Hornby Vellard

The Hornby Vellard was a project to build a causeway uniting all seven islands of Bombay into a single island with a deep natural harbour. The project was started by the governor William Hornby in 1782 and all islands were linked by 1838. The word "vellard" appears to be a local corruption of the Portuguese word "vallado" meaning fence or embankment. ["Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases" By Henry Yule, Arthur Coke Burnell, William Crooke; pub. 1903 John Murray, London]

It was completed in 1784 was one of the first major civil engineering projects which transformed the original seven islands of Bombay into one island. Work on the vellard was started in 1782 by William Hornby, then Governor of Bombay, against the wishes of the directors of the East India Company.

The purpose of this vellard was to block the Worli creek and prevent the low-lying areas of Bombay from being flooded at high tide. The cost was estimated at about Rs. 100,000.

According to some accounts, Hornby ordered the work to be started after the East India Company turned down his proposal; and continued as Governor till the end of his term in 1784, ignoring the suspension notice sent to him. [p. 23 ff. "A History of the Mahrattas" By James Grant Duff, Published 1921 H. Milford, Oxford,]

One story of the origin of the Mahalaxmi temple links it to a vision of a statue of Laxmi in the sea. The chief engineer dreamed of the statue following multiple collapses of the sea-wall; recovered it, and built the temple as an offering for safe construction of the vellard. [ [http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=knowmumbai&section=aboutmumbai&subpage=article&sectid=9&contentid=200707031337556715ba13de0 "Mumbai Mirror"] , July 3, 2007; retrieved February 7, 2008 ]

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