View of Bhendi Bazaar British Era Bombay, 1890 Photo
An 1890 photo with a view of Bhendi Bazaar during the British Era in Bombay (Mumbai). The reclamation of the seven islands of Bombay was completed into a united landmass by the 1830s. East India Company encouraged traders and skilled workers to come and settle at Bombay’s Fort George. The Fort area consequently grew into a financial district with the northern side of the Fort settled in by native Indian workers and traders and the south by European businesses.
The skilled workers being single men were allotted residential areas in Bhendi Bazaar. The buildings where they stayed were designed as chawls (dormitories), gradually their families would also move in. The buildings were later sold to private owners who in turn rented them out. Over the years, Bhendi Bazaar grew into one of Bombay’s major commercial hubs. The area is surrounded by other markets like Crawford Market, Chor Bazaar, Null Bazaar etc. Click on the image to enlarge view.
Did you know – that the origin of the name Bhendi has much guesswork. One of them was that the British referred to the place as “behind the bazaar” (meaning behind Crawford Market) which then was corrupted to “Bhendi Bazaar“. Another theory was that it referred to the okra farms that once existed there.
Past posts – Bhageerathi, The Wife Of Raja Ravi Varma, 1870 Photo., St George’s Cathedral Madras – Old Postcard 1915., The Jewish Synagogue At Cochin, 1927 Print., King George’s Car At Delhi Durbar – Old Postcard 1911.
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