Esplanade Road Now Mahatma Gandhi Road Bombay, 1877 Photo
A 1877 rare photo of Esplanade Road, now known as Mahatma Gandhi Road in Mumbai, offers a glimpse of the city’s early colonial past. This historic photograph captures Esplanade Road in its early years, shaded by rows of trees on both sides. A striking contrast to the bustling nucleus it has become in modern Mumbai.
The transformation began under Bombay Governor Bartle Frere, who ordered the demolition of the old Fort walls in 1862. Following this, the main streets—Esplanade Road (MG Road), Rampart Row (K. Dubash Marg), and Hornby Road (Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road)—were laid out along the course of the demolished ramparts.
British planners envisioned this space as a grand civic center, lining the Esplanade with monumental Neo-Gothic public and government buildings. Notable among them are the Bombay University building, the Prince of Wales Museum (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya), the Royal Institute of Science, the Flora Fountain, and the Oriental Building. These architectural marvels became defining landmarks of colonial Bombay and remain key heritage icons of Mumbai’s British-era history. Click photo to enlarge.
Did you know – an Esplanade is a vast open land or Maidan to give line of sight to troops in the fort during an enemy attack.
From the collection – 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal Art Abstract (#11).
