Mazgaon

Mazagaon, also spelled Mazgaon and Mazagon, and pronounced by the Catholics as 'Mazgon' or 'Maz-a-gon' and the Marathi-speakers as Mazhgav. It was one of the seven islands of Bombay. This locality is in South Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and can be reached by Byculla Station on the Central railway line and Dockyard Road Station on the Harbour Railway line. Located in Mazagoan are maritime companies like the Bombay Port Trust and Mazagoan Dock Ltd., the Mazagoan Court and Anglo-Indian schools like the St. Peters School and St. Mary's School. it is mostly a working class area, deep within the crowded heart of the city with a mixed population of Catholics, Muslims (Dawoodi Bohras to be specific) and Hindus (Marathis and Gujaratis).

History

The word Mazagaon has been derived from the Sanskrit Matsya Gram, meaning fishing village. The original inhabitants were speculated to be tribals of Agari (salt-workers) & Koli (fishermen) tribes.However, folk etymology derives it from the Marathi Maza Gaon, meaning my village. Another etymology claim suggests Portuguese origin. The name was probably borrowed from a city and fort of Mazagão in Morocco (now El Jadida) established by Portuguese in the beginning of the XVI century and totally evacuated to Brazil in 1769. One of Mazagaon's oldest claims to fame was a variety of mango trees which fruited twice a year. Apparently a few such trees were extant well into the twentieth century. The small island was rocky, with a hill rising at the north, and forming a cliff over the harbour. To see what Mazagaon might once have been, one has to visit any of the tiny rocky islands bearing mango trees and small villages further down the Konkan coast.

The first Portuguese settlers were the Jesuits, who established a church sometime in the sixteenth century. Notwithstanding their claim, in 1572 the King of Portugal granted the island in perpetuity to the de Souza e Lima family, from whom the D'Souzas of Bombay trace their descent. When the Portuguese ceded the island to the British, there was a well established population of Roman Catholics, mainly fishermen. Most were Hindu converts, although Eurasians were not uncommon. Some black African slaves brought by the Portuguese, known as Kaffirs had also entered the ethnic mix. Some of their traditional wooden houses can still be seen, and are now protected heritage structures.

The original Gloria church, Nossa Senhora de Gloria, was built in 1632 from a donation by the de Souza family. It was destroyed in 1911, and two years later a new, standard issue Gothic, church of the same name was built a kilometer away.

Mazagaon was occupied by the Sidi of Janjira, an admiral in the Mughal navy in 1690. It is said that he was driven away a year later by the Rustomji Dorabji, who organised the fishermen in Dongri into a fleet. Rustomji was given the title Patel after this feat, and his descendants remain the only Parsi family of Patels till now.

With the reclamation of Umarkhadi, at the end of the seventeenth century, Mazagaon became an outlying suburb of Bombay and a fashionable place to live in. One of the famous houses was the neo-classical Tarala, built by a member of the Wadia family in the late eighteenth century. Sold to the Jeejeebhoy family about a century later, it became the Sadar Adalat in 1925, when they moved out to Malabar Hill. Later still it was taken over by the army, and then donated to the J. J. Hospital in 1943 after a fire. It was used as a staff hostel for a few years before it was demolished.

Other bungalows and plantations also grew up in Mazagaon as the British and the more affluent Indians moved out of the crowded fort. When the Esplanade was cleared in the Fort area, the armoury moved from Bombay Castle to Mazagaon in 1760 and gave its name to Gunpowder Lane. In 1790 the docks at Mazagaon were completed. In 1793, after the construction of the Hornby Vellard, the Bellasis Road was built to join Mazagaon and Malabar Hill.

The next century saw a slow decline in Mazagaon's fortunes, as the neighbouring Byculla became the fashionable suburb, and people began moving out. The process accelerated after the docks were reclaimed in the last thirty years of the century on the eastern shore of Mazagaon. Mazagaon was left landlocked, and the fumes from the developing mills drove the last money out of this area.

Among others, Tipu Sultan, the Mysore warrior's relative Nawab Ayaz Ali, migrated here after the British defeated the ruler in 1799 and was buried here.

The area

Once very fashionable. Mazgaon lost much of its charm after the more affluent British and Parsi residents relocated to Malabar Hill. Since independence, the area is generally considered to be a Catholic enclave. However, even though Mazagaon is still home to a large population of Catholics, Muslims (Dawoodi Bohras) are taking their place with most Catholics migrating abroad. A Catholic East Indian village can be found in the "Mathar Pakadi" area. Those originally from Goa, the migrants set up transit camps, which later became permanent residences. The Goan Clubs are an integral part of this part of town. Nearby lie the famous Mazagaon Docks, famed as a site of ship building since the 18th century. It still builds warships for the Indian Navy and nearby is the Mazagaon Dock Colony which houses Angre house, Sarine house, Curry house and P & O Terrace. The Harbour Line station of Dockyard Road is the nearest railhead. The area is peaceful and quiet, unlike other parts of the city.

Churches in Mazagaon

Mazagaon is famous for its churches. Among the more prominent are: 1. St. Anne's Church (Roman Catholic) (next to St. Mary's School) in the West, 2. Our Lady of the Rosary Church (Roman Catholic) in the East (opposite Dockyard Road Station), 3. Our Lady of Glory Church (Roman Catholic) up north (in Byculla, opposite Byculla station), 4. St. Joseph's Church (Roman Catholic) down south (in Umerkhadi, Dongri), 5. St. Peter's Church (Protestant) (Non Functional) (near Mazagaon Hill) with 6. another Protestant Church towards J.J. Hospital. 7. Christ Church (Protestant) in the north. Also 8.9. two Methodist Churches in the vicinity. One near Victoria Gardens and the next opposite St. Agnes' School, Clare Road. Mazagaon has a prominent centre, commonly referred as to 'Mazagaon Circle' due to the presence of a roundabout.

Important landmarks in Mazagaon

• St. Mary's School(ICSE) [1]
• St. Mary's High School, SSC [2]
• St. Peter's School, Mazagaon, ICSE
• Bombay Port Trust
• Chinese temple (the only one in the city)
• Framji Patel Parsi Agiary
• Joseph Baptista Garden and Reservoir now named Bhandar Wada Water Reservoir (built in 1880)
• Sales Tax Office
• Angre House (named after the Maratha Navy Kanhoji Angre)

Schools in Mazagaon

The Roman Catholic Church runs almost a dozen of schools in Mazagaon and the nearby vicinity. It houses one of the best schools for both girls and boys.

Islamic International School.

Mazagaon sales tax office

This is one of the most important landmark in Mazagaon situated at Nesbit Road/ Sardar Balwant Singh Lodhi Marg. Other important offices situated in this building are Rationing office, Maharashtra Public Service Commission Office, Maharashtra Sales Tax Tribunal, Bank of Maharashtra. This twin building is having 9+9 floors. Commissioner's office is situated on the 8th floor. This office is one of the most important government building as all important governance of vat tax administration is done in this building with the help of at least four thousand personnel. This office is open on all days expect second and fourth Saturday and public holidays and office timings are 0945 hrs to 1730 Hrs. BANK OF MAHARASHTRA, Rationing office, Post office is situated at ground floor.Every person entering in this premises has to go through Security Checks.