[PART-1A http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/09/1a-bombaymumbai-taxi-1850-to-2001-also_3982.html
[PART-1B http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/09/1-b-bombaymumbai-taxi-1850-to-2001-also.html
[PART-2]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/04/glimpses-of-old-bombay-and-western.html
[PART-3]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/04/glimpses-of-old-bombay-and-western_02.html
[PART-4]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/04/4glimpses-of-old-bombay-and-western.html
[PART-5]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/04/dedicated-to-first-city-mumbai-bombay.html
[PART-6]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/04/6.html
[PART-7]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/04/6-glimpses-of-old-bombay-and-western.html
[PART-8]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/04/7.html
[PART-9]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-anglo-maratha-war-was-first-of.html
[part-10] http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/06/bombay-history-of-cinema-1896-and.html
[part-11]http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/06/indian-modes-of-irrigation1874-elephant.html
[PART12] MAPS OF BOMBAY 1843 TO 1954http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/06/maps-of-mumbai-bombay.html
[PART12] MAPS OF BOMBAY 1843 TO 1954http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/06/maps-of-mumbai-bombay.html
DEDICATED TO THE FIRST CITY-MUMBAI-BOMBAY] ;OF INDIA.part-5 OF 9
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BOMBAY-
SHOWING HORSE DRAWN TRAMS WHICH WERE USED BEFORE ELECTRICITY AND CARS WERE DISCOVERED IN 1880'S
BELOW:-
The Gowalia Tank was initially used to bathe cows. Go - Walia comes from the marathi word Gaie (cow) Wala (owner of the cattle). The cattle owners would bring the cows to be bathed in the waters of the tank. The Maidan that exists over there presently was built over the tank, which still exists underground. Gowalia Tank was also a very prominent tram terminus. Trams would start and finish there and one could travel to the Prince of Wales Museum in one anna (six paise).
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| GOWALIA TANK AT MALABAR HILL |
Bombay Army regiments: Cavalry:1849
Cavalry:
1st Scinde Irregular Horse.
2nd Scinde Irregular Horse.
1st Scinde Irregular Horse in 1861 became the 5th Bombay Cavalry and later in 1903, the 35th Scinde Horse. 2nd Scinde Irregular Horse in 1861 became the 6th Bombay Cavalry and later in 1903, the 36th Jacob's Horse. The men and horses of the 3rd Scinde Horse were divided up between these two regiments.
The 14th Prince of Wales's Own Scinde Horse was a regular cavalry regiment of the Bombay ... It later expanded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Scinde Horse. ... the Scinde Irregular Horse got its first Commandant, John Jacob, an engineer from the ...
Active: 1838-1947
MANNERS OF SWEARING IN OF INDIAN TROOPS UNDER BRITISH 1878[EACH RELIGION REPRESENTED BY ITS PRIEST]
1878-ARRIVAL OF INDIAN TROOPS UNDER BRITISH IN MALTA -BY STEAM SHIP FROM BOMBAY
A BOMBAY HOTEL FIFTY YEARS AGO-1850
Glimpses of old Bombay and western India, with other papers (1900)
. Hope Hall Family Hotel.
" The proprietor of the above establishment has spared neither expense nor trouble to deserve the distinguished patronage with which he has been honoured, and the continuance of which be most respectfully solicits
. " The house is situated in Mazagon, on one of the most agree- able, healthy, and fashionable spots of the island, and contains apartments particularly well adapted for families
. Every room has a bathing place, etc., attached to it, and there is a number of single and double pole tents, with very desirable accommo- dation for single gentlemen.
A bungalow containing a billiard table is set apart for smoking, which is not allowed in the house,
" The meals,
consisting of breakfast, tiffin, and dinner, besides coffee and tea, are served Table d'Hote or separately, as may be desired. "
For passengers by the Overland route,
boats are kept ready to take them on shore as soon as the steamer is anchored. An agent of the establishment will take care and bring to the hotel the luggage, which every passenger is requested to point out to him. Arrived on shore an omnibus and private carriages belonging to the establishment will bring the ladies and gentle- men to the Hotel.
* Scotland's Skaith : or Will and Jean. Published Edin., 1795, ran through five editions of 500 each in seven weeks, and fourteen editions in twelve months.
" The proprietor, importing most of the articles of luxury, including beer, wine, and liquors, from England and France direct, is enabled to offer the best choice at reasonable rates.
" There are conveyances of all kinds in the establishment to be had at a moment's notice.
TERMS OF BOARDING. " Board and lodging for a person occupying one room and taking meals at Table d'Hote : — Per month Es. 130
Fortnight „ 75 Day
Children and European servants, Es. 2 per diem.
J. M. SCHULHOF. " The proprietor
begs most respectfully to draw the attention of messes, families, etc., to his stock of claret, champagne, and other foreign wines and liquors imported by him, which he offers at very low rates if taken from his godown.
" N.B. — Board and lodging
for a gentleman or lady in their own rooms : — Per day . . Es. 7 Fortnight „ 85 Month ,,160
REDUCED CHARGES OF BOARD AND LODGING FOR FAMILIES.
Old New Lady and Gentleman, Table d'Hote, Charge. Charge. per month. . . Es. 260 220 Do. Fortnight . . . „ 150 110 Do. Private, per month „ 320 260 Do. Fortnight . . . „ 170 150
CARRIAGE.
1 horse conveyance, per month . . Rs. 150 100 Do. do. Fortnight . „ 75 60
2 horse conveyance, per month .
. „ 300 200 Do. do. Fortnight . „ 150 110'"
. No question has been more discussed than the cost of living in Bombay, and whether it has increased or diminished during the past half-century
. But something has to be said on the other side, for exchange overshadows European life in India, and makes the life of many scarce worth living out here.
Hotel expenses mean rent, taxes, servants' wages, lights, and other items of bed and board. Readers of the document will form their own conclusions.
Of course, in addition to the items we have named, there are many luxuries we have added which have become necessaries ; but confining oneself to strictly hotel expenditure, the conclusion seems to me irresistible that there is no difference whatever between the year 1845 and 1895
. The value of the rupee, quote all other things, from gold down to coolies' wages, is quite another story.
Leaving economists to pursue the subject, we gather from this announcement that smokers were less liberally dealt with than at present,
and that the word "bath-room"
had not as yet found a place in the hotel owner's dictionary
. BOMBAY HOTEL SCRAPS. "
Better a bush to sleep under in one's own country than a palace in a foreign land."
— Meer Soostum, Ameer of Sind, at Sassoor in the Dekhan. 1844. " There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by which so much happiness has been produced as a good tavern or inn." — Dr. Johnson. 1776.
From these pessimist notions let us turn to the following Bombay advertisement of 1845.
We give it with its bad spelling, grammar and punctuation : — " British Hotel, Bombay.
" For the accomadation of Families and Gentlemen. These specious premises are desirably situate in the Fort, and wethin five minutes walk of the Banks of Dock Yard, Custom House and principal House of Agency
. " Wines and liquors of the best description. Tiffins and Dinners sent out on short notice. — T. Blackwell, Proprietor.
" In 1709 the Paces Banquet was held at the Bombay Hotel.
BOMBAY HOTEL SCRAPS.
On May 9th, 1800
, we find a number of gentlemen dined at Maclean's Hotel
to commemorate the capture of Seringapatam.
On August 15th, 1818, Duncan Cameron appears as sole proprietor of the Bombay Hotel and Tavern.
This was the resort for many years of the celebrated
Sans Souci Club
, which entertained Sir Arthur Wellesley.
Cameron is immortalised in the page and picture of Qui Hi.
Cameron is immortalised in the page and picture of Qui Hi.
(Marching on chowpatty beach to the christain burial ground which was near by)
In 1820 there must have been a number of hosteleries of sorts from the following notice : — October.
In 1820 there must have been a number of hosteleries of sorts from the following notice : — October.
" The Bombay Tavern par excellence
. The mighty Tavern of the East
. In the Fish and Vegetable Bazaar are The Country Tavern,
The Duke of Wellington,
The Lord Nelson
The Bootful of Mischief,
The Chinaman's Tavern. Pay To-day aud Trust To-morrow.'"
This is akin to the Italian shopkeeper who, during a commer-cial crisis, stuck every morning in his shop-window, " Credito Domani." When to-morrow came the same notice was exhibited.
September, 1826.
The Elphinstone Arms shut up.
November, 1835. The Albion Hotel. R. T. Hart.
December 14th, 1837. Victoria Hotel opened, 15, Apollo Street.
December 31st, 1837. Hope Hall opened, Mazagon
. August 24th, 1839. A Bombay Hotel Company started to supply the want of a good hotel.
Boarding-house Advertised.
March 30th, 1842
. It is remarked " there is no Hotel in Bombay at present," hence a Joint Stock Hotel and Boarding House Company is started with a capital of 2 lakhs.
November 26th
. The British Hotel and Boarding House, Apollo St.
, Mrs. Black well, announced. December 10th. The big dinner given to Outram advertised to take place in this hotel.
1850. A single man may live most comfortably on £100 a year. — Br. Moses' Sketches. 1851.
1850, June 1st. Benson's Hotel, Rampart Row, opened.
1852, June 21st. Sailors' Home,
Sanatoriums and Hotels filthy
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| SAILORS HOME |
Sanatoriums and Hotels filthy
. 1853, May 16th. Hope Hall Hotel.. Annie Blackwell.
. 1854, September 10th. John Manuel de Souza, Matheran, starts a Bakery and can receive and lodge two gentlemen. This is the smallest hotel on record.
1856, February 26th. Good entertainment for gentlemen and parties visiting this delightful station. Matheran Hotel, B. Basteon.
January, 1857. The Bombay Quarterly Review says : — " A broker introduced at a festive dinner at the Family Hotel, the Theodore Hook of the Fort Community, extracts a yellow handkerchief from his white jacket and sings. Considered a wonderful and inimitable being."
1358, March 4th.
All liquor shops to be closed on Sundays between 10 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. and from 5 to 8 evening.
1859, April 1st
. There is a goodly show of hotels. One paper says : — " If people must stand on their dignity there is The Hope Hall;
if convenience is preferred above fashion there is The British and the English Hotel in the Fort.
" 1859, July 16th. Adelphi Hotel,
names of residents published.
December 16th.
The Clarendon Family Hotel,
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| The Clarendon Hotel at Hebden |
August 12th. Smith's Oriental Hotel, Mazagon, each person Rs. 3, or Rs. 60 per mensem.
1861. Kaka and Mendoza's Hotel at Matheran well patronised.
1864, August 30th. "Watson, for an Esplanade Hotel,
bought from Government at auction a lot of ground at Rs. 110 per square yard.
Competitor the Bombay Club.
Glimpses of old Bombay and western India, with other papers (1900)
19TH CENTURY BOMBAY NEWS:-DINNERS,DANCES,JEEJEEBHOYS DINNER,BYCULLA CLUB,ANNUAL BALL OF PAREL,MASKED BALLS
dinners and Balls.
We come now to speak of dinners, and we only notice such as are distinguished by some special incident.
On November 6th, 1818, Mr. Elphinstone gave a dinner to commemorate the Battle of Kirkee. Twenty-nine toasts were given, with appropriate tunes after each toast, and his health was drunk with nine times nine !
We have no such functions nowadays.
At a dinner on November 29th, 1821, at Government House, Apollo Street, in honour of Sir John Malcolm,
200 sat down. This dinner was noticeable in this, that the chairman in his speech observed (jocularly we will suppose) that a considerable degree of apprehension was felt by their female friends that the zeal which the bumpers would derive from the toasts of the evening would render a great majority of the company unfit to appear in their presence that evening. The chairman's fears seem to have been groundless, for 350 danced till daylight in a pavilion specially erected for the purpose on the Esplanade.
200 sat down. This dinner was noticeable in this, that the chairman in his speech observed (jocularly we will suppose) that a considerable degree of apprehension was felt by their female friends that the zeal which the bumpers would derive from the toasts of the evening would render a great majority of the company unfit to appear in their presence that evening. The chairman's fears seem to have been groundless, for 350 danced till daylight in a pavilion specially erected for the purpose on the Esplanade.
The dances in these days were quadrilles
, country dances and waltzes.
Spanish dances
are also mentioned. Occasionally there were masked balls.
, country dances and waltzes.
Spanish dances
are also mentioned. Occasionally there were masked balls.
At another noticeable dinner, which took place at Poona on December 9th, 1826, Sir Lionel Smith in a speech made a delicate allusion to Mr. Elphinstone's remaining on the bachelor list. He said he had been requested by the ladies who had honoured the banquet by their presence to say something for them. " We all -know that they are always fluent, generally eloquent, always persuasive. Some of them may perhaps wonder and regret that Mr. Elphinstone has never yet quartered their silken chains in his honourable escutcheon."
There was a dinner given by Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy
(he was not knighted until 1842) to Lord Clare, Sir Herbert Compton, Sir John Keane and Sir Charles Malcolm. This Dinner was on January 29th, 1835, and was signalised by the drawing-room being thrown open to the ladies of the Jejeebhoy family, and was the first instance of Parsee ladies mingling freely in European society.
(he was not knighted until 1842) to Lord Clare, Sir Herbert Compton, Sir John Keane and Sir Charles Malcolm. This Dinner was on January 29th, 1835, and was signalised by the drawing-room being thrown open to the ladies of the Jejeebhoy family, and was the first instance of Parsee ladies mingling freely in European society.
It was Lady Frere who first opened Government House to native ladies (1862-67). On March 5th, 1835,
there was a ball and supper to Lord Clare, in the Town Hall, being the first occasion the building was used for this purpose, and the first time on which Chantrey's statue of Mountstuart Elphinstone was displayed to the public, and which of course was a subject of universal admiration.
Two of the most important dinners ever given in Bombay were that to Sir James Outram in 1842
, and the Byculla Club Dinner
to Sir Bartle Frere in 1867.
No higher types of military or civil excellence can be cited in Bombay history. Their statues, like those of two brothers, stand in line on that most conspicuous site, the Thames Embankment.
No higher types of military or civil excellence can be cited in Bombay history. Their statues, like those of two brothers, stand in line on that most conspicuous site, the Thames Embankment.
Lovely, and sometimes misconstrued in their lives, in death they have not been divided.
The ball given by Sir Albert Sassoon
to Lord !Northbrook
at Sans Souci[now it is masina hospital byculla] in 1873 was the most gorgeous and brilliant ever given in Bombay
to Lord !Northbrook
at Sans Souci[now it is masina hospital byculla] in 1873 was the most gorgeous and brilliant ever given in Bombay
, and it will never be forgotten by anyone who took part in that magnificent entertainment. For conviviality and national enthusiasm the St. Andrew's and Highland Society's Dinners "bear the gree" over all others.
The annual ball at Parell,
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| parel government house |
in February, 1872, in Sir Seymour FitzGerald's time,
did not take place. While the ladies were at their toilet, and the men ordering their carriages, a wild cry rose in the streets that Lord Mayo
had been assassinated. It was too true. Many drove up to the gates of Parell, found them closed, and were stunned by the notice posted on the pillars.
| |
| Seymour Fitzgerald,Gov of Mumbai,old print,1867 |
did not take place. While the ladies were at their toilet, and the men ordering their carriages, a wild cry rose in the streets that Lord Mayo
 |
| lord mayo 1822-1872 governor general of English India 1869-1872 |
had been assassinated. It was too true. Many drove up to the gates of Parell, found them closed, and were stunned by the notice posted on the pillars.
There was a dinner given in August, 1824, to John Jukes, a great billiard player. Thirty-five sat down,
and in 1859 a native entertainment took place, at which 200 European ladies and gentlemen danced until daylight. The gentleman in whose honour it was given, is in good health, and is now (1894) in Bombay
. But what can we say more of Bombay festivities ? The Duke said he was feasted into Bombay and feasted out of it. General Ulysses Grant said that we had killed him with kindness and done everything except hury him. The Prince of Wales said it was the dream of his life.
TAXIS IN BOMBAY 1960 ONWARDS -FIAT
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Case 1
Case 2
Case 3
Case 4Eight months ago, in a scene right out of Omen, a huge, black dog appeared out of nowhere and made the second floor corridor of a building in Santa Cruz (W), his permanent home. His uncanny presence coincides with the death of a lady, simply known as "second floor ki bhabi", who committed suicide after a tiff with her husband.
Case 7
Case 8
Case 9
Case 10
Case 11
Case 12
Despite the catalogue of gruesome urban legends, Mumbai is a city with its head on its shoulders; a city with too much grit to capitulate to ghost stories. No one will ever stop driving down the winding road from the Tower of Silence that offers one of the best views of the city and the price of an apartment will surely frighten a Mumbaiker before any old story about spiteful spirits.
1. Grand Paradi Towers
Arguably the most famous haunted house in Mumbai is situated in one of the city’s most affluent areas. On the eighth floor of the Grand Paradi (sometimes referred to as the Grand Parrari) Towers in Kemps Corner a series of freakish suicides drew attention to what appeared to be a gruesome pattern of deaths and accidents in the building. In 2004 an elderly couple jumped out of the window of this apartment. Their children and their grandchild followed suit within the year. Residents who have lived in the building for 30 years tell us, “There was something unacceptable to our rational minds that a whole family, three generations, living in one house should commit suicide in the same way. There have been up to 20 cases of fatal accidents and suicides since the building was constructed in 1976. Many involving children and even a maid who either jumped or fell out of a window.”
After the series of unfortunate events the building society began to believe that paranormal forces were at work. “After the suicides of the family the building society decided to do a puja and a havan and since then everything has stopped but the flat remains unoccupied”.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
2. Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Located on the northern fringes of Mumbai, this large protected area is usually a place people go to spot wildlife. There are rumors however, that at night, people have sightings of a phantom hitchhiker that asks those who pass by for rides. Dubious as this sounds, forest guards insist it's true.
3. Mukesh Mills
Shut down in 1980, this enormous abandoned mill in Colaba has been the shooting grounds for numerous films and advertisements. Deserted and rundown, Mukesh Mills is a ready-made set for horror films and Gothic shows, especially considering the Mills are actually considered to be haunted. Many directors, actors and producers refuse to work here past sunset. One television actress claimed to have had a particularly bad experience where one of her female co-stars suddenly began speaking in a manly voice, as if she were possessed, telling the crew to leave the premises immediately. Others say the place is jinxed and people are always losing their belongings, wallets and phones.
Aarey Milk Colony
4. Aarey Milk Colony
Established in 1949, Aarey Milk Colony is a vast area in Goregaon East with long stretches of gardens, nurseries and lakes. Picnickers frequent this milking estate on the weekend along with members of the film and ad industry who use it as a location for shoots.
Aarey Milk Colony is famous for its visits from various apparitions. Just as with Mukesh Mills, many in the film industry get the spooks here and refuse to work in the place after dark.
5. Tower of Silence
Sounds ominous doesn’t it? The Tower of Silence is actually a Parsi cemetery situated rather picturesquely on Malabar Hill in South Mumbai. Custom dictates that Parsis leave the bodies of their dead for vultures to feed on. The graphic images that come to mind lend themselves to all sorts of horrifying stories. The winding road that leads down the hill is particularly desolate and eerie at night and the place has become recognized as a kind of ghoulish hangout. The weird happenings at the Grand Parrari Towers for instance, were blamed on spectral forces emanating from this cemetery.
Haunted in Mumbai
September 5, 2006 — Alphonso
Bombay – Bombay Supreme Court – for over 30 years whenever a murder trial is conducted here a vengeful bilingual ghost makes itself known by cursing and terrorizing anyone brave (or foolish) enough to enter.
Mumbai – Mahim – Near Canossa primary there is a chawl named d’souza chawl, there is a local well from whwere people used to fill water and even wash clothes.This well did not have any boundary walls around it and once when a lady was filling water the whole thing collapsed.The lady too fell in that well and died.After this incident she is said to appear everyday near that well and many of the locals have even seen her. She does not harm anyone just strolls around the place and before morning hours she dissappears.
My Great Grand Mother By: nemi_bluerulz@hotmail.comI m a 14 year old from India and i want to mention this extraordinary incident i had when i was younger.
To begin with, when I was about 11, my great grand mother (who I call granny) who was extremely precious to me passed away at the age of 98. I was really close to her and loved her truly which even she did. Well, this day was a Sunday about 11 in the morning and I and my mother were having a serious argument, both of us were furious at one another and I was bitterly crying. At this time, we were completely oblivious to the death of my granny as she lived in Chennai, India while we were in Mumbai, India. My mum, while she was screaming endlessly at me, got infuriated and lifted her hand to slap me but all of a sudden, she felt an icy cold hand hold her back. She seemed to be unable to speak either, as I could see her opening and closing her mouth but no voice came out…I was genuinely surprised and scared and had no idea what is going. Then, I felt a hand on my hair traveling down my sweating forehead to my eyes and then wiping my tears. The hand felt really cold, soft and kind of wrinkled. I was glued to my position. I couldn’t move or speak. Although I felt really scared, I also felt a peculiar feeling of warmth and love, like I m near someone who really adores me and truly cares for me. I also suddenly remembered my granny, wishing I could see her and talk to her and all the memories came flooding back to me. However, as soon as these feelings came they went away and the eerie air departed giving place to fright and wonder.
We couldn’t interpret the reason for what happened, while my mother told me about the chilly hand that held her, I mentioned my experience leaving behind the part where I remembered my Granny out of the blues, my mum did the same which I realized later on. However, as we sat in curiosity and fright, we got a phone call from my uncle announcing my Granny’s death at about 10.30 in the morning. It came as a subtle shock, for which I cried for ages but it always felt great to perceive that she came to tell her beloved daughter goodbye before leaving us all for ever.
I also had a few more paranormal incidents after that, though they wouldn’t be mentioned as ones which I don’t have nightmares about….. I would love to share them with you but some other time. I don’t have any proof for this story but this is really true. I would be really grateful to you if you publish my story because I want to tell people that you always don’t have to be scared of ghosts. I m very sorry if this is too long.
To begin with, when I was about 11, my great grand mother (who I call granny) who was extremely precious to me passed away at the age of 98. I was really close to her and loved her truly which even she did. Well, this day was a Sunday about 11 in the morning and I and my mother were having a serious argument, both of us were furious at one another and I was bitterly crying. At this time, we were completely oblivious to the death of my granny as she lived in Chennai, India while we were in Mumbai, India. My mum, while she was screaming endlessly at me, got infuriated and lifted her hand to slap me but all of a sudden, she felt an icy cold hand hold her back. She seemed to be unable to speak either, as I could see her opening and closing her mouth but no voice came out…I was genuinely surprised and scared and had no idea what is going. Then, I felt a hand on my hair traveling down my sweating forehead to my eyes and then wiping my tears. The hand felt really cold, soft and kind of wrinkled. I was glued to my position. I couldn’t move or speak. Although I felt really scared, I also felt a peculiar feeling of warmth and love, like I m near someone who really adores me and truly cares for me. I also suddenly remembered my granny, wishing I could see her and talk to her and all the memories came flooding back to me. However, as soon as these feelings came they went away and the eerie air departed giving place to fright and wonder.
We couldn’t interpret the reason for what happened, while my mother told me about the chilly hand that held her, I mentioned my experience leaving behind the part where I remembered my Granny out of the blues, my mum did the same which I realized later on. However, as we sat in curiosity and fright, we got a phone call from my uncle announcing my Granny’s death at about 10.30 in the morning. It came as a subtle shock, for which I cried for ages but it always felt great to perceive that she came to tell her beloved daughter goodbye before leaving us all for ever.
I also had a few more paranormal incidents after that, though they wouldn’t be mentioned as ones which I don’t have nightmares about….. I would love to share them with you but some other time. I don’t have any proof for this story but this is really true. I would be really grateful to you if you publish my story because I want to tell people that you always don’t have to be scared of ghosts. I m very sorry if this is too long.
Towing vehicle took off on its own
It may appear like something out of a seedy horror film, but a section of the aviation community strongly believes that a ghost haunted Mumbai’s domestic airport on the night of July 7.
On that fateful date, a little past midnight, Indian Airlines towing vehicle operator K V Gharse, a foreman and an aircraft technician were towing an A-320 aircraft from the domestic to the international end of Mumbai airport.
Two communication technicians were on board the plane, in the cockpit.
“When the aircraft reached the runway near the fire brigade station, smoke started emanating from the towing vehicle. So the operator stopped the vehicle, climbed down and released the tow bar,’’ says an airport source.
Following a short discussion, the men decided to park the problematic towing vehicle at a safe spot away from the runway before getting another towing vehicle.
“But when Gharse climbed back into the vehicle and started it, he was thrown off his seat with such force that he landed on the runway with a thud,’’ says the source. “After that, the towing vehicle sped off at lightning speed by itself.’’As the men stood watching openmouthed, the vehicle swerved and turned around, rushing towards the aircraft.
“En route, its two front wheels got caught in a gutter along the taxibay and it stopped, but it jumped out of the ditch and hit and damaged the aircraft before coming to a halt,’’ adds the source.
The men ran off and notified the control tower and Indian Airlines officials about the accident. Gharse, who received injuries on his head and hands, was rushed to Nanavati hospital.
The IA general manager for ground support flew in from Delhi the next day to investigate the matter. Gharse was discharged from the hospital this Monday.
While the story given by the five men on duty is being investigated, the IA management has been looking for a scientific explanation and the possibility of human error as well. “It should be noted that the towing vehicle was giving out smoke before the operator climbed in and started it,’’ reasons an IA official.
“Maybe the accelerator went on accidentally, and the operator was thrown off the vehicle due to inertia. The uncontrolled speed could have caused it to swerve and come back towards the aircraft.’’
Whether one favours the rational explanation or the supernatural one, no more untoward incidents have taken place at Mumbai airport since July 7. The spooked aviation staff must be happy about that. Appeared in Times of India
MUMBAI GHOST STORIES
Mansi Choksi, Times of India Mumbai; Date: Mar 28, 2010
A headless man who kills people near Mumbai’s sick mills, a woman who haunts a loo and other spirits are now the subject of a research paper on the city’s urban legends
A42-year-old housewife, who lives in a secluded building in Kurla on the banks of the Mithi river, says she sometimes hears her husband calling out hours after he has left home. Sometimes, she can hear her children playing when they are in school. But whenever she walks out into the corridor to check, she finds no one there.
The housewife tries to keep herself busy with household chores, draws the curtains to let the sunlight pour in, but it’s hard to forget what she heard when they moved into the dusty locked-up flat 25 years ago. Her neighbours talked of people being suffocated when they slept in the corridor. One of them told her that the spirits of a family, which lived on the same floor and was killed in violence that broke out in the area in 1942, have now returned to haunt the building.
No, this isn’t the screenplay of a Ramsay Brothers horror film—it’s a study project undertaken by four young researchers who are documenting supernatural experiences in Mumbai. MBBS student Dilip Shenai, techie Kashmira Khot, Shippie Manoj Nagarkar and MSc student Abhishek Satam have been scouting for people like the above-mentioned housewife to manuscript experiences of “haunted places in Mumbai’’.
The team, Partner of Urban Knowledge and Research (PUKAR) group research fellows, have already found 16 such spots and have conducted more than 50 interviews. “We chose this subject because there is no solid documentation of these urban legends. The fact that these horror stories exist in a busy city like Mumbai fascinated us,’’ says Shenai, adding that the team has decided not to divulge names of the locations because they don’t want their project to lead to a fear psychosis.
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Haunted Kitchen, Mumbai (Bombay)
February 1, 2010
Most of us have heard a bump in the night and how do we react? We run to hide under the covers and await dawn. We keep quiet about it until someone else in the household speaks up about the situation. Until, then we don’t get up to use the bathroom at night, make sure there is a big bottle of water on the night stand and keep the covers above the head at all times.
But what if all such events never occurred at night but at daytime? When the sun was shining bright and you were wide awake planning your day? Sounds unbelievable? I thought so too but then things slowly began to make more sense. One thing I learnt from this experience was that never second guess yourself because these ghosts, spirits, entity – whatever name you prefer to give them, they certainly do exist in our world. Let me tell you how it all began.
I shifted to a new flat a year ago. I didn’t get acquainted with any neighbors except for the airhostess, next door. Tara was a typical flight attendant with exquisite features, hourglass figure and the make-up with the tight-fitted uniform, turned a lot of heads.
We got along like two pods in a pea and I really missed her company on the nights she was away across continents. Often, she got me souvenirs and I kept some dinner for her when I knew she would be home late.
I rarely visited her flat as she preferred to come over and lounge in my room. I didn’t mind it though. One evening, she looked very pale and distraught.
“Do you know who lived in your flat before you moved in?” she asked.
“No, not really. As far as I know these flats have been newly constructed and we are the first ones here.”
That seemed to have consoled her a bit. But she changed the topic and told me about this new guy she met in-flight.
Few days later, she asked me if I could water her plants while she was away. She gave me a set of her keys and said she would be away for a week or so. I really didn’t mind it. I am an artist so a change of venue for my creativity is always welcome.
Her flat was neatly styled. It was minimal yet inviting. She had a lot of ferns, aromatic herbs and roses neatly arranged in her balcony. Sunlight glared brightly through her French windows and the fragrance of the flowers swept across the rooms. I went to check if she had any leftovers that needed to be discarded and I stepped into her kitchen.
A draft of chilled air brushed past my face giving me goose bumps. It did surprise me but I didn’t think of it much. I checked on the contents of the fridge and left for the day.
My flat was designed in such a way that the passage connecting from my living room to my study overlooked her kitchen window. I am sure you must be wondering why I am suddenly describing my floor plan in the middle of this story but this is vital later on.
I went about my household chores as usual and as I was about to enter my study, I felt someone was watching me from Tara’s kitchen window. I took a step back and looked again, but there was no one. It seemed a little weird but it could have been a reflection from the windows from the flat downstairs.
Couple of days later, I found someone standing and looking on my side of the flat from the kitchen window. I walked to the passage to check but again there was no one. I was sure it wasn’t Tara because if she had returned she would have definitely drop in to tell me that she was back and also her windows would be open.
Slowly, this became a regular feature. Every time, I would step into my study from the corner of my eye I could sense someone was standing and looking through the kitchen window. When I looked closer there was no one. I didn’t stop watering the plants but made a quick dash, poured the water and hurried back.
One morning, I thought- “I am being silly; let me go to the kitchen and check. Maybe there is a cupboard and its refection is creating a shadow effect.”
With a positive and open mind, I walked into her kitchen. Suddenly, a mesh of cobweb fell over my face. I felt extremely cold. I could feel the hair at the back of my neck stand up. I stood frozen for a second and scrambled to reach the sanctity of my own home. I sat panting for eternity-well that’s how I felt then.
The same night, Tara was back. She was her jovial self and told me all the exotic locations she travelled. She did notice my anxiety and my lack of enthusiasm in looking at her travel photos. I was lost in thought, wondering if I should share these episodes with her. I decided I would tell her eventually but not today. I needed to rest and figure out the best way to break this paranormal situation to her.
Tara had few days of leave and stayed at her place sleeping most of the day. Evenings she would come over and we would chat up. We were enjoying our tea in my study and I was seated in the corner where I could see her kitchen window. I consciously looked away and Tara sensed my distraught look.
“It may sound silly,” she said “but I really get freaked out at my place.”
“What you mean?” I asked.
“I feel someone is watching me all the time. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is but I feel someone is watching me from behind. I really don’t know how to explain this. I know you must think I am on dope.”
“No, I understand exactly what you mean.”
Now was my chance to give her all the details of the incident.
“Who do you think it is? The previous owner?”
“Tara, this is a new building. We are the first ones here. But I agree there is something or someone’s spirit that is lurking. It knows that it has got our attention. So far no harm has been done so at least we know it’s not violent.”
“Thanks for the reassurance but I am not going to sleep there tonight. I am staying with you.”
“That’s no problem but then we have to find a solution to get rid of it otherwise it can come over to this flat too.”
“What you mean? It will follow us here?”
“Why not? It makes me uncomfortable in my flat. What is stopping it from come here?”
That night, we sat and researched on the internet and found out about different cleansing rituals. We bought all the things listed and started trying it out from the following morning. There was uneasiness and of course we were scared but we kept at it and after a month of cleansing, it left and went away.
The kitchen seems warm and inviting now. There never were any cobwebs but somehow on that day, it appeared out of the blue. Everything has settled down and the kitchen is no longer haunted.
©Nayna, 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved
Haunted blog
An Encounter In Bombay
This incidence happened in the year 1975. My father, then unmarried, along with his family, used to live in the Mulund East suburb of Bombay, now Mumbai.
He used to have a friend and neighbor, Jadhav. Jadhav just got a job with a Pharma Company in Mulund West suburb, and had to daily cross the railway lines to get across the suburbs, and used a cycle for travelling to work.
One night, when Jadhav was returning home at around 1:15 am after completing his third shift, he encountered a strange thing. He saw a man standing in front of him on the railway tracks, accompanied with a cycle. This man was blocking the whole crossing by placing the cycle across the road of the crossing. Jadhav saw this man, but was unable to see his face since the man was facing away from Jadhav.
At first, Jadhav asked the man to leave his way, but there was no response. After a couple of requests, Jadhav started using abusive language to persuade the man to leave the tracks, but there was still no reply. Finally, Jadhav decided to get rid of that man using some physical force. Jadhav was pretty confident about himself since he had a good physique with a height of 5 feet 11 inches and a weight of 85kg, whereas the man confronting Jadhav seemed a physically weak guy of around 45 kgs, and was only somewhere around 5 feet 2 inches tall. Jadhav stepped ahead to grip the shoulder of the man, but when Jadhav touched him, the man suddenly turned around facing Jadhav.
Jadhav saw his face and felt that it seemed something different, his face was totally white and his eyes were so deep that they weren't visible. Before Jadhav could make any move, that man landed a tight slap on Jadhav's face. The slap was so hard that Jadhav fell five feet behind on the ground. It would have been a really difficult task for a man of that height and physique to overpower a huge guy like Jadhav. Jadhav somehow managed to get up immediately but found that the man, along with his cycle, were both missing.
Fear ran through Jadhav's mind as he realized that it wasn't human. Jadhav started running towards the railway platform, which was around 200 meters from the spot. Jadhav somehow reached the railway platform and then ran all the way to his house.
From that night, Jadhav suffered from high fever along with dystentry for one week. His family performed some Puja and Havan to rid him of this fever.
Today, Jadhav lives in Pune, India. Even after more than thirty years after that incident, Jadhav still remembers that night.
I still hear people saying that the railway tracks near the crossing are haunted, and some years back, a flyover bridge was constructed on the railway crossing.
| Bhangarh:Myth Busted:- |
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| Written by Gaurav Tiwari on December 10, 2010, 08:48:06 PM | |||||||||
Jul 12, 2016 - Watch paranormal activity expert Gaurav Tiwari's last show with Aaj Tak where rumours were probed and investigations were done in Bhaangarh fort.
Aug 5, 2019 - Gaurav Tiwari (2 September 1984 – 7 July 2016) was CEO and ... for himself and his team after busting the haunting myths of Bhangarh, and ...
Death[edit]
Gaurav Tiwari was found dead[1] at his Dwarka home on 7 July. According to Delhi Police, it was a case of asphyxiation, but several arguments against this theory were raised on social media and news networks.[2] His body was found lying on his bathroom floor with a thin black line across his neck. According to his family, they heard a loud thud from his bathroom at around, 11 AM on Thursday. They forced their way through the locked door to find Tiwari lying unresponsive on the floor. He was rushed to a hospital but could not be resuscitated. Some people believed that he was killed by ghosts or spirits. But after some investigation Delhi Police told that he was killed by his relatives due to some family issues.
Was paranormal investigator gaurav tiwari killed by negative ... April 26, 2020 april 8, ans:- people who research in this field ... Gaurav has earned international reputation for himself and his team after busting the haunting myths of bhangarh, and also for his work in establishing india's first scientific paranormal research.
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[9] HOTELS ,DINNERS,PARTIES,DANCES,PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT -BOMBAY FORT LIFE 19TH CENTURY http://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2011/02/john-watson-of-watson-hotel-bombay-vs.html
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