Why Widows In India Wear White Sarees?

Here is a video I have made to help explain and in a way hail the fight for the emancipation of women and especially widows who, over the years have been neglected by society.

Hidden Secrets - Mahim Causeway - Bombay

When the British took over the Salcette Island i.e. today's Bandra and beyond, many people from Bandra would come to South Bombay in search for work. 

Bandra was separated from the rest of the Bombay Islands at that time by swamp land. The swampy area between the two islands made travel dangerous and thus a need for a causeway arose.  The British East India Company, who governed Bombay at that time, refused to fund the project.

Thus, Lady Jeejeebhoy, wife of the first baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, to donate the entire amount of INR 1,57,000/- on the condition that the government would not charge a toll for its use or disturb the Koli community who lived around the area.

The Mahim Causeway was built between 1841 to 1846 to connect the island of Salsette with Mahim.

​​​​​​​​​Today Mahim Causeway is also called L.J. Road.

​​​​​​​​​​Original Road sign  on the pavement - 1800's 

The untold story of Charni Road - Bombay

Charni Road Station, Mumbai: the forgotten story behind it

Between 1822 and 1838, cattle from the congested fort area used to graze freely at the Camp Maidan (now called Azad Maidan), an open ground opposite the Victoria Terminus. 

In 1838, the colonial government introduced a 'grazing fee' which several cattle-owners could not afford. 

Therefore, Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy spent Rs. 20,000 from his own purse for purchasing some grasslands near the seafront at Thakurdwar and saw that the starving cattle grazed without a fee in that area. 

Sir Jamsetjee Jeejabhoy

In time the area became to be known as "Charni" meaning grazing. When a railway station on the BB&CI railway was constructed there it was called Charni Road.

​Credits: The above information has been shared with me by a dear friend Ms. Aban Kabraji for the purpose of enhancing the awareness of our City's Heritage.