On a heritage trail

Did you know that Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) was given as dowry by the Portuguese to King Charles II of England, when he married Princess Catherine of Braganza in 1662? Or, that the Bombay Dock is the oldest and the first dry dock in Asia?

If you find such trivia interesting, then it’s worth exploring the rich history and genesis of the city of Mumbai through the Naval Dockyard Heritage Walk. Conducted on the first Sunday of every month and organised by the Naval Dockyard, it gives you a chance to learn about the little known history and heritage of the city.

Begun in 2005, the Naval Dockyard Heritage Walk is aimed at showcasing the heritage structures at the Naval Dockyard. “The Naval Dockyard has many Grade I heritage structures which are not known to the people. Sites like the Ballard Bunder Gatehouse which have been restored to its former glory are worth a watch,” informs an official from the human resources department of the Naval Dockyard.

The heritage walk which begins from the Lion Gate at Shahid Bhagat Singh Road takes you on a guided tour to the various heritage buildings. The Dock frontage forming a magnificent facade, unchanged over the past 200 years, is an ideal start to the five hour long tour.

Explains the official, “There are two museums — one at the Ballard Gatehouse and the other inside the Naval Dockyard — which contain rare archival photographs giving an insight into the history of Mumbai as well as its evolution from being a largely Koli community dominated area to its present cosmopolitan Mumbai.”

The visitors are then taken to the Duncan and Bombay dockyards and also to the heritage hall. The Duncan Dock named after Jonathan Duncan, then Governor of Bombay, consists of two dry docks — Upper Duncan Dry Dock built in 1807 and Lower Duncan Dry Dock built in 1810. This dock is fully operational today and is exploited externally.

The Bombay Dock, which was commenced in 1735 under the leadership of Lowji Nusservanji Wadia, comprises three docks in line. Thereafter, the tour winds its way to the Bombay clock tower and the INS Angre, (named after freedom fighter Kanhoji Angre) which is presently the headquarter of the Western Naval Command and which was the headquarter of the East India Company.

A washroom in a building dating back to the eighteenth century is declared as a heritage structure and is in use till date. Another highlight of the heritage walk includes a visit to a fire station dating back to the 1870s.

“We show the visitors the functioning of the fire pump,” says the official. Visitors are also shown ships and submarines if there are any present at that point of time. Once inside, you can visit the aircraft-carrier-turned-into-a museum, IMS Vikrant (formerly INS Vikrant), climb the Bombay clock tower or go to the Bombay castle to check out some cannons.

“Any Indian national can participate in the heritage walk and the entry is free and on a first come first serve basis,” states the official. So, its’ time you set your date with history.