Ask anyone to name some of the poshest localities in Mumbai and Bandra is bound to be there on the list. It’s home to numerous prominent personalities, including politicians, cricketers, Bollywood actors, and hotshot businessmen.
Drenched in an irresistible charm that comes from its Portuguese and British hangover mixed with a very typical local flavour, gives Bandra its unique vibe.
From fishing village…
Bandra was originally a little fishing town, possibly named vandre meaning ‘port’ in Marathi. In the 16th century, a Portuguese sea captain raided the village and burnt it down, making the area officially a part of the Portuguese crown. Father Manuel Gomes completed the capture by fortifying Catholicism and converting over 2,000 fishermen to Christianity.
Bandra remained Portuguese until the mid-17th century when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II, and Mumbai was given to the English as part of the dowry. But Salsette Island, which was also part of Bandra, remained with the Portuguese and many a church sprang up here, including one of the earliest ones – St Andrew’s Church. Later, in the 18th century, Bandra was surrendered to the British. At the time, Bandra consisted of a clutch of villages like Chuim, Sherly, Chimbai, Ranwar, and Chapel Road.
Old-timers will remember Bandra as an expanse of green, where bungalows and small houses stood side by side amidst big, leafy trees and little gardens, overlooking the coastline where silhouettes of boats and oars could be seen. It had a sleepy, languid atmosphere; a place where everybody knew everybody and front doors were always kept open to welcome visitors at all times.
…to the queen of suburbs
The arrival of the Bandra-Mahim Causeway in 1845 changed all of this. Bandra was now connected to the Mumbai city centre by a proper road, eliminating the need to make dangerous ferry crossings across the sea.
With increased connectivity, the islands were no longer isolated, and soon the population grew. By 1876, Bandra became a municipality and had transformed into a mini-town with all amenities within the vicinity.
Progress happened in rapid succession and the Bandra of today would be unrecognisable to some of the senior citizens who have grown up in Bandra. It is a place that cannot be compressed into a single identifying entity or adjectives like Malabar Hill, Colaba or Parel.
Bandra is a place of many moods and many faces. You will find epicurean villas juxtaposed with old cottages and tired-looking apartment blocks with shining retail establishments. Amble through its lanes, and you will see marvellously colourful graffiti and beautiful, old churches. Vegetable vendors haggling with middle-class housewives, youngsters hanging out at its many cafes, and the super rich zipping around in fancy cars. It’s all there in Bandra.
Property prices
Expectedly, Bandra is one of the most expensive real estate sectors in Mumbai, being the hub of every influential person from journalists to writers to actors to businessmen. It was one of the few areas that not only withstood property price meltdowns but also witnessed steady jumps over the years.
In 2012, prices hovered in the range of Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 compared to Rs 15,000 just about six years ago.
In particular, luxury enclaves like Pali Hill, Bandstand and Carter Road had price tags that touched dizzying heights, ranging from Rs 3 crore to Rs 9 crore and even more. Today, the average price is about Rs 94,000 per sq ft.
Its journey from quaint, bucolic villages with narrow alleyways leading to the sea to its present avatar where the night sky is pierced by neon-lights and advertisement hoardings is nothing less than stunning.
