Back Bay & Churchgate Railway Headquarters In Bombay, 1900 Postcard
A 1900 postcard of Back Bay and the Churchgate Railway Headquarters in Bombay (Mumbai). In the left foreground, beside the waters of Back Bay, stands the magnificent office of the BB & CI (Bombay, Baroda & Central India) or Churchgate Railway Headquarters, a prominent landmark in colonial Bombay. It is now the home of the Western Railway Headquarters.
At the far right edge of the picture, the iconic Rajabai Clock Tower is partially visible, overlooking the expansive Oval Maidan stretching before it. Visible on the north of the Maidan is the area believed to be the Wellington Lines. Offering a glimpse into the city’s military and administrative landscape during the British era.
This beautiful panoramic view shows the Back Bay area before the Back Bay Reclamation Scheme in the 1920s. The Back Bay Scheme transformed Bombay’s coastline. Paving the way for the construction of Marine Drive, the iconic Art Deco residential buildings, and the expansion of the Colaba area. The scheme shifted the Back Bay’s shoreline further back. The BB & CI was integrated into the Western India Railway following India’s independence. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know – the Oval Maidan was originally part of a vast open esplanade that separated the fortified town from the expanding city.
