has been renamed as ‘Jijamata Udyaan’ or ‘Veermata Jijabai Bhonsle Udyan’ in the memory of Maratha warrior Shivaji’s mother. Victoria Gardens is located in Byculla, the heart of Mumbai. Inaugurated in 1861, this is considered to be one of the oldest zoos of India. Another major attraction of this garden is the Bhau Daji Lad Museum (previously known as Victoria and Albert Museum).This museum is located in the same premises with the purpose of enhancing industrial as well as agricultural interests. Going towards the east of the museum, one would find a giant statue of an elephant; this statue, found at the Elephanta Caves, was taken to retain but was later returned to adorn this garden. Victoria Gardens is spread over 48 acres, with a clock tower located near the entrance, to welcome visitors.

Museum Story The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum opened to the public in 1857 and is Mumbai’s oldest Museum. It is the erstwhile Victoria and Albert Museum, Bombay. The Museum building is one of the most important historical sites of the city. It was the first colonial building to be built for the specific purpose of housing a museum. Bombay, then the richest mercantile town in India, was considered the Gateway to the East or Urbs Prima in India, the first city of India, and had the honour of exhibiting to the world the country’s rich cultural traditions. A little more than a hundred years later, on November 1, 1975, the Museum was renamed the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in honour of the man whose vision and dedication enabled its establishment. Dr. Bhau Daji Lad was the first Indian Sheriff of Mumbai, a philanthropist, historian, physician, surgeon and secretary of the Museum Committee when it was first instituted. By 1997, the Museum had fallen into a state of disrepair. The derelict condition in which this extraordinary 19th century building lay resulted in INTACH’s effort to restore the building and objects. A tripartite agreement was signed between the MCGM, the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation and INTACH in February 2003 and the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum Trust was established for the revitalisation and management of the Museum. After five years of intensive restoration by INTACH, the Museum was reopened to the public on January 4, 2008. The Museum was inaugurated by Mr. Uddhav Thackeray and attended by several city leaders and citizens. Early Years The idea of setting up a museum in Mumbai was mooted in 1850 when preparations were being made for the first ‘Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations’ to be held in London’s Crystal Palace in 1851. Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria, wanted to present to the world the industrial arts and crafts of Britain’s colonies and thereby stimulate trade for these products. Duplicates of India’s beautiful arts and crafts that were sent to the Great Exhibition from the Bombay Presidency formed the nucleus of the new museum’s collection. The Museum was established in 1855 in the Town Barracks as the Central Museum of Natural History, Economy, Geology, Industry and Arts. In 1858, soon after the Crown took over the direct governance of India from the East India Company, a group of public spirited citizens decided that the first important public institution to be built in Bombay would be a museum along with a natural history and botanical garden. Founders A public meeting was called in the Town Hall to raise funds for the new Museum building which would house the collection and would be dedicated to Queen Victoria. Jugonnath Sunkarsett, one of the prominent merchant princes of Bombay, chaired the meeting which was attended by city patrons from different communities, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsis highlighting the cosmopolitan character of the city. Dr. Bhau Daji Lad and Dr. George Birdwood, the two secretaries of the Museum Committee, were charged with raising funds to establish the building and enlarge the collection with the best specimens of ‘Indian manufactures’. The construction of the Museum building took ten years due to a lack of funds. Dr. Bhau Daji Lad was the most persuasive in urging citizens to donate generously for the Museum and Rs. 1,16,141 was collected from the public. The Government contributed an additional Rs. 1,00,000. On November 19, 1862, Governor Bartle Frere laid the chief cornerstone of the Museum at a ceremony attended by a large gathering of the city’s elite. On May 2, 1872, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Bombay, was opened to the public. A little more than a hundred years later, on November 1, 1975, the Museum was renamed the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in honour of the man whose vision and dedication enabled its establishment. The Museum was fortunate to have among its early curators some of the leading personalities of Bombay whose vision and energy directed its establishment and the formation of the collection. Dr. George Buist was appointed secretary and curator in 1855 by Governor Lord Elphinstone when the Museum Committee was formally established.Dr. Buist was the editor of the Bombay Times and secretary of the Bombay Geographical Society. The Committee was charged with organising the exhibits from the Bombay Presidency to form a collection for the newly established Museum of ‘Economic Products’. A nucleus collection had been put together by Dr. Buist with the duplicates of objects sent to Paris and kept in the Mess Rooms of the Town Barracks. However, many of these were damaged when the barracks were requisitioned for British troops in the 1857 War of Independence. In 1903, Cecil L. Burns, principal of the School of Art, Bombay, took charge of the Museum. Burns reorganised the Museum collection to make it more appealing to the public. He also embarked on a major effort to rejuvenate the Museum building as it had fallen in a state of disrepair. Burns had three dimensional models and dioramas made that documented life in Bombay, the development of the city and the traditions of its inhabitants that greatly interested the audiences of the day. Changes were made to the collection and display, the stuffed animals were sent Haffkine Institute and the larger archaeological material was handed over to the Prince of Wales Museum. Building History In 1857, when the Museum Committee decided to put up a grand Museum building, there were no institutional buildings except for the Town Hall which is now the Asiatic Society. For several years, while the Museum building was being constructed, the original collection was housed there. The Grand Renaissance Revival style, chosen for the building was considered the most suitable to showcase the Empire’s might. The Museum building was conceived to dazzle the citizens. During the efforts to raise funds by public subscription, it was presented as a ‘Hall of Wonder’, as most of the citizens had never