The House of Mangaldas and their love for Elephants

Mangaldas market - a century-old market is one of the busiest and oldest markets in South Mumbai known as a wholesale cloth center. Such is the popularity of the market that 100 small shops which line the narrow lanes inside had a daily footfall of over 100,000 people (pre-covid). My curiosity to know more about the person "Mangaldas" lead me to this interesting story about this wealthy family.

Sir Mangaldas Nathubhai (1832 -1890) was the first Hindu to have received a knighthood from the British. The famous cloth market and a street in old Bombay have been named after him. Mangaldas Nathubhai came from a trading (Bania) family of Kapole Bhatias, He was the biggest benefactor to Mumbai University and had helped several charitable institutions. It is said that the great grandfather of Sir Mangaldas, Manordas Rupji Dhanji (1727-92) was a Hindu banker and merchant while his father Rupji Dhanji was one of the earliest traders from the village of Ghogha near Diu to have settled in Bombay. The wealthy Mangaldas family-owned a lot of properties in Mumbai, Some of their properties had a peculiar common thread - portrayal of elephants.

Bhangwadi a building in the old Kalbadevi neighborhood stands today in the shadow of its past glory. Here flourished a theatre over 100 years ago where live musicians tirelessly delivered encores to audiences. Bhangwadi theatre was a den of art and addiction as there also existed shops that would sell bhang, those were the days when the opium trade flourished and so did this theatre. The building was owned by Tribhovandas Mangaldas Nathubhai - son of Sir Mangaldas Nathubhai. The front facade of this building proudly displays a splendidly carved palanquin bearing elephant with the phrase "Wisdom over riches" carved on its back.

The theatre and the opium shops no longer exist today but the elephant on the building entrance stands for the welcome. 

Heading to Lamington road, There stands another defunct theatre which had seen its heydays - The Imperial Theatre. It stands on a sprawling estate that was owned by the Mangaldas family. The theatre was colloquially known as Hatti cinema for there stood at the entrance a pair of elephants to greet and welcome the audience.

Today the theatre has closed down but the pair of elephants still carry the load of the theatre behind the barbed wires of the closed gate.

At the other end of the estate, lies open garages with tin sheets roof. The gated garages hide a collection of old cars. Hidden amidst the detritus and covered with layers of dust stands an elephant welcoming with its raised trunk. It is said that this elephant was part of a coronation arch built here in the estate in late 1890 in honor of King Edward and the magnificent stone elephant eyes could be lit by the lamp at dusk. Today the elephant probably keeps an eye on the garage mechanics and the collection of the old cars.

A monogram carved on the garage iron gates reads "GTM". It didn't take much time to decipher what it meant !!!

A residential building gate in the vicinity guarded by two baby elephants.

Carved on the walls above, there is yet another elephant with mahout riding it.

Next to the residential gate, a marble nameplate proudly displayed the name of the owner "Gordhandas T Mangaldas", and the connection with the garage gate with monogrammed initials "GTM" was finally established. The words that stood out on the marble nameplate "Sir Mangaldas House".

Another slice of history probably lost and not remembered which is linked to Mangaldas house is that on January 14th, 1915, soon after his arrival from South Africa, Gandhiji attended a garden party on grounds of Mangaldas house which was presided by Mohammad Ali Jinnah who was then the chairman of Gurjar Sabha. Gandhiji gave a thank you speech in Gujarati at this garden party which was his first public protest on Indian soil. (this is mentioned in his biography).