The Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park Residential Zone is a precinct consisting of 187 residential buildings[1] that were built as part of the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park scheme in Dadar, Mumbai.[2] Most of the buildings in this residential locality were constructed in the early 1900s during British colonial rule in India, as a result of which many buildings here exhibit aspects of British architecture.[citation needed]
Park is considered an upscale real estate cluster in Mumbai,[3] and for long has been considered to be a desirable locality particularly among the Maharashtrian community, with numerous prominent Marathi personalities such as Madhav Manohar, Veer Savarkar and Bal Thackeray having resided here. It is also home to the Kataria Colony, locally known as Sindhi colony, which houses Bhagnari people of Balochi descent.[4]
History
The Dadar-Matunga-Wadala-Sion scheme of 1899-1900 was the first planned suburban scheme in Mumbai (formerly Bombay).
In those days, Bombay only referred to the Fort (Mumbai precinct)area around Colaba. Nana Chowk and Tardeo were in the centre and hence those area became known as Bombay Central. Shivaji Park then was a stretch of forested land called Mahim Woods, with the only significant landmark here being the Scottish Female Orphanage, which later went on to become the prestigious Bombay Scottish School.
The Bombay City Improvement Trust conceived the development to relieve congestion in the centre of the city following the Bombay plague epidemic of the 1890s. According to the survey plan, 60,000 people were to be housed at Dadar-Matunga and an equal number in Sion-Matunga. 85,000 people were to be accommodated in the developments in Sewri and Wadala.
The plans regulated construction with emphasis on proper sanitation. No building was to be more than three storeys high, and the buildings were to have open spaces between them. The land use was planned to be a mix of residential, commercial and institutional construction. Parks and gardens were planned, and the streets were well laid out.
440 acres (1.8km2) of land was procured and leased to the government for selling. For the first time housing cooperatives were formed to take advantage of newly developed land. The Parsi and Hindu colonies in Dadar and the Tamil colony in Matunga were developed in this way.
Dadar was 6 miles (9.7km) away from Crawford Market by the newly constructed Mohammedali Road. The tramways were extended to the new suburb. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIP) constructed a bridge, now the Tilak Bridge, connecting the two suburban railways. In February 1925, the GIP opened their suburban line and started the work of electrifying the railways.
Hand-in-hand with the development of the northern suburbs in the 1930s there was a lot of activity in the Dadar-Matunga area. The Hindu colony, north of Tilak Bridge, expanded up to Amber's Marge (then Kingsway) and around the Khodadad Circle. These developments were completed by 1935. In 1937 Ramnarain Ruia College was founded and in 1939 the Ramniranjan Podar College (both run by SP Mandali), thus completing the transition of Dadar from a residential suburb into a variegated enclave.
By 1937 Shivaji Park and the surrounding areas including the Shivaji Park Residential Zone were developed. Shivaji Park was to become an important stage in the political drama which led up to India's independence, and later the political history of Bombay unfolded in the same park.
The famous Sindhi colony (Kataria Colony) in Shivaji Park was established when the Late Mukhi Shri Thakandas H Kataria purchased a plot of land at Cadell Road, Shivaji Park. Today, the society houses 150 Bhagnari families of Balochi descent.
Post independence, numerous other political events such as the formation of Shiv Sena and other important political rallies have been held at or around Shivaji Park.
Today, the Shivaji Park Residential Zone has become a highly sought after upper middle class residential enclave with numerous pre-colonial buildings undergoing redevelopment to form multistoreyed towers ranging from seven storeys to 23 storeys.
Redeveloped buildings include Chanakya, Ashwamedh, Buildarch Tower, Atharva, Saket, Shivneri Heights, Royal Accord, Shree Apartments, Sankalp, and Matoshree Heights. The taller buildings offer an unhindered view of the Arabian Sea and Shivaji Park.
Numerous other buildings are in the process of being redeveloped. However, the controversial and constantly changing Floor Space Index regulations have hindered the redevelopment process significantly.
As such, the slowed redevelopment along with the ever-increasing demand for apartments in this locality have pushed up property prices to the range of Rs.35000 to Rs.50000 per square foot, because of which the average cost of an 800 sq ft 2-bedroom apartment turns out to be around Rs. 3.6 crores or approximately US$600,000. [citation needed]
Attractions and amenities
This popular neighborhood is home to many amenities, with proximity to educational institutions and recreational facilities.
Sports and recreational facilities
Shivaji Park is seen with the neighborhood buildings surrounding it
Dadar ([d̪aːd̪əɾ]) is a densely populated residential and shopping neighbourhood in Mumbai. It is also a prominent railway and bus service hub with local and national connectivity. It is Mumbai’s first planned area and it a hub for the city's Marathi culture. It includes the Dadar West area.
Matunga is a locality in the heart of Mumbai City towards downtown Mumbai. It is serviced by the Matunga Road station on the Western line, Matunga station on the Central Line and King's Circle station on the Harbour Line.
Maheshwari Udyan, also known by its former name King's Circle, is a park in Matunga, Mumbai. It was named after George V, the King-Emperor. The part of the road that leads to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was formerly called Vincent Road. It was changed to Dr. Ambedkar Road almost 45 years ago. King's Circle station and Matunga railway station are next to each other, the former on the Harbour and the latter on the Central line.
Santacruz or Santa Cruz is a suburb of Mumbai. The Santacruz railway station on the Mumbai Suburban Railway, the domestic terminal (T1) of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, and one campus of the University of Mumbai, are all located in Santacruz (East).
Mahim (Marathi: माहिम) is a neighbourhood in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The Mahim Junction railway station on the Western Railway and Harbour Railway of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network is the last station of the city, as neighboring Bandra comes in Mumbai Suburb. Mahim is an ethnically and religiously diverse town and has a Hindu temple, church, mosque and Parsi fire-temple existing within a few meters of each other. The town has a large Rich and Upper Middle class Marathi population.
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South Mumbai, colloquially SoBo from South Bombay in Indian English, administratively the Mumbai City District, is the city centre and the southernmost precinct of Greater Bombay. It extends from Colaba to Mahim and Sion neighbourhoods, and comprises the city's main business localities, making it the wealthiest urban precinct in India. Property prices in South Mumbai are by far the highest in India and among the highest in the world.
Wadala is a neighborhood in Mumbai. Wadala Road is a station on the Harbour Line of Mumbai's railway network.
Shivaji Park, officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park, is a public park situated in Dadar, Mumbai. It is the largest park in the island city. Similar but bigger in size to Azad Maidan and August Kranti Maidan, it is of historical and cultural value because of the political and social gatherings it has witnessed, both in pre- and post-independence Mumbai. The 113,000 square metres of open space is renowned as having been a cradle of the game of cricket in India. The park has a variety of sports facilities including cricket nets, Tennis court, a Mallakhamba area and a football pitch amongst others.
The Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesha. It is located in Prabhadevi neighbourhood of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was originally built by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil on 19 November 1801. It is one of the most popular Hindu temples in Mumbai.
Hindu Colony is an old locality situated in the Dadar area of Mumbai, India. The locality falls in between Dadar and Matunga on the east side of the Central Railway Line. Traditionally, the area had been a locality of Maharashtrians, Catholics, Jews and Gujaratis, though Maharashtrians are the highest by numbers.
Dadar Parsi Colony is an upper class Parsi colony in midtown South Mumbai. It is situated in the locality of Dadar-Matunga. Unlike the other Parsi colonies it is not surrounded by a wall or fence and is not isolated from its surroundings. The colony houses the famous Five Gardens created by Mancherji Joshi, a renowned Parsi.
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.
Mahim Junction is a railway station on the Western line and Harbour Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It serves the last town of the Mumbai city : Mahim.
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Kherwadi is a middle class, developing neighborhood, situated on the eastern side of Bandra railway station, Mumbai. Its name is derived from the first chief minister of Bombay State, B. G. Kher. It is surrounded by the CBD of BKC to the east, Mahim to the south, Khar to the north and S.V. Road to the west. It is well connected to all the parts of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane. Western Expressway passes through Kherwadi junction, a signal intersection situated in Kherwadi.
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