British Royal Visit & City Fair At Bombay, 1883 Print

An 1883 print of the British Royal visit and city fair at Bombay (Mumbai). This page is from the London-based newspaper The Graphic, of Dec 22, 1883. The bottom picture shows a fair being organized at the Azad Maidan (Esplanade) in 1883. The Bombay Gymkhana was located at a triangular plot on a corner of this ground. The plot can be seen at the far corner of the Maidan. The Gymkhana’s building looks a bit obscure in the engraving.

The newspaper gives an account of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught’s visit to the city. The fair or fete was held at the Azad Maidan in their honor. Prince Arthur the Duke was the third son of Queen Victoria and her favorite. He married Princess Louise, the great-niece of Wilhelm I, Emperor of Germany. He held many important posts. One of the post was as the Governor-General of Canada from 1911 to 1916. The duke was an accomplished army officer who rose from the ranks. He had served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army, from 1886 to 1890. While on his visit to Bombay in 1883, he held the rank of a General.