My Heritage Chronicles

When we talk about the fountains of Mumbai, The first picture that comes to our mind is a very ornate and beautiful fountain called "Flora Fountain" named after the Greek Goddess of flower and spring "Flora" located at what was once the heart of Bombay. Digging deeper into its history, It was interesting to know that the architectural beauty was meant to be for Victoria Gardens but was placed at the exact location of one of the three gates of Bombay fort when it was demolished in 1860. This was an ornamental fountain, but we also have fountains and pyaav built across Mumbai in the 19th century by philanthropists, civic bodies, etc which was a humanitarian response to the water needs of the working and labor class. There were fountains which were very simple structures while some were architectural beauty which also vitalized the public space. The important aspect is the location of the pyaavs which were strategically built along with the old tram network or major ...

It is hard to imagine any Jewish landmark in Mumbai and Pune which doesn't have Sassoon family connections. David Sassoon - A Baghdadi Jew was treasurer of Baghdad when he had to flee his city from the persecution of the ruler of Baghdad - Daud Pasha. He arrived in Bombay in 1832 and over a period of time became a wealthy businessman trading in cloth, jute, and opium. He and his family have been instrumental in building synagogues in Mumbai and Pune as well as many prominent buildings like David Sassoon library, Masina hospital, Sassoon docks, Bank of India building in Fort area of Mumbai as well Sassoon hospital, Lady Rachel Sassoon dispensary in Pune to name a few. Counted in one of the old areas of Mumbai - Chinchpokli, It lies on the central railway line of Mumbai local trains. While traveling by train one can notice some monuments as soon as trains cross the Chinchpokli station. These are the mausoleums of the Sassoon family in a Jewish cemetery. This cemetery was bui...

Bhuleshwar  - The name comes from the word "Bhola" means Innocent and "Ishwar" meaning God, It is known for its one stop shop market place in Mumbai for everything from women clothing to men clothing, household items, flowers and vegetables, Jewellery and diamonds and many more. The labyrinth lanes of this native precinct is bustling on weekdays with its markets and where sellers and buyers are jostling for space.One author Kaiwan Mehta has even written a book " Alice in Bhuleshwar" where he takes the reader for a walk through the streets of this historic neighbourhood reading their history and telling stories of people and places. Like any other older parts of the city, this area also holds secrets.  The maze of lanes are home to more than 100 temples, many dating back several centuries. The best time to visit them would be on Sunday when the markets are closed in the area and preferably in the morning when the street stalls are yet to open for bus...