Bandra

India / Maharashtra / Mumbai /
 suburb, region, taluka headquarter, district headquarter

Tehsil Bandra, District Mumbai Suburban(Bandra), Maharashtra.

www.bandra-mumbai.com/
History of Bandra
Legend has it that the name Bandra comes from the Marathi word Bandar meaning port. The name is derived from "Bandar" or "Bhandara", which is Indo-Persian for "Wharves" or "Docks", and has evolved from the Portuguese "Bandora". The East Indians of Bandra largely inhabited pockets called "Gaothans" that were originally village-hamlets. The more famous of these are: Chimbai, Ranwar, Pali, Sherli, Rajan, Chuim, Mala, Koliwada, etc.

In 1543, the Portuguese took possession of the island of Bombay by force. The Portuguese gave the Jesuit priests the sole ownership of Bandra, Parel, Wadala and Sion. In 1570 the Jesuits built a college and a church in Bandra, which was called St Anne's College. In the mid-18th century, the traveler John Fryer records that the Jesuit church, which stood near the seashore, was still in use. The Portuguese built several churches in Bandra, including the famous St. Andrew's Church, which has the distinctive Portuguese-style facade. Bandra has the unique distinction of having the most churches anywhere in the world- 5 Churches and also a Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount.

In 1733 when the Kunbi farmers migrated to this island from Bombay, because the fish manure they used was banned, they found St. Andrew's church (still extant), St. Stanislaus's Orphanage and a monastery of St. Anne. After this was destroyed in a Maratha raid in the year 1737, when the Portuguese troops were aided by the English, a slaughter house was built on the same spot.

There was also a chapel of Mount Mary, build around 1640. Local tradition has it that this was destroyed in 1738 during a Maratha raid. The statue of the virgin was recovered from the sea by fishermen and temporarily installed in St. Andrews, before being shifted to the rebuilt Mount Mary in 1761.

Bandra remained a village with plantations of rice and vegetables in the low-lying areas of the island until it was connected to Mahim by a causeway in 1845. Although many bungalows were built here in the boom years of the 1860's and 70's, the fashionable Pali Hill area, now full of film stars, saw the first constructions only in the 1880's.

R D National College was originally set up in 1922 in Hyderabad (Pakistan) under the guidance of Dr. Annie Besant. After the partition of India, it was set up again, in 1949, in Bandra.

Bandra, formerly an independent city located on the former island of Bandra, now a part of Salsette Island, was merged in the early 1950s into the City of Bombay. The first urbanized area of Salsette, and largely made up of bunglows / cottages of the rich, it was called the Queen of the Suburbs. However, the decades since its merger with Bombay, has seen a substantial change in its demographics and it has also become congested.

Bandra had one of the largest Catholic populations in Mumbai. It is famous for its churches, especially Mount Mary's basilica.

Bandra (West) became one of the most fashionable suburbs already by the middle of the century. Over the years, Bandra has also gained the title of the "Restaurant Suburb of Mumbai". More restaurants open and close in Bandra every few months than any other location in Mumbai.

Bandra (East) is the capital of Bombay suburban district, and is regarded as a commercial area, consisting of the Bandra-Kurla Commercial Complex. However it is completely overshadowed by its neighboring city district with regards to government departments. The most prominent office is the suburban collector's office.

East Bandra is the site of a large layout of government quarters in Bombay, called Government Servant's Colony; other landmarks are the MIG (Middle Income Group) Colony along with the MIG Colony Club; the Kala Nagar layout housing artists and also where the notorious Hitlerite Bal Thackeray lives; Kher Nagar, etc. Other landmarks / important places are governemt offices such as the MHADA HQ, Bombay Suburban District Collector's office, Bandra Court Complex, MSEB HQ at "Prakashgad", State Women's Commission, Registrar of Marriages, etc.

Time and again, this marker has been vandalized by being renamed "Wandre", etc. The Marathi call Bandra "Wandra" or "Vandre", but this is not the original name, as the name is derived from "Bandar", or "wharves", and although the Marathi pretend to be the native of the Konkan, which here includes Bombay, it is the Konkani, not the Marathi, who are the natives, a fact that is further strongly underlined by the Marathi people's ignorance of the origin of Bandra's name.

Bandra is locations of district headquarter of Mumbai Suburban district of Maharashtra.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   19°3'23"N   72°50'14"E

Comments

  • Heart of Suburban Mumbai
  • Most happening place in mumbai. heart of d city... apun ka area
  • What on earth is Wandre.. i thought the queen of suburbs is called Bandra..
  • hi,this is ishteaque khan i am staying in bandra(w)hill road,fastes city in india,bandra film star place,
  • Bandra is the most happening place. it comprises of malls, sceeneries, gardens, theatres & many other beautiful places. i'm its son aged 20 years
  • Hi i am staying in Bandra east believe me its perfect place having school open ground club greenery lovely people all the possible thing that one need to have happyness in life and biggest of all HINDUTAVA is staying in Bandra east
  • Hindutava is not for a secular India. Bandra(W) has always been a wonderful place to live because it amalgamated all castes, creeds and languages. Muslims, Hindus & Parsis - were all welcome. And, you know what they all believed that keeping Bandra's culture of a free liberatarian society was important - something that started with the East Indian Catholics and which has been adopted by everyone coming to live in Bandra - this was needed for it to go forward. That is why for all the dances you see all different people be it what belief and whatever "ism" - they will still go for a dance in this place. Viva Bandra
  • HI,I LIVE IN BANDRA SINCE I WAS BORN AND BROUGHT UP HERE,I LOVE THIS PLACE COZ IM USED TO IT,IN FACT I LIVE IN DUBAI COZ I WORK HERE,STILL I MISS BANDRA ALOT,WHEN I AM SOMEWHERE IN MUMBAI,AS SOON AS I LEAVE BANDRA I START MISSING IT AND I FEEL LIKE RUNNING BACK TO BANDRA ,COZ ITS A LOVELY PLACE TO LIVE AND SHOP AND U CAN JUST STROLL FULL DAY WTHOUT GETTING BORED,THATS THE REASON WHY ALL THESE BOLLYWOOD STARS WHO ARE UNKNOWN TO BANDRA COME AND LIVE IN THIS PLACE,PEOPLE LIVE IN BANDRA FEEL AS IF THEY ARE KING AND FEEL PROUD TO LIVE IN BANDRA,WITH LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL FACES WELL I I HOPE GOD KEEP THIS PLACE ALWAYS SAFE AND AWAY FROM EVIL EYES,,WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ENJOY THE PARTY ,,KEEP IT UP GUYS
  • Listen chaps and everybody who will lend a ear, bandra is only for the very elite flithy rich, that is only for those people who have the power to throw their garbage in somebody else's garden where that person has no power to retaliate or to teach them right from wrong. These kind of filthy rich people who keep their houses spotlessly clean by dumping their crap in the neighbours living area. Thats kind of people who can live and survive in Bandra. So unless your fabulously filthy rich dont even think of driving your car via bandra.
  • Bandra ROCKS! It has best places to shop and superb restaurants to hang out with friends!!!!
  • Government colony, bandra east.
  • bnadra is not clean..dey shud improve it alot n make it green n clean
  • Bandra east.
  • No life in Mumbai without Bandra. Most happening place, Beautiful, friendly, homely..etc etc.I LOVE BANDRA
  • Hi all, i was living in Bandra (west) some 14 years ago, i left this beautiful place on 1994, and shifted to delhi, i studied in khar (Kamala High School), we used to go to juhu (santra cruz)beach and enjoy ourselves. By the way i lived near gaiety theatre (Theatre-trio, Gaiety-Galaxy-Gemini), some guys could remember that, i have nostalgic feeling now as i wirte this... I saw many film shootings near theatre, film premieres were conducted there... almost so beautiful memories... i wanted to live in this place forever, but there is something called 'fate', which doesnot permit you anywhere you want... sorry for boring you guys.... byeeeeeeee
  • sandra from bandra, men. i grew up here in the 70s and 80s, oh how i miss it now. pockets of bandra still remain as they were, especially along chuim, interior lanes from hill road, mont mary's, pali hill. it has always been a bastion of tolerance, and one of the most diverse assemblages of religions anywhere in the world, men, basket ( am trying to write with the goan spoken accent men, but its hard, fodria, ah fawtha in laws brinjals men). i remember saturday date program on the radio, with long lists of catlick names wishing happy birthday...of x;mas, diwali, oh memories. it still rocks.
  • What does staying in bandra got to do with Hindutva 'kalyanishahjani'.. Despite the fact that for decades and centuries it was inhabitated and ruled by east indians (christians), the people of bandra have always welcomed our fellow citizens of every faith.. Please do not spoil the spirit of this beautiful suburb with irresponsible comments. Also try to learn some english before your next comment..
  • Bandra is an amazing suburb of Mumbai. Bandra is the heart of Mumbai with a rich historical and cultural background. Bandra has an amazing lifestyle full of energy and different from the rest of Mumbai. Bandra has an amazing range of restaurants, cafes and night clubs which host the best parties in town. Linking Road, Bandra has probably the best shopping options in Mumbai and brings in people from all over to shop in Bandra. Check our all what is happening in Bandra on www.mybandra.com
  • well...i m fallin short ov words to decribe this place..all i can say is, i m proud to be stayin in bandra!!
  • QUEEN OF SUBURBS......
  • one of the most important place in mumbai.all fast and slow local train stops here.there is buggest walk bridge constructed on this station.many good colleges are located in bandra.
  • very nice place , spacially bay of the sea with the rocks and its peace with sunset buity. that is elegant creation by the god gifted to the human..... many good collages and area ...
  • MY FATHER DR A.C.S GILANI LIVED HERE AFTER MARRYING MY MOTHER, MRS AKHTER GILANI IN 1941 till 1948.HE WAS TEACHING AT THAT TIME AT THE 1st COLLEGE OF BOMBAY,Elphinston college.
  • MY FATHER DR ARIF C S GILANI LIVED IN BOMBAY FROM 1039 TO 1048 AND WORKED AS PEOFESSOR AT THE FAMOUS ELHPHINSTON COLLEGE,LOVED IT THERE AND WAS TRAINED TO BECOME A PRICIPAL,AND WORKED AS PRINCIPAL IN SHIKARPUR,LARKANA,HYDERABAD AND KARACHI GOVERNMENT COLLEGES.ALL VERY LOVELY MOMENTS IN SINDH
  • I,Vasant an artist live in Bandra East. 26478542
  • I guess u people are not aware of ANDHERI. The largest and most populous place in mumbai. From Varsova to Sakinaka it is 14 km (more than 3 times of Bandra). It is home to 20% of total population of Mumbai. Andheri has 2nd busiest railway station in Mumbai after Dadar. It has got more industrial units than any other place in Mumbai. Moreover, Andheri has South Asia's largest and busiest airport....NOW TELL WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT.
  • I miss mubai a lotttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  • The Bandra Kherwadi first CM-Mumbai Shri Balgnagadher Kher Saheb He is god Hindu Khatik in1952 He is Very-very good man----------------------------------------------------------------------Kailash Totaram Bhilwara
  • It is great place . I live in Bandra since many years. I am a Bandra history buff. I teach Portuguese in Bandra in my Institute called Language Lab. Telef fernandes
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