Mulund

Fly-over bridge connecting east-west Mulund

Mulund is a north-eastern suburb of Mumbai. It is accessible by rail on the Central Railway (main line)of the Mumbai Suburban Railways. It is nestled alongside the foothills of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park with easy access to the Eastern Express Highway and Navi Mumbai through the Mulund-Airoli Bridge (connecting mumbai with Navi Mumbai). Additionally its also easy to go to Thane or Mumbai North-Western such as Borivali using the Ghodbunder Road. It has been called the Prince of Suburbs to rival the Queen of Suburbs Bandra.

Kalidas auditorium at Mulund, west

From the mid 1950s to late 1980s, Mulund was an idyllic sleepy hamlet. It was home to a large number of educated middle class residents. As a typical microcosm of Mumbai, it had a cosmopolitan mix of Marathis, Hindi-speakers, Gujratis, Tamilians, Malayalis, Telugus, Kannadigas, Sindhis, Catholics and Punjabis who lived in harmony with each other. Testimony to this fact is the presence of various religious structures located close to each other with no communal or religious intolerance like Ganesh Temple near Railway Police force quarters (Mulund East), Khandoba temple on Navghar-Mithaghar Link road (Mulund-East), The Jain Temple in Zaver Road, The Bhakta Sangham Temple in P.K. Road. St. Pius X Church on Madan Mohan Malviya Road, Balrajeshwar Temple on L.B.S. Road, Sarvodaya Parshwanath Temple in Sarvodaya Nagar and the Hanuman Temple in Mulund East.
Mulund was home to several prominent manufacturing establishments. Notable among them are the pharmaceutical companies - Hoechst, Wellcome, Glaxo, Merind and Johnson & Johnson. Engineering companies like Richardson Cruddas, Bombay Oxygen, Chicago Pneumatic, ACC, Agfa & Gabriel are also around. As production shifts out of Mumbai, many of these establishments have made or are in the process of making way for modern shopping malls and luxurious apartment complexes altering the landscape and skyline. Johnson and Johnson however continues to remain a landmark in Mulund.
Towards the late 90s this suburb acquired a new hue with winds of globalisation slowly reaching the people here. Old buildings and structures gave way to big bright new malls and cineplexes. This change is most apparent along the L.B.S. Road which today is lined with two major shopping malls, R-Mall and Nirmal Lifestyle; both of which are amongst some of the largest malls in India. Skyscrapers have lined the landscape, replacing old factories. Old tailors and garment cut-piece stores have given way to fashion boutiques.
Though Mulund today has become much more crowded than what it used to be, it is still considered to one of the safest places in Mumbai. The pleasant living conditions and easy access to different parts of the city and its outskirts, have attracted lots of people from South Mumbai. The population of Mulund has shot up to around 8 lakh in 2001 as compared to the 3 lakh in 1991.
The proximity to the Bhandup Water Purification Plant ensures a 24 hour supply of water. Electricity has been a problem though, in the last two years since the onset of load-shedding. Mulund has many regions using Piped Gas for the past five years or more. Flooding hasn't been much of a problem in Mulund as such, but the flooding of neighbouring regions like Bhandup affects people commuting to and from Mulund.
Sambhaji Park in Mulund East is one of the main attractions of this suburb. People of all age groups love to come there to jog, exercise etc.

Educational Institutions
Indian Education Society's KG, Primary and Secondary school (King George)
Lokmanya Tilak English High School(LTEHS), formerly Vaze school
Purandhare High School
Sau Laxmibai English Medium High-School (SLEMS)
Nalini Yashvantrao Doede Vidyalaya,Mulund East School of TUSHAR JADHAV.
Mulund Vidya Mandir
Smt. Vidyaben D. Gardi High School.
Holy Angel's High School (HAHS).
Sheth Moti Bhai Pachan Rashtriya Shala (S.M.P.R.)
Navbharat Nutan Vidyalaya
Wamanrao Muranjan Madhyamik Vidyalay
Sharon English High School
St.Pius X High School
St.Mary's Convent School
V.P.M.'s B.R.T. English High School
Girish Swami Gyan vidyalaya.
Mulund College Of Commerce
V.G. Vaze college
NES International School(IGCSE Board)
Smt. N. G. Purandare High School & Degree Night college(Commerce)
Sheth Karamshi Kanji English School (SMPR)
Navbharat Nutan Vidyalaya
Vani Vidyalaya
Friends Co-Operative Education Society School(FCES)
R.R Educational Trust's Primary and Sec Marathi English high School D.Ed , B.Ed and M.Ed college
Mulund High School
J.J. Academy
Entertainment
Kalidas Hall, Mulund
Mulund has several cinema halls including R Adlabs (at R-Mall) and PVR (at Nirmal Lifestyles). Mehul and Deepmandir have lost their sheen in the recent years after the multiplexes have opened. Jawahar, the oldest theatre has shut shop, and Jai Ganesh in Mulund (E) might see some transformation. Kalidas Auditorium is the only auditorium in Mulund which regularly holds Marathi, Gujarati and Hindi plays apart from musical shows. Maharashtra Seva Sangh above Apna Bazaar on JN Road also holds a number of events particularly in the Marathi literary world.

Parks & Promenades
C D Deshmukh Garden (One of the well maintained garden in Mumbai)
Yogi Hills Garden
Kalidas Gardens (Sonar Bangla)
Sambhaji Garden
Johnson & Johnson Park
Lala Tulsiram Garden (Devidayal Garden)
Girish Swami National Park

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Nahur

Nahur is a North Eastern suburb of Mumbai and it lies between Mulund and Bhandup. Nahur railway station falls under the jurisdiction of Central Railways and it was constructed to reduce the distance (between two consecutive train stations) between Bhandup and Mulund railway stations, which was quite large. Nahur has also helped in reducing the congestion in these stations, especially during the peak hours. Sky rocketing property prices have forced development around Nahur. This railway station serves areas of Nahur, Bhandup (East), Village road,Bhandup(west), areas around Mulund (West).
Nahur station was officially inaugurated on 21st April 2006.
It is suitably located with Mulund and Bhandup on either sides, and within touching distance of both Airoli (New Mumbai) and Thane.
It is also the railway station nearest to Nirmal Lifestyles, which is a very popular mall in North Mumbai. Only slow trains of Central Railways stop at Nahur, as it currently doesn't have the provisions (or the need) to introduce platforms for fast trains.
Nahur is a station on the Central Railway main line. It lies between Bhandup and Mulund.All slow trains halt at Nahur. It is well connected with the rest of the city through a dense road network through the LBS road on the west, Eastern Express Highway on the East. It can also be approached from Bhandup Station from either side. East and West of Nahur station are connected though the Mulund-Goregaon Link Road.
Hospitals
Wockhardt Hospital
Drishti Eye Care Centre, Dr. Harish Rai, Panch Rasta.
Agarwal Municipal Hospital, Close by at Dr. R. P. Road
Schools
Subhash Nagar Hindi School, Village Road, Nahur(w)
S.P.S. Janata Vidyalaya L.B.S.Marg Nahur(w)
Shivai vidyalaya Nahur(e)
St Pius X High School, Nahur
St Mary's School Nahur
Vani Vidyalaya, off Jawaharlal Nehru Road
B.E.S. English High School (Menon school)
Restaurants
Hotel Residency, Opp. Wockhardt Hosp.
Aditya, Mayuresh shristi, Nahur
Amantran, Nahur Road
Cafe Apsara, sonapur, Nahur
Cafe Maaz, sonapur, Nahur
Gazal, sonapur, Nahur
Hotel Kaveri, sonapur, Nahur
Guru prasad, sonapur signal Nahur
Padma, sonapur, Nahur
Panchratna, sonapur, Nahur
Macdonalds nirmal lifestyle Nahur
Sachin's nirmal lifestyle Nahur
Samrat, sonapur, Nahur
Sai Kripa, sonapur, Nahur
Shera l.b.s.marg Nahur
Shivraj, sonapur, Nahur
Shri Siddhi, sonapur, Nahur

Residential Complexes
Bhandup Amol Cooperative Housing Society Ltd., Nahur (East)
ParimaL,Jaydeep Nagar ,Opposite Nahur Railway Station,Nahur (East)
Shreenath Residency, Nahur (East)
Shiv shristi complex, adjacent Nahur station, mulund-goregaon link road.
Parshwanath Apartments ( D-10), Sarvodaya Nagar
Anand Dham CHS, Nahur (east)Sheel Mainkar B/18
KALIKA CHS LTD, Nahur Gaon
Vasant Oscar, LBS Marg
Gurukrupa Nagar, Nahur(east)
Happy Homes, Nahur(east)
Jalaram Park, L.B.S.Marg, Nahur(west)
Jeevan Vihar, Nahur(east)
Lavanya CHS, Gurukrupa Nagar, Nahur(east)
Nirmal Lifestyles, LBS Marg
Marathon maxima, near Nirmal Lifesyle,nahur(west)
Chheda Heights, L.B.S.Marg, Nahur(west)
Mayuresh shrishti, L.B.S.Marg, Nahur(west)
Nalanda, Nahur(east)
NeelDeep, Nahur(east)
Nirmal Nagar,Nahur(west)
Prince Vaibhav, Nahur Station road, Nahur(west)
Runwal Heights,near nirmal lifestyle,Nahur(west)
Shilpa, Nahur(east)
Shilpa CHS, Nahur(east)
Shiv Srishti Complex,Opposite Nahur Stn West, Mulund - Goregaon Link Road. Mulund West
Chandra Apartments, Sarvodaya Nagar, Nahur Road
Padham Apartments, Sarvodaya Nagar, Nahur Road
Vrindavan CHS, Mulund-Goregaon Link Road, Mulund West
Happy Home Co- Hsg Society
Mahavir Gaurav CHS, Nahur (east), mumbai-42.
Ganga Apartments
R.C.F Colony, Kamal Sagar Society
Matoshree Park ,Udayshree Rd,Nahur(e)
Swastik Park, Village Road, Opp. WMI Crane Ltd., Nahur (West).
Bhandup Swastik co.op hausing soc, Village Road, Nahur (East)
Reserve Bank of India Quarters, Village Road, Nahur (East)

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Bhandup

Bhandup is a suburb of Mumbai It is also the name of a railway station on the Mumbai Suburban Railways on the Central Railway(main line).
Like most suburbs in Mumbai, Bhandup has two sub-regions, Bhandup (west) and Bhandup (east), so named for their location relative to the dividing railway line. The more developed Bhandup (west) is characterized as an industrial suburb while the upcoming Bhandup (east) is considered to be more residential.
Bhandup is also home to Shivaji Talao, or Shivaji Lake, which apparently has some connection to the great Maratha ruler, Chhatrapati Shivaji. Currently in a bad state, the pond witnesses hordes of Ganapati(Hindu deity) devotees immersing idols in the month of september.
Before real-estate prospered 40 years ago, Bhandup was a dense forest area, which was home to many thieves and criminals. Rival gangs were at constant war to gain an upperhand in the extortion rackets. However, strict police action in Mumbai saw these gangs moving to international destinations.
Bhandup has Asia's biggest water filtration plant near sonapur.

A few fast trains stop at Bhandup station, mostly during the peak hours. Bhandup is extremely well connected with the rest of the city through a dense road network. The arterial road of Bhandup West is the Agra Road i.e. L.B.S. Marg, while Bhandup East is flanked by the Eastern Express highwayBhandup (East) is relatively sparsely populated.
History
The earliest records for Bhandup come from 1803, and show that the erstwhile Bhandup estate comprised of Bhandup, Nahur and Kanjurrmarg. The following is an excerpt from the Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency.
Bhandup, in Salsette, four miles (6 km) South-west of Thana, with, in 1881, a population of 884 souls, has a railway station and a post-office. the railway traffic returns show an increase in passengers from 29,988 in 1873 to 51,664 in 1880 and in goods from 126 to 143 tons. It is the nearest railway station, about four miles (6 km), to Tulsi Lake. The Kanheri caves lie 2 miles (3.2 km) beyond Tulsi, but the road from Borivali station on the Baroda railway though not so pretty is shorter and easier.
In 1803, on payment of a quit-rent, the East India Company granted the major part of Bhandup and parts of two other villages to Mr. Luke Ashburner, alderman( An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions)of Bombay and editor of the Bombay Courier( Rustomji Kashaspathi, a Parsi, started Bombay Courier in 1777 which was Bombay's first English newspaper). In 1817, Mr. Ashburner sold the estate, together with the contract for supplying the government rum, to his manager Mr. Kavasji Mankeji Ashburner for a sum of £50,000 (Rs. 5,00,000). In 1832, machinery was brought from England to work the distillery, and in that year, about 100000 gallons of rum are said to have been supplied to the government. Mr. Bell, in his excise report dated 1st October, 1869 wrote: "The Bhandup distillery was started to supply European troops with rum. Besides to the troops, considerable quantities of rum found its way to Bombay." In 1857, the government stopped the rum contract and the distillery ceased to prosper and shut down in 1878. It was re-opened in 1879-80 but has again been closed.
A copper-plate found near Bhandup, about 1835, records the grant by Chhitarajadev Silhara in AD 1026 of a field in the village of Nour, the modern Naura, two miles (3 km) north of Bhandup. Other villages mentioned in the grant are Gomvanni, probably the modern Govhan, and Gorapavalli, perhaps an old name of Bhandup. The boundary of the field to the north and east was a main road, or rajapatha, which apparently ran from Thana much along the line of the present Bombay-Thana road.
It is largely a matter of conjecture who the Silharas were, but their names suggest a mixture of people from Dravidian ancestry(ancestors from South India and North-Eastern Sri Lanka) and the Kayastha Prabhus from Konkan. The Silaharas promoted the socio-economic progress in the 11th century around Bombay. To control the regions in Bombay and Thane, they built the Rajapatha passing from the north of Bhandup following the current Mumbai-Thane road.
Bhandup was also one of the first railway stations in India. The first train ran between Bori Bunder and Thane on 16th April, 1853 with 400 passengers aboard 14 railway carriages, at 3:35 pm. It is said that the idea to connect Bombay with Thane and Kalyan occurred to Mr. George Clark, the Chief Engineer of the Bombay Government, on a visit to Bhandup in 1843.
However, Bhandup was not a part of Bombay until 1950, when the boundaries of the Bombay municipal corporation were extended upto Andheri on the western side and Bhandup on the eastern side.
Although a large percentage of the residents are natives of Maharashtra, in the last few decades, there has been a huge influx of non-native residents into Bhandup, resounding the trend witnessed for Mumbai as a whole.
Industries
According to the 2001 census, the number of industrial establishments in Bhandup (S-Ward) were 12380, cumulatively providing employment to 36921 residents of Bhandup. The rest of the employed populace are employed outside the limits of the S-ward.
One of the first industries to start in this area was Crompton Greaves in 1937, currently in Kanjur Marg. Currently, almost all of the industries in Bhandup are in Bhandup West. Some of them include CEAT Tyres, Asian Paints Limited, BASF, The Indian Smelting And Refining Company Limited etc. Apart from these big companies, there are several small-scale manufacturing units all over Bhandup West.
The presence of a large number of industries, coupled with large traffic flows all throughout the day had led to Bhandup's air being one of the worst in Mumbai a few years ago. However, several of the polluting industries have moved out of Mumbai in the past few years, leading to the air quality being slightly better.
Schools
Indian Education Society Bhandup (E)
Adarsha Vidyalaya (English & Kannada medium) Nardas Nagar, Bhandup(W)
Adarsh Vidyalaya, Datar Damle Colony, Bhandup(E)
Ahilya Vidyalaya, Jamil Nagar, Bhandup(W)
Amar kaur, Bhandup(W)
Bhandup Education Societies English High School (B.E.S)
Bhandup People Education Society English High School (B.P.E.S)
Bhandup Night High School, Village Road, Bhandup(W)
Br. Nath Pai Vidyalaya, Nardas Nagar, Bhandup(W)
Bright High School (BHS), Bhandup(W)
Cosmos High School, qyarry road, Bhandup(W)
D.A.V. High School, Bhandup(E)
Gaytree Vidya Mandir (Hindi and Marathi medium), Tulshet Pada, Bhandup(W)
Girish Swami High School, Bhandup(W)
Guru Nanak English High School, Bhandup(W)
I.E.S. High School, Bhandup(E)
Ideal Hindi High School, Sonapur, Bhandup(W)
Jijamata Vidyamandir, (Maharashtra Nagar), Bhandup(W)
K Menon High School, Bhandup(E)
Kumari Kasturi Vidyalaya, Village Road, Bhandup(W)
Mohammadi Urdu High School, Sonapur Bhandup(W)
National Education Society's High School (NESHS), Bhandup(W)
Navjeevan Vidyamandir, Tembipada, Bhandup(W)
New English High School, Maharashtra Nagar, Bhandup(W)
Oxford High School, Tank Road, Bhandup(W)
Parag Vidyalaya, (Near-Shivaji Talao)
Pawar Charitable Trust's Pawar Public School, L.B.S. Marg, Bhandup(W)
Sahyadri Vidya Mandir (Near-Shivaji Talao), Bhandup(W)
Saraswati Vidyalaya, Bhandup(W)
S.P.S.Janata High School, Shivaji Talao, Bhandup(W)
St. Francis Xavier's High School, Bhandup(E)
St.Xavier High School & Junior College, Bhandup(W)
Tank Road Municipal High School, Bhandup(W)
I.D.U.B.S. Hindi High School, Bhandup (W)
Uttari Bharat Sabha English High School, Bhandup(W)
Yeshvat Chandji Sawant Vidyalay Utkarsh Nagar, Bhandup(W)
Smt. R.S.Singh Vidya Mandir, Sarvodaya Nagar, Bhandup(W)
Yashwant Chandji Vidyamandir, Nardas Nagar, Bhandup (W)
Colleges
Bhandup has three major accredited colleges, out of which two are in Bhandup (East) and one in Bhandup (West). All of them are affiliated to the University of Mumbai.
National Education Society's Ratnam College of Arts, Science & Commerce
Bhattipada, Bhandup (West)
Kindergarten to Postgraduate
V. K. Krishna Menon College of Commerce and Economics & Science
Bhandup (East)
Kindergarten to Bachelors
Ramanand Arya D. A. V. College, Station Road
Datar Colony, Bhandup (East)
Junior college to Bachelors
Junior colleges in both Bhandup East and West
Ashish Jr. Night College, Ishwar Nagar, Bhandup(W)
Bright College, Village Road, Bhandup(W)
Br. Nath Pai Jr. College of Commerce, Bhandup(W)
Guru Nanak College, Station Road, Bhandup(W)
I.D.B.U.S. College, Station Road, Bhandup(W)
Kumari Kasturi College, Village Road, Bhandup(W)
Navjeevan Jr. College, T P Road, Bhandup(W)
N.E.S. Junior College, Bhattipada Road, Bhandup(W)
Parag College, Shivaji Talav, Bhandup(W)
Smt. RS Singh Vidya Mandir, Bhandup (W)
St. Xavier's Junior college, L.B.S. Marg, Bhandup(W)
Yashwant Chandji Sawant Vidyalay & Junior college, Utkarsh Nagar, Bhandup (w)
Technical
Navjeevan Polytechnic, Tembipada, Bhandup(W)
Saraswati Vidyamandir, Nardas Nagar, Tembipada, Bhandup(W)
Medical
Parag Physiotherapy College, Shivaji Talao, Bhandup(W)
Shopping Malls
In the past few years, several industries in Bhandup have shifted or started shifting out of Mumbai, rendering vast tracts of land vacant. These land-plots are being used for construction of huge residential complexes, in turn, providing the customer base for these malls.
The Dreams Mall, being developed by Satra Properties, is one of the biggest malls to come up in Bhandup. It is located in close proximity to Bhandup Railway Station. It has a frontage of approximately 1,400 square feet (130 m2) on LBS Marg. The estimated built up area for the entire project is approximately 1,110,000 square feet (103,000 m2) and is estimated to have a plinth area of approximately 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2). The project involves construction of a retail mall with multiplex, food court, amusement park and parking space for 650 cars at the basement level.
Magnet mall, a 1.75 lakh square feet shopping mall, is part of a 22 acre satellite township, Living Point, comprising of 6 towers of 22-stories each being developed by Neptune group. Mall tenants will include a 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) lifestyle store, Piramyd and a 10-screen Movietime multiplex. The mall is owned by one of the world's largest retail chains - Metro Cash and Carry.
Some of the other malls in the area include the Leo Mall and a shopping space being developed by HBS Centrix.
Parks
Paranjape Garden, Datar Colony, Bhandup(E)
Madhuban Garden, near Police Station, L.B.S. Marg, Bhandup(W)
Places of worship
Masjids
• Jama Masjid Near Shivaji Talao Bhandup(w) • Jama Masjid Near Pathan Colony Bhandup(w) • Jama Masjid Near Sonapur Bhandup(w) • Jama Masjid Near Gaon Devi Bhandup(w)
Churches
• St Stephen’s Tamil Church Milind Nagar Bhandup(W) • St Anthony’s Church Tempipada Bhandup(W) • St. Xavier’s School (Services held regularly in school hall)
Temples
• Bhandupeshwar Mahadev Mandir, Station Road, Bhandup(W) • Bala Ganesher Aalayam, Hanuman nagar, Bhandup(W) • Pach Mandir, shivaji nagar, Bhandup(W) • Ganesh Mandir, Ganesh Nagar, Bhandup(w) • Shree Saibaba mandir, Ganesh Nagar, Bhandup(W) • Maruti Mandir, lake road Bhandup(w) • Shree Ram Mandir, gamdevi road Bhandup(w) • Santoshi Mata mandir, village road Bhandup(w) • Kaali Mata Mandir, jangal mangal road Bhandup(w)
Shiv Mandir Tanaji Wadi Tp road • Saibaba Mandir, station road Bhandup(w) • Shree Ganpati Mandir, jangal mangal road Bhandup(w) • Ganpati Mandir, Police chowki, Bhandup (w) • Sai Baba Mandir,N.E.S road, Bhandup(w) • Ganesh Mandir, Datar Colony, Bhandup(E) • Hanuman Mandir, Datar Colony, Bhandup(E) • Kashi Vishweshwar, Datar Colony, Bhandup(E) • Dutta Mandir, Datar Colony, Bhandup(E) • Chamunda devi Mandir, Chamunda nagar, Bhandup(E) . Hanuman Mandir, Hanuman Tekdi, Bhandup (W)
Hanuman Mandir, Lake Road ,Bhandup (W)
Tirupati Balaji Mandir,Swami Chawl Shivaji nagar,Bhandup (W)Added by Girish Swami.
• Jain mandir, near police station Bhandup(w) • Jain mandir, ishwar nagar station road Bhandup(w) • Jain mandir, kukreja complex Bhandup(w) • Jain mandir, village road Bhandup(w)
gurudwaras
Gurudwara, L.B.S. Marg Bhandup(w) • Gurudwara Patra Chawl ,village road Bhandup(w)

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Kanjurrmarg

Kanjurmarg is the name of a railway station on the Mumbai Suburban Railways on the Central Railway(main line). It is a small suburb on the shores of the Thane creek. Kanjurmarg station is the access point for IIT Bombay, KV IIT Powai, NITIE, Hiranandani Gardens and other locations in Powai. The station was built in 1968 and named after the local Kanjur village.The International and domestic airport would be 30 mins to 40 mins by taxi, auto rickshaw from the station and would take 45 mins to reach Chhatrpati shivaji Terminus via slow train.

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Vikhroli

View-Vikhroli railway station

Vikhroli is a suburb of Mumbai. It is a railway station by the same name on the Central Railway (main line). The station was built just before India's independence in 1947 to cater to the needs of the sprawling Godrej Complex in the vicinity. The railway line runs through the suburb dividing it into two major parts (named the 'West' and the 'East'), like many other areas in Mumbia.
Kannamwar Nagar on the eastern side of the railway station is known for buildings built by MHADA(Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority is an organisation established by the State Govt. of Maharashtra in 1977. Since then, it has been engaged primarily in constructing and selling housing to low and middle income groups in urban and semi-urban areas. It has constructed about 30,000 housing units in Mumbai).

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Ghatkopr

Ghatkopar is a suburb of eastern Mumbai . It is serviced by Central Railway(Main Line) of the Mumbai Suburban Railways.
History
Ghatkopar was a quaint village in 1920’s and 30’s. It came under Muncipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. It was not a part of Mumbai. Mumbai's limits were up to Sion only and Ghatkopar came under district Thane.
Like all small community centres, Ghatkopar also had just one principal road connecting it to Mumbai on the Southside and Thane in the north i.e; Agra road. It was surrounded by creeks and hills.
There are two popularly known theories for the name Ghatkopar:
It derived its name from the fact that it was the Khopara (Marathi for "Corner") of Western Ghats - Ghat-khopra.
It derived its name from the fact that there were many Ghats (Marathi for "Small Hills"), small river near the Eastern Express Highway where a lot of salt pans were there near Ghatkopar, so when people use to direct the way to reach these places they use to call it "Ghat ke oopar ("Above the Hill").
Another less popular theory is "Ghatoba-ke-par".
Ghatkopar was inhabited mainly by two types of people. Those who came from proper Mumbai in need of good and healthy climatic conditions of the sanatoriums and those rich Bhatias, Parsees, and very few Gujrati Traders who owned large plots of land and bungalows here. Population was sparse and everyone knew each other. It was a close knit family. The streets were named after some of the renowned residents of the area like Navrojee lane named after Navrojee Sheth - a Parsee, Cama lane comes from Lady Cama Bai, Khot lane from people who ploughed and looked after farming activities of the place, Hingwala lane from a family that dealt in Asafoetida(It is called Hing in Marathi, Gujrati, Hindi and Urdu) business, Khokhani lane from a family of jewellers and whose descendants still reside there, Khetani chowk named after Durlabhji Keshavji Khetani a renowned industrialist and philanthropist whose descendants still live in Ghatkopar.
The streets were without electric lights, and were lit with petromax lights which was lit by a man coming in every evening to light them up in every street. Roads were metal roads raised in the middle so that the rain water could slope down into the gutters and did not accumulate on the roads. Roads were sprinkled with water by the vans of municipality twice in the mornings and evenings.
By 1916, Ghatkopar had developed sufficiently that a Municipal Council for Ghatkopar-Kirol was set up. The administration was in charge of a Collector with the "Suburban District". In 1945, Ghatkopar was absorbed into Greater Mumbai.
Geography
Within Ghatkopar are Ghatkopar (West) - the area of Ghatkopar west of the railway line, Ghatkopar (East) - the area of Ghatkopar east of the railway line, Garodia Nagar - a large development made by (and on land owned by) the Garodia family, Pant Nagar, and Rajawadi.
Ghatkopar (West)
The most popular place in the west is the Sarvodaya temple and the Hindu Sabha hospital, both situated close to the railway station. The hospital also houses the Hindu Sabha Library, which has a very large membership and large collection of Gujarati books and magazines.
Jagdusha Nagar is one of the prime developed location in the west. It is named after a famous philanthropist merchant of food grains who had stored food grains in his vast warehouses and opened the same for common people during drought. Around 60% of families are Jains. Famous School by name North Bombay Welfare Society's High School is also located in this area.
Another popular residential area in the west is Amrut Nagar. Situated along the northern border of Ghatkopar (with Vikroli), Amrut Nagar houses the Ghatkopar Industrial Estate, an economic zone for manufacturers of motorised spare parts, large and small mechanical instruments and other industrial goods. Popular colonies within Amrut Nagar that have existed since many years are the ONGC colony, BEST quarters, BTRA (textile research company) quarters, among others. Typical of Ghatkopar, largest community in this locality is that of Gujaratis, although many South Indian communities also reside here. It has direct access by bus to Ghatkopar Railway station (bus no. 416), Mahakali Caves/SEEPZ/MIDC in Andheri (bus no. 410), Trombay/Chembur (bus no. 380) and Vikroli station (bus no. 603)
Himalaya Society in Ghatkopar west area which falls in Asalpha, is specifically well developed residential area with local transport of the BEST route No. 429 from ghatkopar west station. Himalaya society was founded by Mr. Singh, basically from Nainital, bought this small piece of land at cheap price. He wanted Pahadis coming to Mumbai in search of work, to get settled in Himalaya society. He first built 5 buildings, A, B,C,D & E, where only pahadis were staying. Himalaya society was a pahadi colony now is called as a Gujarati colony due to increase in Bhanushali community. Himalaya society has a total of 30+ buildings consisting of different people, Gujaratis, Marathis, Pahadis, Tamils etc. Asalpha is also connected to the Ghatkopar-Andheri link road which has become one of the most busiest lanes not only during peak hours but also off peak, which connects to saki naka (Andheri) and Powai.
On the Ghatkopar-Andheri link road, just before the larger part of Asalpha, is an area called New Maneklal Estate. This is a very famous landmark in Ghatkopar (W) area. There is a new twin-building there named Silver Harmony, which also has the Bajaj showroom and Abhyudaya Bank at the front.
Sarvodaya housing society located on the Sainath Nagar Road on LBS marg is one of the oldest societies where a large south Indian communities resides contributing to the diverse nature of Ghatkopar(W).
Bhatwadi is the one of the most famous area in Ghatkopar. Most of the Bhat(Bramhins) are living in this area from very old days. Two famous temples are locating in this area. One is Ganesh Mandir and Hanuman Mandir (and Mahakali Mandir also). One of the Old Machi (fish) Market is also present in this location. Khandoba mandir on Hill is very near from this place.
Sohrab Baug, a mango orchard spread across 13 acres (53,000 m2), in the western part of Ghatkopar, was sold to the Kapur family by a Parsi agriculturalist. The Kapurs have re-developed this property with several apartment complexes – one in collaboration with Godrej Properties "Grenville Park" and others like "Garden Court" privately.
Located in this 13-acre (53,000 m2) property is Grentex & Co. which is a family managed firm, also privately owned by the Kapurs, namely Ravi and Rajeev Kapur, and was incorporated in 1982.
Darbar-Ul-Naqshbandiya Foundation (Monastery) in Ghatkopar (W) Chirag Nagar, Parsiwadi, S. K. Kapadiya Chawl, no.12.
Interestingly Narayan Nagar which is actually located in Ghatkopar (west) is equidistant from Vidyavihar and Kurla
Siddhi apartment sittuated in cama lane is one of the beautiful & small building.adding cama lane is link road for traffic from east part of city travelling to airports,andheri & lbs marg.

Ghatkopar(East)
Pant Nagar forms the north part of Ghatkopar East, Mumbai, which is a middle class residential and commercial area. Pant Nagar neighbours with small colonial groups, like Naidu Colony, Samata Colony and Housing Board association buildings. The Thane end of Ghatkopar Station East opens in Pant Nagar. One can go to Pant Nagar through the Patel Chowk (a minute away from the Station), and from there through a market. Many of the buildings are being re-developed into fancy Steel and Glass structures. While many of the structures in Pant Nagar are of the old industrial workers dwelling (3 floors of 10 numbers of self contained 1-Room-1 kitchen with Toilet/Bathroom on each floor, sharing a common passage way for entry), these are being re-developed in to Towers with lifts and car parks.
Pant Nagar was the first place where the famous Labor Union Leader Dr. Datta Samant began his medical practice. In fact the ruins of his residence - cum - clinic remained till 2007, which has now been demolished. Dr. Datta Samant rose to become the most famous Union Leader and was, perhaps, responsible for the demise of the Textile manufacturing business from Mumbai. Those textile mills lands are now valued at billions of dollars for their owners.
The famous industrial group GODREJ is hardly a kilometre away from Pant Nagar.
Ghatkopar East also has a BEST(external link) Bus Depot, and is one of the oldest bus depots in Mumbai. BEST staff colonies, officers' quarters and retired employees housing colonies viz. Udyan Co-op Hsg Society, Rajdoot,Everest Gardens C.H.S., Rajhans and Casuarina are lined up between the bus depot and the Eastern Express Highway
The other part of Ghatkopar East is Garodia Nagar, a development on salt lands owned by the salt Commissioner and leased to Garodia family. South of Garodia Nagar is Barrister Nath Pai Nagar a middle class locality bordering Chembur.
There are many schools in Ghatkopar (both east and west), namely Shivaji Technical school & Jr. college and Municipality School (serves from 1st standard through 7th standard), Dominic Savio Vidyalaya, Fatima High School, North Mumbai High School, Gurukul High School & Jr. college, SPRJK trust girls school,M.D.Bhatia English Medium School, Ramji Assar Gujarati shala, Garodia High School, Vidya Bhavan (both Marathi and English medium) managed by Pune Vidyarthi Gruha.
Demographics
This middle class suburb consists of predominantly residential and retail establishments. There is a large population of Gujaratis in Ghatkopar. Rajawadi and Pant Nagar have large Marathi speaking populations. Garodia Nagar is diverse. Areas of Ghatkopar West bordering the neighboring Vikhroli suburb have a large Muslim population.
Meghraj Restaurant marked its presence when they started next to Hindu Smashan Bhumi. The area later on developed up to Amar Mahal. The Income Tax Office came in late 1980s.
Vikrant Building was the largest building in late 70's named after navy ship Vikrant. Construction activities in Ghatkopar boomed in 1960s to 1980s. The prices of real estate went up as new buildings started coming up.
In the late 1970s another residential complex 'JAGDUSHA NAGAR' was built by a Gujrati builder in Ghatkopar (W). The area now has a cosmopolitan crowd but mainly Gujratis. It has a Co-operative bank, a newly built Mahadev Mandir and Jain Derasar. This area is connected to Ghatkopar station by BEST route 416, which takes around 10 minuted to reach Ghatkopar Railway station.
Shrimad Rajchandra Mandir was constructed after Lions Garden was opened. This temple did not have any bells hanging from the ceiling and the road is now named after the temple as Shrimad Rajchandra Marg.
R. B. Mehta Road has three banks, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Canara Bank. Paras Dairy next to Standard Chartered Bank at intersection of Derasar Lane and R. B. Mehta Road, was a major distributor for milk.
There is a Bhajan Samaj Mandir on 90 feet (27 m) road, which started from a humble beginning and now is one of the main cultural centres for South Indians who live in and around Garodia Nagar. The Ram Navami utsav is celebrated with a rich cultural flavour. Every evening during the festival the Ramayana is recited by some of the Sanskrit scholars. The festival also provides a stage for some of the budding artists to perform in front of a big audience. The 90 feet (27 m) road also has the distinction of housing a large number of Banks. To name a few : Bank of Maharashtra, Kalyan Janata Sahakari Bank, Janakalyan Sahakari Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of Rajasthan, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, Oriental Bank of Commerce, etc whereas ICICI Bank is located just near the junction of Vallabhbag Lane and 90 feet (27 m) Road.
Mumbai Metro Project
The Proposed Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro corridor will be 11.40 km long double line on elevated viaduct with Standard Gauge (1435 mm) The entire Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar route would be on `Standard Gauge' elevated rails with 12 elevated stations. It will have a carrying capacity of 60,000 persons per hour and the commuting time on the entire stretch would be 21 minutes. Today the commuting time between Versova and Ghatkopar is 70 minutes.

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Vidyavihar

View-Somaiya Engineering College, Vidyavihar

Vidyavihar is a suburb of Mumbai. It has a railway station with the same name on the Mumbai Suburban Railways on the Central Railway line.
History
Vidyavihar (meaning- Abode of Education) is named due to the Somaiya Vidyavihar Campus, one of the largest education campuses in Mumbai and a landmark. The railway station was established to facilitate travel for students of Somaiya Vidyavihar. Vidyavihar station is about 2K.M. from Kurla Terminus, and an easy transfer point (however, it does not have a connecting railway).
A unique feature about Vidyavihar Station is the Plant Nursery located on the eastern side. It’s an exercise in ingenuity and one of foresight. In the 1960s and 1970s the railways lost their land on both sides of the tracks due to the illegal encroachments along both the suburban lines.
A vast stretch of their land on the eastern side of Vidyavihar Station was in a vulnerable state waiting to be encroached. The Railways realised that they had to act in fast to save their land.The Railways came up with a decisive plan to utilise this stretch.The railway administration divided this stretch into 2 Parts. On the first part they constructed a hostel for their technical apprentices and several railway quarters for their staff.This hostel has been demolished as two additional rail tracks are being laid.
The second stretch was developed in a brilliant and innovative manner. A small rivulet (called the nullah) ran right through this stretch of land. It was decided to convert the remaining portion of the land into a plant nursery. Needless to say full advantage has been taken of the perennial water supply from the rivulet. The work on this nursery commenced some time in the mid-1980s. The development work was carried out with patience and one must confess that the "fruits of labour" can be seen today.The Nursery today is a vast green and symmetrical expanse. It lends a rustic and innocent touch in the urban jungle. Our inquiries with the workmen in the nursery revealed that the smaller plants are sent regularly in pots to the administrative offices of the railway stations on the Central Railway for aesthetic purposes.
Sadly,it seems the Nursery will have to give away ,like the Hostel, to the setting up of two additional rail tracks.
Geography
Geographically, the area around the Vidyavihar railway station can be divided into 2 parts namely
Rajawadi on the eastern side
Kirol on the western side
Rajawadi
Rajawadi is located on the eastern side of Vidyavihar railway station which came in to existence in 1963. Before that, the nearest station was Ghatkopar which was 20 minutes walking distance from Rajawadi. In early 1950s till early 1960s the main mode of transport to Rajawadi was Tongas and Taxis (available in few numbers at Ghatkopar railway station). Bus No 381 from Ghatkopar to Refineries ( Chembur ) was also available which halted at Rajawadi bus stop at Ghatkopar Mahul Road. Somaiya College ( set up by the K J Somaiya Trust in early 1960s) was a major step in giving recognizion to Rajawadi / Vidyavihar as a major education centre which it is today. The other most famous landmark is the Rajawadi Municipal General Hospital. The green and well maintained Rajawadi Municipal Garden is close by.
History of Rajawadi
Rajawadi was a quiet and sleepy place in the 1920s and '30s. Havelis (Mansions) built by rich Gujarati families who moved from the Island City dotted the landscape. There were also the residential complexes built by the Bhatia philanthropists for the members of their community. The Big Stable (In common parlance referred to as 'Tabela ') which exists till today at the junction of the road leading from MG Road, an arterial road of the suburb, to Vidyavihar station, was a dominating landmark. In fact, it could be one of the first structures to come up at Rajawadi.
Rajawadi then was located between the Municipal Hydraulic Pipe Line (supplying water to the island city from the lakes) and the main road, the present MG Road. The land between the pipe line and the railway line was a huge forest with mangroves, banyan trees and dense vegetation. Old timers talk of the area being inhabited by wild animals. The southern portion of this forest was bordered by a creek and beyond it was marshy land.
The 1940s
There was major change in the geography and topography in the 1940s. The thick mangroves in between the pipeline and railway lines were cleared to make way for the construction of residential houses for Government servants who were displaced due to the partition. Thus was born the Rajawadi Government Housing Colony (now called Chittaranjan Nagar). Although the Colony was planned for the Government Servants displaced by partition ,subsequently a policy decision was taken by the Housing Board to make allotments of houses to the Lower Income Group ,as well. Thus the colony was cosmopolitan in nature. It had Maharashtrian, Sindhi, Tamil, Manglorean, Gujarati, Malayalee & Punjabi families, to name a few. This colony formed a sizeable chunk of the Rajawadi's population. This colony in a way represented the true cosmopolitan nature of Bombay ( now Mumbai ). The bread winners of most of these families were white collar employees in govt as well as private companies earning moderate income and leading lower middle class life style. But a large majority of them were educated, mostly matriculates which at that time was a decent educational qualification.
The opening up of Rajawadi
The 1950s and the early 1960s saw further major changes in Rajawadi. The available open space was gradually taken up for development of buildings with flats ( then popularly known as the Block system) . They were mainly inhabited by Gujarati famililes who moved in from the Island city. In fact, Ghatkopar was to all appearances an extension of Bhuleshwar and Khetwadi, then the predominant Gujarati localities in the island city. The narrow main road, then called the Ghatkopar-Mahul Road, was broadened & two BEST routes were introduced. A new post office was allotted to Rajawadi (pin code Bombay 77). In a way, the process of opening up Rajawadi had commenced.
The Housing Board also constructed a colony beyond the southern end of the Government Housing colony which is now popularly known as D Colony. At this stage Rajawadi could be termed as a typical suburban middle class locality, maintaining a small town charm with folks familiar with each other.
Establishment of hospitals and colleges
During this period, two major developments contributed towards the further growth of Rajawadi. The Rajawadi Municipal Maternity hospital was set up around the late 1950s. It was patronised by residents from as far as Bhandup and Trombay. Gradually new departments were added to the hospital and by 1976 it became the biggest Municipal hospital in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai. Post-graduate medical students are allotted posts here. The Seth VC Gandhi & MA Vora Municipal General Hospital popularly known as Rajawadi Hospital, is attached to a morgue and covers the area between Kurla and Mulund.
The second major development was the setting up of Somaiya Vidyavihar in 1960. As mentioned earlier, Vidyavihar station came up for the benefit of students attending colleges in Somaiya Vidyavihar. What started as an Arts and Science college is now a major educational institution in the country offering courses in virtually every stream.
The expansion
The last major development which brought about a change in Rajawadi's demography and topography took place in the 1970s and continued till the mid-1980s. The drought which affected Maharashtra in the early 1970s saw a major influx of migrants into Bombay. There was also the migration of populace in search of jobs from other parts of India. There was an acute need for shelter for the new entrants to the city. The pressure was so intense that small houses came up in most of the open plots in the suburbs of Bombay belonging to the Collectorate, Bombay Municipal Corporation and in certain cases to individuals & private institutions. Rajawadi was also affected by this development. Houses came up on the creek bordering Rajawadi on the southern side & the area was named Shastri Nagar. Similar dwellings came up along the Hydraulic Pipe Line and the canal (popularly called the nullah) leading up to the creek and these areas were named, amongst others, Bhim Nagar, Mohan Nagar and Laxman Nagar.
1980s and 1990s
The later part of the 1980s also saw the development of an upmarket residential complex adjacent to the Somaiya Campus, Neelkanth Valley. Comprising tall buildings with a swimming pool, garden and jogging track, it attracted upper middle class families. This new push was again mainly from the island city. Rajawadi now transformed to an affluent area with the setting up of myriad shops including jewellery shops (most are clustered near Rajawadi Naka on MG Road). Enterprising jewellers like Bharati Jewellers started the trend. Others followed and Rajawadi got the tag ' The Zaveri Bazar of the suburbs', Zaveri Bazar being the jewellery district of Mumbai. Of late, leading jewellers in Mumbai like Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri andWaman Hari Pethe have set up shop here.
Near Shastri Nagar . a residential complex for the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) of India was set up in the 1980s. It predominantly houses engineers & senior professionals employed with ONGC.
In the late 1990s there was a boom in software education in the area. Satyam Complex had at one point in time more than 6 institutes like NIIT, Aptech, Lakotia computer, CCIT, German institute, even a computer droom. There were many small-time software training classes as well. The shopping center Satyam Complex became famous as a hub for training and many coaching classes operate from there.
Temples
The oldest temples in Rajawadi are the Hanuman and Shiva Temple . The Hanuman Temple has gone through a major renovation. In the good old days it has a rural charm with a huge tree in the backyard. The Shiva temple which is located diagonally opposite to the Hanuman temple still maintains the old charm with its huge courtyard.
The Sanyas Ashram located near the Rajawadi Garden is an old establishment.As the name suggests, it is a transit point for the Sanyasis (the Hindu monks) .it has the idols of all the major Gods and Goddesses. But the Ashram has acquired importance as a congregaration point for the devotees. A large number of devotees attend The daily satsangs( discources) and the evening aarti ( a ritual in which light from wicks is offered to the deities).
Sindhu Wadi
This important landmarkmark stands strategically ay the junction of the MG Road and the road leading to Vidyavihar station on the Eastern side. This colony came in the early '50s under to house the refugees from Sind after the partition. Although one could not compare it to other camps located at Antop Hill or Chembur in terms of size ,the characteristics were similar. A close knit group, community-minded, tenacious and above all industrious. Today,the small colony comprises the second and third generation residents who are either well established professionals or successful businessmen. A community which is proud of the humble beginnings. This can be seen from the well preserved arch with the words "Sindhu Wadi" and a big clock always ticking away.
Neelkanth Valley
As mentioned earler an upmarket residential comples Neelkanth Valley came up near the Somaiya campus in the mid '90s. This colony was developed by Velji Harkha Patel (now known as Neelkanth Developers). It is one of the more affluent societies north of Sion and boasts of impressive buildings with good quality construction. It could be said that Vidyavihar has gained prominence due to this project.
Rajawadi Garden
Rajawadi garden is the first municipal garden in it is a place which morning walkers have been using since a pretty long time. It also has its own laughing club and senior citizens club meet at the center of the garden (near the fountain). The play equipment is not much to boast about but is reasonable for children between the ages of 3 to 12 years and is a favourite haunt in the evening. There is a Balkan-Ji-Bari located just near the garden that carries out programmes for children throughout the year.
Schools
Rajawadi has two schools adjacent to each other.
a)The Rajawadi Municipal School is one of the oldest schools in the Eastern Suburbs.The school was previously located in Chittaranjan Nagar and had only the Primary section.
b) R,N,Gandhi High School : Founded in the mid 60's. The school was originally called Ghatkopar English School.Some of the best students are Anirudh Bhate,Kapil Udeshi,Anshuman Bhate & Sagar Shinde who lead in academics,swimming,cricket & tennis.
Kirol
The Church essentially forms the main point servicing the parishioners residing at Kirol Village and the nearby areas. The Fatima School was established by the Capuchian priests around 1955.It is now one of the largest pre-college institution in Mumbai. Spread over a vast area it possesses one of the best playgrounds in Mumbai. The school encourages sporting activities in a big way and has produced some outstanding Basketball players.
The agricultural land gave away to the industries in the 1950s. Industries came up at a good pace . Companies like Nathani Industries, Mac Laboratories, Acme, Strelite set up the manufacturing base here.
Another landmark at Kirol is the Naval Stores.Starting from the border of Fatima High School ,the huge wall of the depot runs for almost one kilometre.This is the southern part of the depot and the northern part faces the LBS Marg.The staff entry gate is located here which is walking distance from Vidyavihar station.
The Jolly Gymkhana which has all the amenities is located opposite the Fatima High School. The Club started off in a humble manner in the early 60's had a card room, basketball court and a table tennis section. But it had a good playground with a Cricket pitch. The highlight every year would be the Inter-school cricket tournament conducted by the Lions Club. It was a very competitive tournament between the major schools in Ghatkopar. It evoked a lot of interest and the major matches attracted thousands of spectators. The Jolly Gymkhana had a good cricket which participated in the Kanga League.Around the 80's or so like the other major cricket tournaments the InterSchool tourney was discontinued at the Jolly Gymkhana. In the mid 90's or so the Gymkhana underwent a major facelift. The old club was demolished. The new Club is a huge and imposing structure overlookung the lush green cricket ground.Keeping with times a large bar, Pool room, Swimming pool and a hall used for special occasions have been constructed. The new Card room continues be the hub for the old members .
The bus depot located on the western side of the railway station provides feeder services as well as alternate travel routes to other suburbs of Mumbai.
The Kirol village has acquired a cosmopolitan nature as it has opened up to new comers. The village which was the focal point is slowly losing its old rustic charm due to major development of plush residential complexes.

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