Aerial View of Colaba, Esplanade & Back Bay In British Bombay, 1890 Photo
An 1890 aerial view captures a sweeping view of colonial Bombay (Mumbai). Showcasing Colaba, the esplanade (maidan), and the Back Bay. This remarkable photograph is widely attributed to the celebrated photographer Raja Deen Dayal. And is believed to have been taken from the Secretariat Building, a portion of which appears in the foreground. The Oval Maidan, part of the esplanade, appears in front of the Secretariat.
The Secretariat Building stands along the same monumental row as the iconic Rajabai Clock Tower and the Bombay High Court. These grand public buildings once faced the vast, undivided esplanade (maidan) overlooking the Back Bay.
To the south of the esplanade is the bandstand, and tents are pitched on the open ground marking part of the Esplanade area. Beyond this stretch, Colaba and the Fort district extend further south, illustrating the city’s gradual urban expansion.
Also visible in the distance are warehouses and the tall chimneys of cotton mills, highlighting Bombay’s emergence as a major industrial and commercial hub in the late 19th century. The road running along the public buildings and the edge of the Oval Maidan is known today as Karamveer Bhaurao Marg, while the road separating the Oval Maidan from the Back Bay was historically called Queens Road. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know this view was taken before the Back Back reclamation Project, which took place in the 1920s. The Marine Drive and promenade came up only after the reclamation.
