Mosaic of Mumbai
The skyline of Mumbai that you see today evolved over a long period of time. Sujit Chowdhury traces the architectural history of the metropolis and the makeover it has gone through.
Mumbai has been a city of dreams since the time it opened its shores to welcome native and foreign traders. It is indeed a ‘melting pot’ of diverse cultures and the confluence of socio-economic and political trends over centuries have shaped its modern metropolitan character. Mumbai’s architectural heritage bears testimony to these historical changes.The seven islands of Mumbai were gifted to Britain by Portugal when Charles II married Catherine, the Portuguese princess in 1661. The Portuguese rulers had built forts in these islands for trading. Remnants of these forts can be seen even today at Sion, Mahim, Bandra (Castella De Aguada) and Versova. Since Kolkata was the administrative and trading hub of the East India Company, Mumbai did not have imposing buildings in 17th and 18th centuries. Mumbai buildings were constructed in native style for purely utilitarian purposes. Gradually, with increasing political and commercial activities and the imperial perception of building as a visual symbol of power, the building started to be constructed in Victorian Gothic style. Some of these buildings are St Thomas Church (1672-1718), the Mint (1829), Crawford Market (1869) and Town Hall (1804). South-side sagaBy mid-19th century, land at the southern tip (today’s Colaba) was reclaimed, causeways to the mainland were built and a rail section was opened to Thane. These developments were fuelled by the growing demand of Indian cotton in Britain due to the American Civil War. Increasing trade through Mumbai Port created an affluent mercantile class largely from Parsee and Gujarati communities.
After 1860, Mumbai was poised to emerge as a major urban centre when Henry Bartle Edward Frere became the Governor in 1862. Frere had a dream of transforming Mumbai into Urbs Prima in Indis i.e, India’s first city. He was instrumental in constructing St John’s Church in 1847 to commemorate the dead soldiers in the First Afghan War of 1838. Construction of Afghan Church was a turning point in the architectural history of Mumbai as it heralded the emergence of Neo-Gothic style suited to Indian climate and functionality. It was a Gothic style unique to Mumbai. Though the buildings were designed by British architects, locally available materials especially stones were used to minimize cost and to suit Mumbai’s humid climate and torrential monsoons. The expertise of Indian masons and craftsmen in elaborate decorative elements added a new dimension to this Gothic revival in Mumbai. ‘Georgian London’ Frere was the guiding force as he vehemently criticized his predecessors for copying ‘Georgian London’ in Mumbai that lacked a truly Anglo-Indian distinctive character. He said,“…architecture in England was at such a low ebb that we could not realize what was essential to the progress of art in India.” Frere demolished the old Fort George situated at the southern tip of Mumbai that was built in 1716 for military purposes. Frere planned for a series of administrative and public buildings in this area and commissioned and associated distinguished British architects; notable among them were George Gilbert Scott, Henry Conybeare, George Molecey, John Fuller and F W Stevens. No doubt, his aim was to enhance the image of the empire and to establish an effective civic administration, construction of new buildings in the Fort area (also called Frere Town) changed the skyline of South Mumbai forever. British Architects visited Mumbai and after studying the local needs designed these buildings. Opening of Suez Canal and newly-established railways in India facilitated transportation of construction materials. Establishment of Sir J J School of Art in 1854 produced trained craftsmen to take Frere’s enterprise forward. The rich traders donated generously for construction of public buildings. No stone unturnedWithin a span of over 30 years, Mumbai had acquired a unique architectural character based on Victorian-Gothic premises with indigenous components. Elements like sculpted balconies, turrets, oval and circular windows were incorporated that suited Indian sensibilities. Stones available locally in different variety like blue and red basalt from Pune, buff-coloured Kurla stone, Vasai sandstone, off-white stone from Porbander were extensively used. Frere’s town covered the southern tip of Mumbai. The plan left large open spaces (esplanade) that still provide lungspace to the densely populated business district by Azad, Oval, Cooperage and Cross Maidans. The prominent buildings in a row around Oval maidan are Old Secretariat, High Court and University Building with the famous Rajabai Tower. Adjacent to this is Central Telegraph Office which earlier housed GPO. Facing it we find the iconic Flora Fountain, a sculptural artefact of highest perfection made in Neo-Classical tradition in 1869. In the vicinity, the Head Quarter of Bombay, Baroda and Central Indian Railway (now Central Railways and Churchgate station) was constructed in 1899. Other remarkable buildings in this area are David Sasoon Library (1873), Chief Presidency Magistrate’s Court (1889), Royal Alfred Sailor’s Home now the HQ of Maharashtra State Police (1876), Elphinstone College (1890) etc. The Neo-Gothic style in Mumbai reached its zenith with the construction of Victoria Terminus (1888) and then of Bombay Municipal Corporation Building (1893);both conceived by F W Stevens. By the time, the design for BMC was being considered, the British government had realized the need to amalgamate Hindu and Mughal architectural elements into their buildings. This stylistic shift was the result of changing colonial policies that started believing in adaptive strategies after 1857 mutiny.The empire, to continue its rule, tried to evoke a sense of familiarity with the past. It led to emulation of architectural elements from Hindu, Jain and Mughal traditions so that empire is no longer perceived as an alien ruler. This change found its expression even in Gothic buildings like Victoria Terminus and BMC HQ and led to emergence of Indo-Saracenic architecture. John Begg, a Scottish Architect, came to Mumbai in 1901 as the Consulting Architect to the government and designed General Post Office (1913). Inspired by the Gol Gumbaj of Bijapur, he designed the central dome of GPO with minarets, cupolas and horseshoe shaped arches. It was a radical break from the predominant architectural style as it contained an unprecedented eclectic and a new syncretic style. After GPO, John Begg and George Wittel designed Prince of Wales Museum (1915). Gateway of India (1922) was another landmark structure in Indo-Saracenic tradition that was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. Interestingly, at the time of their arrival a temporary structure was erected hurriedly and today’s Gateway of India was formally inaugurated in 1924. Indo-Saracenic style also paved the way for independent development of various architectural styles derived from Zorastrian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Jain traditions as evident from numerous religious structures in Mumbai. No missing the ‘chawl’Apart from these developments, large scale immigration required residential structures. Since migration was community based and space was scarce, it led to a typical residential pattern called chawl which was a two to five storied building with one room accommodation with common toilets.The architecture of these chawls was influenced by the common cultural background of the residents. For example Khotachi Wadi in Girgaum area bears the Portuguese influence as the residents are largely Goan. In 1930s and 40s, the first generation of Indian architects trained in the Western tradition, broke new ground with their modern style based on sleek, symmetrical and geometric patterns using steel, plastic and glass for residential and commercial buildings that resembled to a contemporary style in Miami and New York. It was termed as Art Deco, a unique architectural style that dotted the landscape around Oval maidan and Marine Drive. Many hotels like Ritz, Astoria and West End and theatres such as Metro, Regal and Eros are Art Deco buildings. Besides buildings, a host of artefacts like fountains, statues, memorials and other installations added to the beauty of ever-charming Mumbai. Mumbai thus became an architectural mosaic that contributed in shaping its cosmopolitan and secular character. Post-Independent Mumbai witnessed rapid growth of suburbs and construction of skyscrapers. Closed cotton mills were pulled down for new construction and many buildings of historical significance like Buckley Court and Watson Hotel were demolished or altered to fulfill commercial needs.Fortunately, the citizens of Mumbai did not remain silent spectators. With growing heritage awareness, protests and mass mobilization by activists, professionals, resident associations and NGOs, the state government of Maharashtra passed a legislation in 1995 that enlisted 574 architectural structures (buildings, artefacts, residential clusters, open spaces etc.) and 14 precincts of heritage significance and further categorized them into three grades according to their architectural, historical and cultural importance as well as their period, design and use. The legislation was the first in India to monitor and regulate modifications or alterations with a view to protect them from demolition or rebuilding. Thanks to the conservation awareness among the citizens of Mumbai that many buildings have been restored to their previous glory. Significant among them are Convocation Hall of Mumbai University, Central Telegraph Office and Victoria and Albert Museum, now known as Bhau Daji Lad Museum.Conservation of CST and Elephanta Caves are going on and both are now listed as world heritage sites of UNESCO. Precincts like Kala Ghoda and Banganga have been protected. Annual events such as Heritage Walk and Mumbai Festival have further propagated the heritage awareness. Large scale protest against rebuilding of Opera House and Capitol Theatre have saved these buildings. Conservation plan is on the anvil for many buildings like GPO and Hazi Ali Dargah. The problem faced by the conservation process is that most of the buildings are government owned and the maintenance works over the years have been ad-hoc and incongruous in nature that have further deteriorated the structures. One glaring example is Gateway of India where waterproofing treatment with a synthetic resin adversely affected the stone. Paucity of fund is another constraint. Though new areas are being developed for growing residential and commercial needs, the vested interests comprising the builder-political nexus have been clamoring for redevelopment of heritage structures and precincts. The Heritage Committee is only a recommendatory body and it needs more autonomy and power. The recent controversy is redevelopment plan for Crawford Market (now renamed as Mahtama Jyotiba Phule Market) as the Municipal Corpration has passed a resolution and the government is facing criticism from various quarters.In fact, making Mumbai another Shanghai necessarily does not involve destroying its glorious history. What we need is a concerted conscious effort to deal pragmatically with the conservation of Mumbai’s architectural heritage so that its cultural pluralism and historical legacy are preserved in the context of rapidly changing urban demands.
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