VIEW OF BOMBAY FORT FROM COLABA ISLAND TO THE SOUTH(Before fort walls removed in 1862)

 

The fort walls of Bombay (now Mumbai) were demolished between 1862 and 1864. [1, 2]

Key Facts

The Order: The demolition was ordered in 1862 by the then Governor of Bombay, Sir Bartle Frere.
The Committee: A dedicated Rampart Removal Committee was created to oversee the leveling of the old fortifications.
The Reason: By the mid-19th century, the walls had become obsolete. The rapidly growing city was severely overcrowded, and the ramparts trapped disease and choked commercial expansion. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The Aftermath

The removal of the landward defences transformed Mumbai's geography: [1]

The Gates: The city's three main security checkpoints—Apollo Gate, Church Gate, and Bazaar Gate—were permanently removed. [1, 2, 3]
The Open Spaces: The cleared Esplanade area was intentionally preserved to create South Mumbai's famous open recreational grounds, including the Oval, Azad, and Cross Maidans. [1]
New Landmarks: The newly freed space paved the way for iconic Victorian Gothic civic projects, including the Bombay High Court, Bombay University, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). [1, 2, 3, 4]

A few small fragments of the old fortifications, specifically from Fort George, can still be seen today embedded inside the compound walls of St. George Hospital near CSMT. [1, 2, 3, 4]