>BrownHairedGirl at 11:06, 17 April 2021

2021-04-17T11:06:22Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Bhagat Singh Road
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = mr
| other_name = कोलाबा कौसवे
| nickname =
| settlement_type = Neighbourhood
| image_skyline =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| pushpin_map = India Mumbai
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Mumbai, India
| coordinates = {{coord|18.91|N|72.81|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = India
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and union territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Maharashtra]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts in India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Mumbai City district|Mumbai City]]
| subdivision_type3 = City
| subdivision_name3 = [[Mumbai]]
| subdivision_type4 = Zone
| subdivision_name4 = 1
| subdivision_type5 = Ward
| subdivision_name5 = A
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type = [[Municipal Corporation]]
| governing_body = [[Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation]] (MCGM)
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 4
| population_total =
| population_as_of =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Marathi language|Marathi]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 400 005
| registration_plate =
| blank1_name_sec1 = [[Lok Sabha]] constituency
| blank1_info_sec1 = Mumbai South
| blank2_name_sec1 = [[Vidhan Sabha]] constituency
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Colaba (Vidhan Sabha constituency)]]
| blank3_name_sec1 = Civic agency
| blank3_info_sec1 = [[Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation|BMC]]
| website =
| footnotes = [http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N18E072+1202+0004212G2]
| official_name =
}}

'''Colaba Causeway''', officially known as '''Shahid [[Bhagat Singh]] Road''', is a commercial street,<ref>[http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/bombay&page=16 Colaba Causeway]</ref> and a major [[causeway]] or land link between [[Colaba]] and the [[Old Woman's Island]] in the city of [[Mumbai]], [[India]].

It lies close to the [[Fort (Mumbai precinct)|Fort]] area, and to the east of [[Cuffe Parade]], an upmarket neighbourhood in [[South Mumbai]], and close by are Mumbai's famous landmarks, the [[Gateway of India]] and [[Taj Mahal Palace & Tower]].

==History==
{{main|History of Mumbai}}
[[Image:Colaba Causeway construction, view from Colaba island, 1826.jpg|left|210px|thumb|Colaba Causeway construction using timber, view from Colaba island, 1826]]
By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Fort area and part of older town were overcrowded, as the island of Colaba, the southern tip of the city,<ref>[http://www.deccanherald.com/CONTENT/Oct72007/finearts2007100629107.asp The skyline of Mumbai] ''[[Deccan Herald]]'', 7 October 2007.</ref> had already been declared a [[cantonment]] area in 1796, barring all construction by the civilian population. Soon the boat traffic to area increased in the next few decades, and several people died due to the capsizing of overcrowded boats, making the construction of the causeway imperative.<ref>[http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/history/reclamation.html History of Reclamation]</ref> What also added to the urgency to its construction was that, [[Mountstuart Elphinstone]], [[Governor of Bombay]] (1819–1827), had already built the first home on [[Malabar Hill]], following which the rich quickly started moving into the centrally placed, Fort) area.<ref>[http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/history/c19.html Mumbai History - 19th century]</ref>

The Causeway as it is known to the locals, was constructed by the [[British East India Company]], during the tenure of [[Robert Grant (MP)|Sir Robert Grant]] (1779–1838) as the governor of Bombay (1835–1838),<ref>[http://www.dancewithshadows.com/mumbai_history.asp Mumbai History - Colaba Causeway] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040911080938/http://www.dancewithshadows.com/mumbai_history.asp |date=11 September 2004 }}</ref> and its construction completed in 1838, which used the Old Woman's Island as a part of it;<ref>[http://www.it.iitb.ac.in/~suresh/hist.html History Of Bombay] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718093103/http://www.it.iitb.ac.in/~suresh/hist.html |date=18 July 2011 }} ''[[IIT, Mumbai]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.mumbainet.com/template1.php?CID=15&SCID=5 Mumbai History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506005553/http://www.mumbainet.com/template1.php?CID=15&SCID=5 |date=6 May 2009 }} ''mumbainet.com''.</ref> with this the last two islands of Colaba and Old Woman's Island (out of the [[Seven islands of Bombay]]), which were first taken in 1675, got connected with the mainland of [[Bombay]]. Until 1839, Colaba was accessible only during the low tide, though soon it saw rapid development in the area, especially after the construction of the ''Cotton Exchange'' at [[Cotton Green]] in 1844.<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/other/019wzz000007506u00003000.html View of Colaba] ''[[British Library]]''.</ref> The Causeway was later further widened in 1861 and 1863.<ref name=hist/>

Horse-drawn tram-cars were introduced here,<ref>[http://www.mumbaisuburbs.com/mumbai-photo-gallery/mumbai-flashback-photos.htm Images of - a horse-drawn tram on Colaba Causeway]</ref> in 1873 by Stearns and Kitteredge, for their offices on the west side of the Causeway, where the Electric House now stands.<ref name=hist/>

==Overview==
Today, it is termed as the 'Culture Square' of Mumbai.<ref name=blo>[http://www.blonnet.com/life/2004/12/24/stories/2004122400130300.htm Mumbai's Culture Square - For the Foodie] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202161312/http://www.blonnet.com/life/2004/12/24/stories/2004122400130300.htm |date=2 December 2008 }} by Sarika Mehta, ''[[Business Line]]'', a ''[[The Hindu]]'' Group publication, 24 December 2004.</ref> The architecture of the area is reminiscent of old Mumbai, fact highlighted by buildings like, [[National Gallery of Modern Art]] (NGMA), [[Regal Cinema]], [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum]] and Cusrow Baug, a [[Parsi]] residential colony built in 1934, covering an area of 84,000 square yards, which is home to over 500 families.<ref>[http://www.dnaindia.com/slideshow.asp?newsid=1212031&sldid=5 Legends of the causeway - ''Cusrow Baug''] ''dnaindia''.</ref> Plus the area is also a hub of various art galleries, which makes this area a natural destination for artist community.

Apart from upmarket retail showrooms, and small shops dealing in electronic goods, cosmetics, clothes and music, it has a pavement book stall dating back several decades,<ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=84165 Vintage Mumbai - Colaba Causeway’s lone pavement bookstall believes only in bestsellers] ''[[Indian Express]]'', 10 May 2004.</ref> besides having numerous small shops and footpath outlets selling everything from artifacts to shawls, carpets and minor antiques to slippers of all kinds, which makes tourists, backpackers and locals from South Mumbai throng the area all through the year.<ref name=blo/>

Among the restaurants, cafes and roadside eateries that make the street popular with tourists and locals alike<ref name=map/> are the Indian Mughlai fame Delhi Darbar restaurant, Piccadilly restaurant, Cafe Churchill, Mings Palace, Kailash Parbat and [[Gokul (restaurant)|Gokul]]. [[Cafe Mondegar]], and [[Cafe Leopold]] were founded by Iranians in 1871.<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23953040-5002031,00.html Cafe confidential] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120912080420/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23953040-5002031,00.html |date=12 September 2012 }} ''[[The Australian]]'', 5 July 2008.</ref>

Other visitors' attractions in the area are historical structures like [[Afghan Church|Aghan Church]] in the nearby [[Navy Nagar]], built to commemorate the dead of the disastrous [[First Afghan War]] of 1838, and the [[Sassoon Docks]], built in 1875,<ref name=hist>[http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/physical/geo/colaba.html History of Colaba and Cuffe Parade]</ref> by [[Albert Abdullah David Sassoon]] (1818–1896), son of [[David Sassoon]], a philanthropist [[Baghdadi Jew]].<ref>[http://www.mustseeindia.com/Mumbai-Colaba-Causeway/attraction/10601 Mumbai Attractions - Colaba Causeway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207065000/http://www.mustseeindia.com/Mumbai-Colaba-Causeway/attraction/10601 |date=7 December 2008 }} ''mustseeindia.com''.</ref> Today, the Sassoon Docks house one of the largest fish market of Mumbai city<ref name=map>[http://www.mapsofindia.com/mumbai/shopping-areas/colaba.html Colaba] ''mapsofindia.com''.</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Sevenislandsofbombay.png|Original Seven islands of Bombay
Image:LeopoldCafe gobeirne.jpg|[[Leopold Cafe|Leopold Cafe and Bar]] since 1871
Image:Cafe Mondegar, on Colaba Causeway.jpg|Cafe Mondegar, marking the beginning of Colaba Causeway, with Taj Hotel in the background
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.dnaindia.com/slideshow.asp?newsid=1212031&sldid=1 Legends of the causeway (Photo Feature)]

{{Tourist attractions in Mumbai}}

[[Category:Streets in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Retail markets in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Shopping districts and streets in India]]
[[Category:Culture of Mumbai]]
[[Category:Causeways]]
[[Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1838]]

Colaba Causeway - Revision history

>BrownHairedGirl at 11:06, 17 April 2021