Maharashtra Police Headquarters

Last updated

Maharashtra Police Headquarters building
Royal Alfred Sailors' Home
Royal Alfred Sailors' Home, Bombay 1870.jpg
An 1870s photograph of what was then the Royal Alfred Sailors' Home.
LocationWellington Circle, Lion Gate
Coordinates 18°55′31″N72°50′00″E / 18.92528°N 72.83333°E / 18.92528; 72.83333
Area Fort, Mumbai
Built1876
Architectural style(s) Gothic Revival, Venetian Gothic
Mumbai area locator map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Maharashtra Police Headquarters building in Mumbai
India location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Maharashtra Police Headquarters (India)

Maharashtra Police Headquarters building (formerly Royal Alfred Sailors' Home) is a Grade I listed UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Mumbai that was built between 1872 and 1876, and designed by the British architect Frederick William Stevens, who also designed the Victoria Terminus. [1] The building is often confused with Mumbai Police Headquarters, also built in Gothic Revival style, and several newspapers often carry the image of Maharashtra headquarters while reporting on the latter. [2] [3] The headquarters are located at Wellington Circle in Fort, and face the Wellington Fountain. [4]

Contents

Royal Alfred Sailors' Home, the previous occupant of the building, was named after Prince Alfred, the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who visited Bombay in 1870. It was a recuperation centre for sick European sailors, and provided accommodation for 20 officers and about 100 seamen. After 1928, it served as the Legislative Assembly and then the Bombay Council Hall until 1982, when the Maharashtra Police moved into the building.

History

The historic structure called Royal Alfred Sailors' Home was built at the height of maritime trade in Bombay, which had become a busy port during the British Raj. [5] It was designed by Frederick William Stevens, an engineer with the Indian Public Works Department, and named after the "sailor prince" Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who had visited Bombay in 1870. [1] It could accommodate 20 officers and 100 sea men. [6] The Maharaja of Baroda Khanderao II Gaekwad contributed ₹2,00,000 towards the construction of the building. [7]

The building was Stevens's first important commission in the city and he was supervised by James Augustus Fuller. [8] His efforts were described as "an early attempt to infuse Gothic architecture with Muslim nuances". [1] It was acquired by the Government of India in 1928 from the Committee of Royal Alfred Sailors' Home. [9] It then served as the Legislative Assembly and the Bombay Council Hall, until the new council hall was built in 1982. [10] Following the departure, Maharashtra Police moved into the building and currently occupies the site. [10]

Facade Police Head Quarters Mumbai. Police Head Quarters Mumbai.jpg
Facade Police Head Quarters Mumbai.

Architecture

The building was constructed using blue basalt, specifically the Kurla stone, in contrast to the Mumbai Police Headquarters that used yellow basalt some two decades later in 1896. Red Mangalore tiles were used for the roof. John Lockwood Kipling (father of the novelist Rudyard Kipling), who was then the principal of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art, worked on the capitals and cornices. [1] He supervised the students of the college who also worked on the sculptures. [10]

The sculptures were done in Bath stone by the English sculptor Richard Lockwood Boulton of Cheltenham. The pediment has sculptures of the Roman god of water and the sea, Neptune, nymphs, sea horses, and waves that recall the building's proximity to the Arabian Sea. [1] Discussing the charitable institution of the Sailors' Home in an essay in the book Bombay Before Mumbai: Essays in Honour of Jim Masselos, historian Preeti Chopra writes, "Even in the context of port architecture, Bombay's Sailors' Home looked as a "rather luxurious hotel" with large airy rooms and bathrooms." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumbai</span> Capital of Maharashtra, India

Mumbai is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the de facto financial centre and the most populous city of India with an estimated city proper population of 12.5 million (1.25 crore). Mumbai is the centre of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the sixth most populous metropolitan area in the world with a population of over 23 million living within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Mumbai lies on the Konkan coast on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. In 2008, Mumbai was named an alpha world city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus</span> Historic terminal train station in Mumbai, India

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya</span> Museum in Mumbai, India

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, (CSMVS) originally named Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is a museum in Mumbai (Bombay) which documents the history of India from prehistoric to modern times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumbai Police</span> Indian police department

The Mumbai Police is the police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a part of Maharashtra Police and has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation within the limits of Mumbai. The force's motto is "Sadrakṣaṇāya Khalanigrahaṇāya".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Railway zone</span> One of the 18 zones of Indian Railways

The Western Railway is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railways are: Mumbai Central–Ratlam, Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad and Palanpur–Ahmedabad. The railway system is divided into six operating divisions: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Ratlam, and Mumbai WR. Vadodara railway station, being the junction point for the Ahmedabad–Mumbai route and the Mumbai–Ratlam route towards New Delhi, is the busiest junction station in Western Railways and one of the busiest junctions of Indian Railways too, while Ahmedabad Division earns highest revenue followed by Mumbai Division and Vadodara Division. Surat railway station is one of the busiest railway station in Western Railway in non-junction category where more than 180 trains pass per day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crawford Market</span> Place in Maharashtra, India

Crawford Market is one of South Mumbai's most famous markets. The building was completed in 1869, and donated to the city by Cowasji Jehangir. Originally named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of the city, the market was later renamed to honour Indian social reformer Mahatma Jotirao Phule. The market is situated opposite the Mumbai Police headquarters, just north of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station and west of the J.J. flyover at a busy intersection. It was the main wholesale market for fruits in Mumbai until March 1996, when the wholesale traders were relocated to Navi Mumbai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lockwood Kipling</span> English artist

John Lockwood Kipling was an English art teacher, illustrator and museum curator who spent most of his career in India. He was the father of the author Rudyard Kipling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir J. J. School of Art</span> Art institution in Mumbai, India

The Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Art is the oldest art institution in Mumbai, India, and is affiliated with the University of Mumbai. The school grants bachelor's (B.F.A) degrees in Painting, ceramic, Metal work, Interior decoration, Textile design and Sculpture as well as Master's degrees (M.F.A) in Portraiture, Creative Painting, Murals, Sculpture, and Printmaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai</span> Historic building in Mumbai

The Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai, located in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is a Grade IIA heritage building opposite to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus at the junction of Dadabhai Naoroji Road and Mahapalika Marg. It is also known as the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation Building, or BMC building for short.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick William Stevens</span>

Frederick William Stevens was an English architectural engineer who worked for the British colonial government in India. Stevens' most notable design was the railway station Victoria Terminus in Bombay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Bombay Yacht Club</span> Boating association in India

The Royal Bombay Yacht Club (RBYC) is one of the premier gentlemen's clubs which was founded in 1846 in Colaba, an area of Mumbai in India. The building was designed by John Adams, who also designed the nearby Royal Alfred Sailors' Homes, and was completed in 1896.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dadabhai Naoroji Road</span> Road in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Dadabhai Naoroji Road (D.N.Road), a North–South commercial artery road, in the Fort business district in South Mumbai of Maharashtra, India, is the nerve centre of the city, starting from the Mahatma Phule Market ,linking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, leads to the Hutatma Chowk at the southern end of the road. This entire stretch of the road is studded with Neo–Classical and Gothic Revival buildings and parks built in the 19th century, intermingled with modern office buildings and commercial establishments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharashtra Police</span> Law enforcement agency responsible for Maharashtra State

Maharashtra Police is the law enforcement agency responsible for the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is headed by Director General of Police, Mrs. Rashmi Shukla (IPS), and headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The architecture of Mumbai blends Gothic, Victorian, Art Deco, Indo-Saracenic & Contemporary architectural styles. Many buildings, structures and historical monuments remain from the colonial era. Mumbai, after Miami, has the second largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world.

Sir William Emerson was a British architect, who was President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) from 1899 to 1902, and worked extensively in India. He was the original architect chosen to build Liverpool Cathedral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Maharashtra</span> Architectural style of the state of Maharashtra and Maharashtrian people

Maharashtra state in India is known for its Famous caves and cliffs. It is said that the varieties found in Maharashtra are wider than the caves and rock-cut architecture found in the rock cut areas of Egypt, Assyria, Persia and Greece. The Buddhist monks first started these caves in the 2nd century BC, in search of serene and peaceful environment for meditation, and they found these caves on the hillsides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai</span> Art Deco & Victorian Architecture in Mumbai, India

The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Bombay is a collection of 19th-century Victorian Revival public and 20th-century Mumbai Art Deco private buildings in the Fort precinct of Mumbai. This ensemble was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.

Richard Lockwood Boulton was an English sculptor who founded the firm Messrs R. L. Boulton & Sons. It was centred in Cheltenham, England, and built monuments made of iron and stone in the United Kingdom.

James Augustus Fuller (1823–1902) was a British Army officer and architect. He rose to the rank of general, and his architectural works include the Bombay High Court built in 1871–8. He supervised Frederick William Stevens, while he was designing his first important commission in Bombay, the Royal Alfred Sailors' Home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington Fountain</span> Historic fountain in Mumbai, India

Wellington Fountain is a listed heritage structure in front of Maharashtra Police Headquarters at Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Chowk in Fort, Mumbai, which is part of Mumbai's Victorian ensemble that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was erected in 1865 to commemorate the visits of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who came to India in 1801 and 1804.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "(Former) Royal Alfred Sailors' Home, Bombay, by Frederick William Stevens (1847-1900)". www.victorianweb.org.
  2. ↑ "Mumbai Police's over 100-yr-old office set for a facelift". The Economic Times. 1 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "Mumbai Police to soon get its own museum". Deccan Herald. 11 May 2018.
  4. ↑ Michell, George (1 May 2013). Southern India: A Guide to Monuments Sites & Museums. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN   9788174369031 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Wright, Colin. "Sailors' Home [Bombay]". www.bl.uk.
  6. ↑ "A gaze at FW Stevens' Gothic landmark in Colaba". mid-day. 12 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 Kidambi, Prashant; Kamat, Manjiri; Dwyer, Rachel (20 October 2019). Bombay before Mumbai: Essays in Honour of Jim Masselos. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN   9789353056650 – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ Curl, James Stevens; Wilson, Susan (6 July 2015). The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture. Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780199674985 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ Bombay Civic Journal, Volume 11 p.16: "...they had received from the Royal Alfred Sailors' Home out of the sale proceeds of the later's premises to the Government."
  10. 1 2 3 "Maharashtra police headquarters set for Rs 17 crore facelift". India Today. Press Trust of India. 8 August 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.