Author: AT

The seven islands of Bombay were joined through large-scale reclamation projects throughout the century. In 1803, a fire destroyed most of the Fort area. This gave the British an opportunity to redesign the settlement. They created wider roads and improved sanitation, while introducing formal systems of urban administration and policing. The Maratha Empire fell to […]

The layers of Bombay’s commercial history are best explained by Bazaargate Street, Bombay Green, and Horniman Circle. Together, they reflect Bombay’s transition from a fortified trading town to a metropolitan financial powerhouse. Bazar Gate was built in 1772 as one of the three main gates of the Fort. As the name suggests, it was home […]

Tucked away at the intersection of Veer Nariman Road and Bhaurao Patil Marg lies bhikha Behram Well. This spot usually goes unnoticed in the daily hustle and bustle of the city. Its story begins in 1715 with a poor man turned philanthropist named bhikha Behramji. A young and penniless Behramji was captured by the Marathas […]

St. Thomas Cathedral is the oldest Anglican church in Mumbai. It opened in 1718, and its completion marked the formal beginning of the city’s fort area. Builders designed the Cathedral to serve British officers, merchants, and sailors, and it stood at the heart of Bombay’s early civic life. Its importance is reflected in the geography […]

The story of Bombay Castle begins in the 16th century with a Portuguese physician and botanist named Garcia da Orta. When Garcia da Orta received a leasehold of a barren island, he decided to build his home there. In the years that followed, Manor House became the nucleus of the growing Bombay settlement. Manor House […]

The islands of Bombay were not a priority for Portugal. When Catherine of Braganza married King Charles II of England in 1661, they gave Britain the seven islands of Bombay as part of the dowry. Even so, Bombay’s potential remained untouched till 1668, when Charles II leased the islands to the East India Company for […]

Another notable accomplishment of the Apostle of Salsette is the construction of St. John the Baptist Church in Condita. Builders constructed this church in 1579, and local communities celebrated it widely. In 1840, after a mysterious epidemic wiped out nearby communities, the church was abandoned. After that, nature reclaimed the church one vine at a […]

The year is 1568, and the Portuguese Jesuits have been given charge of the salty-aired Salsette Island. By 1575, they had built St. Andrew’s Church, but Christianity was still not popular. Enter Brother Manoel Gomes, the Apostle of Salsette. Ordained in 1583, he set about learning the local customs and language. His efforts made Catholicism […]

Although it is not well-known, the colonial history of Bombay began with the Portuguese. The first Portuguese ship sailed into the Bombay harbour in 1508, and by 1534, the Portuguese seized Bombay from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. At the time, the city was nothing more than a collection of marshy islands with a few fishing […]