Colaba

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Colaba (Marathi: कुलाबा) is a part of the city of Mumbai, India.

One of the Colonial era buildings opposite Regal Cinema

The Barista Espresso bar at Colaba, Mumbai

[edit] History

The present area of Colaba was originally two islands, Colaba and Little Colaba or Old Woman's Island. The island of Colaba itself was part of the group of islands, along with the largest, Bombay Island, that was gifted by Portugal to Charles II of England as dowry when he married Catherine of Braganza.

The Portuguese had acquired these lands from the Sultanate of Cambay by the Treaty of Bassein, 1542. The cession of Bombay and dependencies was strongly resented by Portuguese officials in Goa and Bombay, who resisted transfer of possession for several years, while the English representatives were confined to the island of Anjediva while negotiations continued. Angered by the backtracking, Charles II leased these lands to the British East India Company for a nominal annual rent. Gerald Aungier, factor of the English settlement of Surat, took possession of Colaba and Old Woman's Island on behalf of the Company in 1675.

Portugal continued to hold Little Colaba island for several decades more before ceding it to the English in about 1762, subject to the retention of Portuguese ownership of a house on the island, that is now the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in Middle Colaba. This was leased by the Portuguese Government of Goa to the Bishop of Damaõ, the head of the Padroado party in Bombay, as his residence. After an attempt by the Propaganda Fide party to seize the chapel, a court ruled that the house remained the property of the Government of Portugal and evicted the Propaganda Fide party.

In 1743, British Colaba was leased to a Richard Broughton at Rs. 200 per annum, a lease that was renewed in 1764. By 1796, Colaba became a cantonment for troops. Colaba was well-known for the variety of fishes in the nearby waters. The bombil, called Bombay duck after being dried, rawas, halwa, turtles, crabs, prawns and lobsters, could all be found here.

At the southern end of the island, on the eastern side of the island, a meteorological observatory was established in 1826. This part was called Upper Colaba. With the completion of the Colaba Causeway in 1838, these remaining two islands were joined to the others. The price of land shot up. Colaba became a centre of commerce with the opening of the Cotton Exchange at Cotton Green in 1844. The Causeway was widened and strengthened in 1861 and again in 1863. It became a separate ward of the Municipality in 1872.

Civil constructions in Colaba did not push out the troops. During this period the Sick Bungalows, now known as INHS Ashwini, were built. Work on the Anglican church of St. John the Evangelist was begun in 1847. The church, now known as the Afghan Church (after the First Afghan War of 1838) was consecrated in 1858 and work on the steeple was concluded in 1865.

Transport to this end of the new town was revolutionised by the introduction of horse-drawn tram-cars in 1873 by Stearns and Kitteredge, who had their offices on the west side of the Causeway, where the Electric House now stands.

The Prong's lighthouse, at the southern tip of the island, was constructed in 1875. Also in the same year, the eponymous Sassoon Docks were built by David Sassoon on reclaimed land. The BB&CI Railways established their terminus, the former Colaba railway station or terminus, the site of which is presently occupied by the Badhwar Park layout. These developments pushed the indigenous kolis to the edges of the island, near the Sassoon Docks and to the west.

90,000 square yards (75,000 m²) of land were reclaimed on the western shore of Colaba by the Bombay City Improvement Trust. The work was opposed by eminent citizens like Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, on the grounds that such a large area of land coming on the market would depress prices. The work was nevertheless carried out, and completed in 1905. Land prices did not fall. A seafront road along with a raised sea-side promenade (the Parade, named after T. W. Cuffe of the Trust) were completed the next year.

[edit] Present

The Gateway of India, the art deco style Regal theatre, the cafes (Mondegar, Royal and Leopold) all add to the atmosphere. The southern tip is occupied by a military cantonment, including the large Navy Nagar layout built on reclaimed land. The older parts of the cantonment retains its large, wooded spaces and is the only bit of green in this otherwise congested area. In the midst of Navy Nagar lies the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR), one of India's leading scientific institutions. Colaba is renowned for high-end boutiques, imitation consumer goods and is popular with tourists. This is a place where rich Indian industrialists and business people prominently reside, for example the Ambanis and Ratan Tata. Colaba is the hippiest neighbourhood in Mumbai serving as the major shopping district for tourists and the locals. It has the old english charm and a very modern "feel" as well. It is also the Art capital of the city with all the major "art-centers" located in and around this place.

Nearest railway stations: