Byculla

Byculla or Bhaykhala is a neighbourhood in South Mumbai. It is also the name of a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Central Railway line.

Location

Byculla is neighboured by
* Nagpada and Mumbai Central on the West,
* Agripada, Jacob Circle and Mahalakshmi on the North-West,
* Chinchpokli to the North,
* Reay Road and Ghodapdeo on the North-East
* Mazagaon and Dockyard Road to the East and
* Sandhurst Road and Bhendi Bazaar to the South.

Byculla falls under "E" Ward within the municipal limits of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC.

History

* During the late 18th century, Byculla was an extension of Mazagaon, one of the seven islands that originally formed the city of Mumbai.

* The Byculla railway station was completed by 1857. This was also the time the first mills came into this area which was originally used only for residential purpose.

* Byculla used to house many of the city's textile mills until the mills shut shop and moved out of the island city. As of today, few mills are operational and even they are on the brink of closure. Many of these old mills are now desolate and some are being razed down to make way for newer constructions. Khatau Mills is situated in Byculla, in news for the alleged murder of its owner Sunit Khatau in May, 1994.

* Byculla is an upper-middle class enclave with a large Muslim population in its Western parts and Gujaratis, Jains, Marathis, Christians and Parsis in its Eastern parts.

Demographics

* Traditionally, Byculla has been inhabited by Parsis, Christians, Marathis, Gujaratis and Muslims.

* Byculla, like many other locations of Mumbai have witnessed strong real estate growth, particularly in the Motisha Lane area where there are lots of tall residential buildings, occupied by affluent Jain community.

* Of late, Byculla has also witnessed the increase of population of Dawoodi Bohra and other traditional Muslims, who are primarily a business community like most of the Gujaratis.

* There is also a BIT Chawl, primarily housing Marathi working class community, home to one of the largest Ganesha idols during the Ganeshotsav celebrations.

Points of interest

* Zoo: Byculla houses the city zoo called "Veermata Jijamata Prani Sangrahalay" or "Ranichi Baug" in Rani Jijamata Udyaan (Rani Bagh) (earlier called Victoria Gardens). There are talks of shifting the zoo to a more spacious location.

* Museum: Byculla also houses the "Veermata Jijamata Museum" also known as "Bhau Daji Lad Sangrahalaya" (earlier Victoria and Albert Museum). It was built in 1871 and is a near replica of its namesake in London. It reopened January 5, 2008, following extensive renovations.

* National Railway Hospital: Byculla also possesses the biggest National Railway Hospital called "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Railway Hospital" in front of Veer Jijamata Prani Sangrahalaya.

* Vegetable Market: Byculla is also home of the Byculla Vegetable Market, the largest vegetable market in Mumbai (even larger than Crawford Market).

* Fly-overs and bridges: Byculla is also known for Mumbai's first ever "Y-bridge" built across Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road which then splits further to go to Byculla East and West before the Clare Road intersection, thereby forming a Y shape when seen from the air. This was one of the oldest fly-overs built in Mumbai.

* Fire Brigade Headquarters: Mumbai Fire Brigade's headquarters are situated just below the "Y Bridge". In the front of the Headquarter building, there is a memorial built in the memory of numerous fire fighters who died during the Bombay Explosion (1944) of April, 1944.

* Mustafa bazaar: a wholesale timber market is frequently visited by many from the city.

* Jerbai Baug and Rustom Baug: are the two Parsi colonies where most of the Parsis of Byculla live.

Places of worship

* Jain Temple: Byculla is also known for the famous Jain Temple, Motisha Jain Derasar. This Jain Temple is situated in Love Lane, which has now been renamed as Motisha Lane.

* Gloria Church: Byculla also houses Gloria Church, the church frequented by most local Christians. The Church shares a common playing ground with Antonio D'Souza High School

* Magen David Synagogue: is believed to be one of the oldest ones in the city. David Sassoon, a Baghdadi Jew, built the Magen David Synagogue in 1861 in Byculla, where the family first lived.

* Like most other localities of Mumbai, Byculla also is home to a number of small Hindu temples and Muslim Mosques located in its small pockets.

Transportation

* Byculla is very well connected by Central Railway line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway, as well as Bus routes serviced by BEST. In fact, most of the buses servicing South Mumbai, South-Central Mumbai, Central Mumbai and North-East Mumbai pass through Byculla. It was this heavy traffic which had prompted city planners to develop major fly-overs in Byculla, as early as 1980s.

* Ferry Wharf, a major ferry servicing port is located at a small distance from Byculla, in the Dockyard Road locality.

* The nearest railway stations of Western Railway line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway are Mumbai Central and Mahalakshmi and that of Harbour Line of Mumbai Suburban Railway are Dockyard Road and Reay Road stations.

Trivia

* The Y-Bridge fly-over was filmed in the famous Hindi comedy-satire film called "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" where the famous coffin scene between inebriated Om Puri and the dead-body of Satish Shah takes place. The fly-over is also shown being inaugurated at the beginning of the film.

* Another fly-over built near the Gloria Church was in news when there was a collapse of one of its portions during its construction in the 1980s

* Gloria Church has been filmed in many Hindi movies, including Amar Akbar Anthony.

* "Byculla Boy" is the name of a novel written by eminent author Ashok Banker, on the place where he and his mother grew up.

Hospitals

* Masina Hospital
* Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy Hospital

Educational institutes

* Grant Medical College
* Antonio D'Souza High School
* Christ Church School
* E.E.E. Sassoon High School
* Gloria Convent High School
* M. H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering
* Nair Dental College
* [ Convent of Jesus & Mary]
* [ St Agnes High School]

Important Personalities

* Shaikh Shamim Ahmed (Politician and Ex. MLA)
* B.D. Zute (Ex. MLA)
* Faiyaz Ahmed Kahn (Ex. MLA
* Arun Gawli (Gangster and MLA).
* Ansari Ayub(Ex. CORPORATOR)

ee also

* Timeline of Mumbai events
* Bombay Explosion (1944)

External links

* [http://www.mumbaipropertyexchange.com/bi_viewmap.asp?
]
* [http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/physical/geo/bycullah.html History of Bycullah]
* [http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/bomEx.html#memorial Bombay Harbour Explosion]
* [http://www.telusplanet.net/public/darouxl/Bombay13.html Y-Bridge]
* [http://www.ingenious.org.uk/See/Medicineandhealth/Nursingandhospitalcare/?target=SeeMedium&ObjectID={784F7AEE-9596-E94B-99F8-C52EDCFB5EAB}&s=S1&viewby=images& Byculla Railway Hospital in 1930]
* [http://www.shreejainalertgroupbyculla.org/ Shree Jain Alert Group Byculla]
* [http://www.mcgm.gov.in/forms/Masterdisplay.aspx?dno=OQ%3d%3d-qy%2fHCzIlmpQ%3d&slmno=MTA%3d-Hk%2buffz58TY%3d&tlmno=MQ%3d%3d-Yh62L2fcsbg%3d Bhau Daji Lad Museum]
* [http://web.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/april/107981.htm Should zoo shift to Goregaon?]
* [http://www.math.tifr.res.in/gallery/Bombay/dsc00043 Gloria Church from across the street]