British Government House (Raj Bhavan) Bombay, 2 Photos 1900
The British Government House at Malabar Point, now known as Raj Bhavan, Bombay (Mumbai). It served as the official residence of the Governor of the Bombay Presidency during the British Raj. Located on the scenic Malabar Point, which is at the end of Malabar Hill overlooking the Arabian Sea on three sides.
In the early 19th century, the British Governors of Bombay stayed at an earlier Government House in Parel, which was then on the outskirts of the city. The Parel Government House (later the Haffkine Institute) was the official residence until the 1880s. However, due to the city’s rapid industrialization and frequent outbreaks of diseases such as plague and cholera, the British administration sought a cleaner and more pleasant location.
In 1885, the British formally moved the official Government House from Parel to Malabar Point. The location soon became the seat of power for the Bombay Presidency, one of the most important provinces under British India.
The new House covered around 50 acres of land. It was designed with typical colonial architectural elegance, large verandas, wide porticos, and manicured lawns.
The estate’s location was unique, a promontory jutting into the sea. It offered panoramic views of the Arabian Sea, Nariman Point, and the Harbour. After India’s independence in 1947, the building was renamed Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra.
Did you know – before the Parel Government House, the Government House was based inside the Bombay Castle.
Past posts –Elephant Rescues Hunter From Lion Attack, India, 1837 Painting., Ruttonsee Mulji Jetha Fountain Bombay, 1910 Postcard.
