Apollo Bunder Promenade & View of Harbour – 2 Postcards 1918
Two 1918 postcards show the Apollo Bunder Promenade and view of harbour during the British era in Bombay (Mumbai). The famous Taj Mahal Hotel, although not shown, faces the Apollo Bunder. In the background is Lord Hardinge’s statue and that of the Royal Bombay Yacht Club. The Yacht Club had once a commanding view of the seafront and the Gateway of India.
Today it has a slightly more narrower view because of the adjacent harbour’s massive expansion. The Club opened in 1846 and frequently held sailing events and had formal functions. However, it had a slightly darker side too, no Indians were allowed into the club right up to the end of the 1950s. Lord Hardinge was the viceroy of British India from 1910 to 1916.
The Apollo Bunder was reclaimed from the sea in 1869, originally it was a fishing boat landing area. Later, it was developed into a landing jetty for passengers arriving from abroad by steamer. Subsequently, the Apollo Bunder was where the iconic Gateway of India would come up. The next three decades saw a transformation of the surrounding landscape. The Taj Mahal Hotel and the Yacht Club came up. Click on the photo for better view
Read about Timeline of Mumbai History. See my post Apollo Bunder Landing Jetty Bombay – Old Print 1880.
Did you know- After India’s independence in 1958, the Bombay Yacht Club had to close down for not accepting Indians as members.
From the collection- Vintage Raja Ravi Varma “Laxmi” Oleograph., King George V At The 1911 Delhi Durbar – Old Photo 1920., Madras Railway Goods Engine – Old Print 1868
