Know Your Bombay!

Parsi Times is delighted to start a new column dedicated to sharing interesting facts about the largest hub of Parsis – Bombay! Ever wonder why and how the various streets and places in Bombay got their names? As India breathed free from the British Raj, the new governments started changing the erstwhile British names to local ones. Explore your city’s amusing history with PT’s ‘Know Your Bombay’, with research and inputs by Karan Mehta. 

Crawford Market:
One of Mumbai’s most buzzing markets, Crawford Market gets its name from Arthur Travers Crawford, ICS, who served pre-independent India as Municipal Commissioner from 1865-1871. He was remarkably fluent in the Marathi language and responsible for numerous structural improvements made in the city. However, he was later accused of corruption. The market was designed by British architect William Emerson. The building, completed in 1869, was donated to the city by Cowasji Jehangir. In 1882, the building was the first in India to be lit up by electricity. Crawford Market was later renamed after Mahatma Jotirao Phule.

Ballard Pier and Estate:
Named after the first Chairman of the Bombay Port Trust Gen John Alex Ballard, the Ballard Estate building was a thriving location for British business on reclaimed land and was supervised by him. The Ballard Estate construct represents English Renaissance from the Edwardian London era. It’s chief architect, George Wittet, ensured uniformity of architectural style. The road adjoining the Estate was named after George Wittet.