Friday, April 19, 2013

Victoria horse carriages are part of Bombay's heritage . Animal lovers plan to remove it is not correct

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Horse carriage, Taj Mahal Hotel










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Portrait of Group of Brahmans, of Parbu Caste - Lala Deen Daya lhttp://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.in/2010_12_24_archive.html


'The oldest known names for the city are Kakamuchee and Galajunkja; these are sometimes still used. Ali Muhammad Khan, in the Mirat-i-Ahmedi (1507) referred to the city as Manbai. In 1508,Portuguese writer Gaspar Correia used the name Bombaim, in his Lendas da Índia ("Legends of India").This name possibly originated as the Old Portuguese phrase bom baim, meaning "good little bay", andBombaim is still commonly used in Portuguese. In 1516, Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa used the name Tana-MaiambuTana appears to refer to the adjoining town of Thane andMaiambu to Mumbadevi.


BOMBAS' TOWN- ( MAP OF 16TH CENTURY BOMBAY )AND FORT 'BOMBAIE'



BOMBAY 1600


BOMBAIA(BOMBAY) 1703



View From Apollo Gate, Bombay.
BELOW-SOUTH BOMBAY 1820 -MAZGAON AREA
BELOW-BOMBAY MALABAR HILL 1850
1853-BOMBAY CITY VIEW FROM MALABAR HILL
Bombay From Malabar Hill, 1853 Print ...

View From Malabar Hill, Bombay

Bombay from malabar hill hi-res stock ...

Malabar hill Bombay(Mumbai)1870 ...

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Malabar Hill Bombay, 1900 Postcard ...

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Mumbai malabar hill hi-res stock ...

bungalow, Malabar Hill, Bombay, India ...

Malabar Hill. Old photograph from 1949 ...

India, Bombay (Mumbai), Malabar Hill ...

Malabar Hill - Wikipedia

Malabar Hill: How a jungle turned into ...

373 Malabar Hill Stock Photos, High-Res ...

View from Malabar Hill - Bombay (Mumbai ...

BOMBAY 1854--VIEW OF WILD DESOLATE LANDSCAPE OF BOMBAY CITY; SHOWING A STEAM TRAIN; FROM SION HILL.BELOW THE BYCULLA RAILWAY STATION



BOMBAY PALANQUIN C.1850

Palanquin Bearers, Bombay - Sarmaya

INDIA. Palanquin, Mumbai, antique ...

engraved by R.G. Reeve ...

Category:Palanquins - Wikimedia Commons

Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai]: some ...

Communication in British India ...

travellers, India.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

engraved by R.G. Reeve ...

Fort. Steel engraving. Originally ...

Bombay Presidency - Sarmaya

Palanquin by English Photographer: Buy ...

The Port Bombay (Mumbai) - 19th Century ...

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1850-1925 India, Views of old Bombay ...

One of the four gates at Bombay Fort, c ...

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South India By Palanquin | Troubador ...

Palanquin bearers hi-res stock ...

Palanquin bearers hi-res stock ...

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ROYAL PALANQUIN FOR MAHARAJAS




ORDINARY MAN'S PALANQUIN- TAXI AT BAZAR GATE AREA OF BOMBAY FORT
POOR MAN'S PALANQUIN
ABOVE -THE POST MAN[DAWK WALLAH FOR THE ENGLISH MAN]RUNNING WITH POST ON SHOULDER-1857
BELOW WHITE MAN ON WAY TO HILL STATION ON PALANQUIN

INDIANS CARRYING,ON A PALANQUIN ,

A WHITE WOMAN WITH A WHITE UMBRELLA IN SIMLA MALL(MAIN STREET) 19 TH CENTURY PHOTO.[INDIANS WERE NOT ALLOWED IN THE MALL AREA BY BRITISH RULERS IN THE BEGINNING BUT LATER ON ALLOWED]


BOMBAY 1860
SHOWS HORSE CARRIAGES AND BULLOCK CART CARRIAGES PARKED NEXT TO COURT HOUSE;AND A MAN WAITING FOR CUSTOMERS WITH HIS PALANQUIN NEAR COURT STEPS;FORT BOMBAY
Victoria horse carriages

FORT BOMBAY WITH FORT WALLS 1850
PHOTO BELOW SHOWS:-THE ORIGINAL CHURCH GATE(GATE NEAR ST.THOMAS CHURCH WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN THE BACK) OF BOMBAY FORT ;LATER CHURCH GATE RAILWAY STATION GOT THIS NAME ;AS IT WAS NEAR THIS GATE

BOMBAY 1880'S BEFORE DISCOVERY OF AUTOMOBILES-(CARS) SHOWS HORSE (PULLED)TRAMS AND HORSE CARRIAGES AT FLORA FOUNTAIN
FORT ,BOMBAY-FLORA FOUNTAIN 1880 -WITH HORSE DRAWN TRAMS;HORSE CARTS,BULLOCK CARTS [BEFORE CARS AND AUTOMOBILES WERE DISCOVERED /MADE]. IT SEEMS THE ROADS ARE SPRINKLED WITH WATER ,ON THE LEFT SIDE ,TO PREVENT DUST CLOUDS FROM ROAD


horse-drawn tram on colaba causeway - Mumbai

A horse-drawn tram on colaba causeway. The offices and stables of the Tramway Company is beside the Wesley Church, with the original steeple. A bus depot and the Electric House building replaced the Tramway Company office

Hackerry, Bombay,[BULLOCK CART FOR PASSENGERS] a photo by Francis Frith, c.1870'

BOMBAY STRRET SCENE C. 1850'S

A collotype by Clifton & Co., c.1900; * overview of the -BOMBAY-FLORA FOUNTAIN;SHOWING HORSE CARRIAGE TAXI


BELOW -PHOTO OF TOWN HALL BOMBAY

BOMBAY - CHURCH GATE RAILWAY STATION--1920
[flora+fountain.jpg]

HORSE CARRIAGES WAITING IN FRONT OF TAJ MAHAL HOTEL BOMBAY

BOMBAY CLUB1880'S
Bombay 100 Years Ago
BELOW -WATSON HOTEL BOMBAY


ADELPHI HOTEL BOMBAY
BELOW -STANDING IN MIDDLE OF ROAD IS THE BOMBAY POLICE MAN
Bombay 100 Years Ago
'GATE WAY OF INDIA' WAS BUILT HERE LATER;(PHOTO BELOW)
Harbor Of Bombay


OFFICER SITS ON HAND PULLED RICKSHAW;

A 1905 Humber car , photographed in Bombay-(ONE OF THE FIRST CARS IN BOMBAY)



FIRST FLEET OF TAXI CARS IN BOMBAY 1910;THE PASSENGER SAT IN THE COVERED CABIN WHILE THE TAXI DRIVER SAT IN THE OPEN FRONT ;JUST SAME ARRANGEMENT AS A HORSE CARRIAGE

heaven10.jpg




Mr Jinnah on a car ride with a Parsi friend-Pestonjee H J Rustomjee and the child is Homi Rustomjee.


NEW CAR SHOW ROOM 1910

DE DION BUTON CAR-1912

CARS 1920 CALCUTTA
MAHATMA GANDHI ;NEAR CAR 1930'S

1920 -30 TAXI CARS ;NO CARS WERE MADE IN INDIA THOSE DAYS .SO ALL CARS WERE IMPORTED FROM AMERICA BRITAIN FRANCE OR GERMANY [.JAPANESE CARS BECAME POPULAR AFTER 1960]
CAR 1920-CROSSLEY



cars on the road in india- THERE WAS NO 'A' OR 'B' OR 'C' JUST THE NUMBER FOR THE CAR--SEE BELOW THE CAR REGISTRATION NO: JUST '26903'.THIS WAS WHEN NUMBER OF CARS WERE VERY FEW-PHOTO OF CALCUTTA 1930'S
Early registration numbers in India-calcutta-street-front-grand-hotel-date-unknown.jpg
Early registration numbers in India-scan0005.jpg

Early registration numbers in India-ind-1902-3915-calcuttarak-photo-c1931-.jpg

Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited was a sole provider of electric supply, electric tram service and buses in the Mumbaicity from 1905 to till 1947 when it was municipalised to form the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking. [BELOW PHOTO OF B.E.S.T.BUS 1920'S


private taxi van 1930's [SEE THE BOMBAY REGISTRATION NO: B.M.B.210]
AND BUS1930'S
Early registration numbers in India-ind-1902-mb-115-calcuttarak-1930s-.jpg
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MAHATMA GANDHI IN LONDON -STANDING NEAR CAR DOOR
3432740, Getty Images /Hulton Archive

MARRIAGE TAXIS[OPEN HOOD CARS];HIRED ALONG WITH BAND WAS COMMON



1940'S TAXI CARS


MAHATMA GANDHI ENTERING CAR -1940'S PHOTO


1940 TAXIS -CHEVEROLETCARS


1942 FORD CARS AND TRUCK
1940'S FORD TRUCK
1940-50 BOMBAY MARINE DRIVE
1950'S BOMBAY FLORA FOUNTAIN SHOWING ELECTRIC TRAMS ON ROAD,AND TAXIS(ALL FOREIGN CARS ;NO INDIAN CARS THEN; FORD , CHEVROLET,AUSTIN,)



1942 FORD JEEP AS TAXIS WERE USED FOR HILLY TERRAIN

1944 FORD VAN WITH WOODEN BODY


1944 FORD MILITARY TRUCK WERE CONVERTED TO CIVIL LORRIES AND WERE USED AS BREAKDOWN TRUCK IN BOMBAY TILL 2000


1945 FORD WAS VREY POPULAR AS PRIVATE CAR AND AS TAXIS TILL 1980


BELOW (THE POPULAR) FORD CAR 1948 -USED FOR WEDDINGS AND AS TAXI


AND 1946 FORD VAN WITH WOODEN BODY

1950'S HILLMAN TAXI OF BOMBAY[MADE IN ENGLAND]
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TAXI DRIVER (1954) HINDI MOVIE[ACTORS DEV ANAND AND KALPANA KARTIK-LATER THEY GOT MARRIED IN REAL LIFE]


BOMBAY TAXI BMT 1800-C.1950'S

PONTIAC CAR[MADE IN AMERICA] AS TAXI


HILLMAN MINX MADE IN BRITAIN WAS VERY POPULAR AS TAXI IN BOMBAY TILL 1970


AUSTIN CAR AS TAXI-1950'S NEAR A HOTEL
AUSTIN A40 TAXI CAR [MADE IN ENGLAND]

THE FIRST CAR TO BE CONVERTED INTO A INDIAN CAR--MORRIS MINOR ENGLAND WAS MADE INTO HINUSTAN CAR 1950-SEEN BELOW

MORRIS MINOR(LATER RENAMED BAY HINDUSTAN) TAXI CAR C.1950'S

BABY HINDUSTAN CAR-FIRST CAR TO BE MADE IN INDIA [COPIED FROM MORRIS MINOR ENGLAND]C.1950

ANOTHER CAR WHICH WAS CONVERTED INTO AN INDIAN CAR-MORRIS OXFORD INTO HINDUSTAN LAND MASTER AND LATER INTO AMBASSADOR-SEE BELOW



1956 FIAT MILLICENTO ALSO KNOWN AS DUKKER FIAT -USED AS TAXI IN 1960'S

BMC (BOMBAY)7921



LATER MODEL FIAT -KNOWN AS PREMIER PADMINI BELOW

1960 Tata Mercedez Benz trucks in India
Early registration numbers in India-ind-1902-j-k-6831-kashmir-commvb-photo-1965-.jpg

STANDARD CARS MADE IN MADRAS (CHENNAI) CALLED HERALD / TRIUMPH; A FEW USED AS TAXIS IN SOUTH INDIA



TAXIS IN BOMBAY 1960 ONWARDS -FIAT


TAXI STAND -'ELEPHANTS STAND' NEAR AMBER FORT,

TAXIS MADE FROM HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR CYCLES (ABANDONED BY SOLDIERS AFTER 2ND WORLD WAR) SEEN BELOW IN DELHI

1 comments:


bmmann said...
HOPE WE WILL NOT DESTROY THE HERITAGE OF BOMBAY-MUMBAI ;AND KEEP IT FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS TO SEE AND ENJOY








































Fishing boats in the Monsoon, northern part of Bombay harbour

Fishing boats in the Monsoon, northern part of Bombay harbour













INDIAN RAILWAYS -HISTORY

BOMBAY(MUMBAI) BEFORE CARS ARRIVED 1880

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK




steam toy train for display at the museum in the palace compound.


Gaekwads want toy train back for display


VADODARA: Toy train 'Udyanpari' that recently bid adieu to Sayajibaug, better known as Kamatibaug, might soon find a new abode. The train may be joined with its original steam-powered locomotive kept at Maharaja Fatesingh museum. The museum has sought the compartments of the toy train in which the late scions of the royal family - Fatesingh Gaekwad and Ranjitsinh Gaekwad - went to school.

Ranjitsinh's wife Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad has written to Vadodara municipal corporation (VMC) seeking the three coaches of the toy train for display at the museum in the palace compound. The museum itself was the school where the princes of the family studied and the toy train was a birthday gift to Ranjitsinh. The train has immense sentimental value for the royal Gaekwad family.

After the original steam locomotive was phased out by the VMC in 1993 as it was not found fit for use by the boiler inspector and was replaced by a diesel one, Ranjitsinh had sought the steam engine back in 1998. The VMC returned it in 2003 and it was kept at the museum after restoration by a British expert.

Shubhanginiraje, who is the chairperson of the museum trust, has stated in her letter that the family has a lot of sentimental attachment with the train. "It will be admirable if the original locomotive which is here on display at the Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum will be rejoined with its carriages and track as a display," she says adding that this would greatly add to its historical value. She has also stated that the museum was visited by people from the country and abroad.

Based on the letter, VMC commissioner Ashwini Kumar has already formed a proposal and put it before the standing committee of the civic body.
The two-day Rail Mela at Baroda House begins in the Capital on Saturday
The two-day Rail Mela at Baroda House begins in the Capital on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal
"We have no problems in giving it to the museum. Understand that the entire train with its locomotive will be seen by more people there. Also, it has emotional value for the family," he said.

-=======================================================================

The Raja wants his birthday gift back

Baroda.jpg

By Jhimli Mukherjee

(Times of India, 26th of Nov. 1998)
VADODARA: Fifty six years ago, his father had bought him a train, real in all sense and full of steam, for his fourth birthday. Now at 60, Raja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad wants his favourite birthday gift back, and he is adamant.
The steam engine, with three compartments was handed over to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation in 1956. It was kept in Sayaji Bag and parts of the track the royal family had laid were utilised by the VMC to run a service for the children.
In 1994. the engine "went out of steam".
"It had become very old, its boiler got destroyed. But we replaced it with a diesel locomotive because the children of the city love the train ride and we simply couldn't discontinue it," VMC's director of parks and gardens, Mohan Patel, said.
Since then the steam engine has been kept under a shed for people to come and see the world's "smallest real locomotive engine".
"Since they cannot use it anymore, I want it back. My father had given it to me and it is of great emotional value to me," the Raja said.
"We were eight brothers and sisters and all of us used to go to the palace school. three km away, in this train." he said.
"Before the train had arrived. servants used to take us to school, and I would always trick them and run into the fields and orchards. I hated going to school…" smiles the 60 year old, with a twinkle in his eyes.
Maharaja Pratapsinh Gaekwad had got the train specially made by Royal Locomotives, London. When the train arrived, initially it was fun. It was a tiny one with a seating capacity of under 13. It took the workers about six months to lay the tracks. "There were three compartments and eight of us, along with a servant, would begin our journey. The train would take us through he the orchards and gardens. The roof could be opened and we used to stand up to try and catch branches of trees or pick fruits," the Raja said.
But after sometime it seemed like a prison. "I couldn't trick the servant anymore as the train started right from the palace portico and stopped at the school's porch."
The children loved the Sunday ride however, "When the train was all ours and we used to ask the driver to take us to where my grandfather had kept giraffes and other animals.
In 1956 the royal family gave it to the VMC, "because we felt that all children should be allowed to enjoy this train. But now that the steam locomotive is not in use anymore I want it back."
Mr Patel said the VMC had tried hard to repair the engine but in vain. The boiler of the engine was declared unfit by the boiler inspector of Gujarat. Repairing the boiler would mean a thorough overhauling of the barrel and engine also, which would cost a pretty penny.
"lf they give it back to me. I might be able to bring the manufacturers here to repair it…", the Raja insists. "It is the smallest of its kind in the world and is a collector's item."
Municipal commissioner G.R. Aloria sympathises with the Raja.
"I have sent a proposal to the VMC's standing committee. If they agree we will hand it over to him. It is an important item, no doubt, and if Ranjitsinhji is able to get it repaired there is nothing like it."






Why can’t city have escalators at stations?[ALSO STORY OF MUMBAI'S FIRST ESCALATOR NOW DEFUNCT]

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Mumbai's first 'moving staircase' to be rebuilt - Mumbai Mirror

www.mumbaimirror.com/.../Mumbai’s-first-‘moving-staircase...Share
3 days ago – The escalator --probably also the first in the country to be located in a public place ... Old timers at Girgaum say that in those days, a visit to Chowpattymeant less time ... “Since it was very close to the beach, the metal got corroded and sand ... In the 1980s, it became defunct and was eventually discarded.


Why can’t city have escalators at stations?[KEEP IT IN WORKING CONDITION ]

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Bandh for common man, business as usual for netas


Bandh for common man, business as usual for netas

While owners of over 10,000 establishments had to bear losses by downing their shutters in 'support' of the all-party Thane Bandh yesterday, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik's hotel on Ghodbunder Road managed to stay open all day without incurring the wrath of vandals

April 19, 2013
MUMBAI
Varun Singh and Naveen Nair


A Prime Property on Ghodbunder Rd Plush homes starting from 80 lacs
PuranikBuilders.com/Rumah-Bali
When it came to jumping onto the party bandwagon and holding the entire district of Thane to ransom through a bandh, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik was the quintessential politician his name was seen on every other hoarding that announced the ‘All-Party Thane Bandh’ protesting the demolition of illegal structures in Thane and Mumbra.
10 am
Thane bandh
The NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena called a bandh in Thane to protest the civic administration’s drive to demolish illegally-constructed buildings yesterday. The 12-hour bandh started off peacefully and there were no autos, taxis or  buses plying on the roads
But when it came to shutting shop and bearing losses, the businessman in Sarnaik couldn’t quite stomach the idea of suffering the same fate as other entrepreneurs in the district who were subjected to the bandh yesterday.
5 pm

The city was back in action after 5 pm with public transport plying normally on the streets of Thane. As the day progressed, there were reports of minor skirmishes, with bandh supporters targeting public transport vehicles found plying in the area. Pics/Datta Kumbhar
Small wonder then that Hotel Vihang’s Inn on Thane’s Ghodbunder Road, which is owned by Sarnaik, was open for business yesterday. Its shutters were up and its kitchen open, even as the rest of Thane bore a deserted look, with over 10,000 shops and establishments being forced to remain shut for the 12-hour bandh. Buses stayed back in their depots and not a single auto-rickshaw could be seen rattling along the road.
Thane bandh
The 12-hour bandh called by political parties inconvenienced the old and the young alike in Thane yesterday. Pics/Datta Kumbhar and Sameer Markande
Thanks to Sarnaik’s political connections, however, no angry mob of party workers collected outside the hotel to spew venom, vandalise his property, or force workers to pull the shutters down. The restaurant served like any other day. A team from MiD DAY was even served some ‘sizzling brownie with ice-cream’ at the establishment. The reporters pocketed the bill as proof of the meal.
Bandh for all?
The bandh was called in protest of Thane Municipal Corporation’s demolition drive against illegal structures, in the wake of the recent Mumbra building collapse. Leaders of Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress parties have demanded that residents of the illegal structures earmarked for demolition be provided with alternative accommodations before their homes are razed. Their chosen means to achieving this end was a bandh, which brought the lives of the district’s 30 lakh residents to a screeching halt yesterday.
Buses attacked
The politicos didn’t even spare the Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) buses, even though Shiv Sena and Congress run the corporation, with an NCP man acting as its standing committee chairperson. According to TMT manager D Tekle, the transport service’s losses alone amounted to Rs 10 lakh.
Rs 10 crore lost
The bandh caused collective losses to the tune of Rs 10 crore to residents and service providers of the district yesterday. Mukesh Savla of the Thane Vyapar Udyog Mahasangh said, “There are nearly 10,000 establishments in Thane and everything remained shut. We cannot say how much the exact loss was but Rs 8-10 crore is the rough estimate.”
The other side
When contacted by MiD DAY, Pratap Sarnaik at first bragged about how successful the bandh had been, thanks to the ‘cooperation’ of businessmen who had ‘voluntarily’ shut their shops, hotels and restaurants as a gesture of support.
Pratap Sarnaik
Asked how his hotel was the lone establishment open for business, he expressed shock and disbelief: “I had personally taken rounds of the district to ensure that the restaurants owned by me were shut. I had even given instructions to the staff of the hotel’s restaurant to stop services in support of the bandh.”
When informed that a meal had been enjoyed in the restaurant and the bill saved, he asked to see it, claiming that it was impossible that his own restaurants were functioning. In spite of repeated attempts, Shiv Sena chief for Thane, Eknath Gaikwad, and NCP leader for Thane, Jitendra Awhad, could not be reached for comment.

Three iconic eateries - which once defined eating out in Mumbai - down their shutters,



Three iconic eateries - which once defined eating out in Mumbai - down their shutters, defeated by inflation and the craze for firangi fast food

The lost order

Posted On Friday, April 19, 2013 at 03:14:29 AM

Three venerable restaurants that have for decades served authentic Maharashtrian and south Indian meals and snacks for less than the price of a small Starbucks cappuccino have been forced out of business by the city's growing appetite for fast food chains. While Vishwa Mahal (Mulund) has already reopened as a McDonald's, Mahabhoj (Matunga) is being turned into a fast food restaurant. Dattatray (Shivaji Park), meanwhile, is on its last legs and has announced that it will close next month. It will reopen as a branch of HDFC Bank.

Mahabhoj, Matunga

“Rs 50 a thali was bleeding me. I tried my best to sustain it, but finally gave up,” said Sachidanand Shetty, owner of Mahabhoj, which he opened in 1942 as the South Indian Family Mess. It originally sold packed rice before being turned into a eatery. Mahabhoj, its final avatar, was known for its economical South Indian thali of dal, sabzi, rice, chapatti, curd and papad.

Shetty added, “The rise in gas prices, shortage of labour and sky-high prices of vegetables are the major factors that forced me to shut Mahabhoj. My father used to sell packed rice here before Independence and I turned it into an eatery. People used to crave our rice plate, which we served with freshly cooked veggies. But with high inflation, labour is getting more expensive and difficult to find. I'm left with no choice but to join the fast food bandwagon. Even my daughter prefers fast food over a healthy thali."

Mahabhoj, now being renovated, will reopen as Cafe Greens & Beans, a fast food restaurant, in a few months. “I have outsourced the cuisine to an expert who has knowledge of international cuisines, which I don’t,” Shetty added.

Vishwa Mahal, Mulund




Manhohar Shetty, owner of Vishwa Mahal restaurant at Mulund, which opened in 1964, echoed these sentiments. “This business had became a headache for me. You put in all your energy, time and money for measly returns. To keep up with changing times we had even started serving Punjabi and Chinese dishes, but eventually the business became unfeasible. I tried my best to continue our ancestral business but the fact is the returns were poor. Finally, last June, I leased out my place to McDonald's. Today, I earn more than I used to, and without wasting my time and energy,” said Shetty.

Dattaray, Shivaji Park

Meanwhile, Dattaray, the iconic eatery at the Sena Bhavan junction at Shivaji Park, turns 60 on May 4. By the end of May, it will have shut down. Owner Prakash Wagle has leased it out to a bank. Always well-known for its authentic Maharashtrian fare, Dattaray's fame shot up after former Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray developed a taste for its batata vada and kotambir vadi.

Owner Prakash Wagle said, “This business was started by my father in 1953 and I joined him a few years later. I am 60 now; both my daughters are well-settled and have little interest in running this business. Also, with the current levels of inflation, I have no choice but to close the business. At one point, I had four waiters per shift. Today, I am just left with two. There were times I had to personally clean the tables. But this is no longer possible as I am too old."

Wagle, smiling ruefully, said many of his loyal customers are distraught at the news, but added, “I will make more money by leasing out the place than I do now."

 Some fight on

While Mahabhoj, Vishwa Mahal and Dattatray have been forced out of business, other iconic eateries continue to flourish. These include Mani’s, Café Mysore, Rama Nayak’s and Rama Ashray (all in Matunga).

Devrath Kamath of Cafe Madras said, “Three generations of our family have run this restaurant. It is a family business, and not run by any manager. Ours is a very small set-up and our prices are reasonable, so we make a profit. It is all about the way you manage things." Café Madras, which has been serving melt-in-the-mouth dosas since 1940, dishes 200 to 300 of them a day.

=============================================================================================

Tagore at Mulund's oldest Udipi

By: Fiona Fernandez  

Fifty years is a long time to continue serving the best Medu Vadas and filter kaapi along the eastern suburbs. Mulund's Shetty-owned Vishwabharati that has a strange connect with Rabindranath Tagore, has been doing just that -- in authentic Udipi fashion

Over 50 years ago, late Padmavathi J Shetty's husband, restaurateur and Mazgaon resident Jagannath Shetty was scouting for an address to open another eatery. His enterprise didn't stop him from trudging to faraway Mulund. "Those days (1957-58), the suburb wasn't a part of Bombay. It was plotted under Thane district. It was a village without proper roads. The developed areas extended only up to a hundred metres from Mulund's station. The rest was a jungle," recollects current owner and Shetty's son, Sudhakar.


Sudharakar Shetty of Mulund's Vishwabharati says they use jaggery
instead of sugar in their Sambar, and no garlic in their Coconut Chutney.
This master stroke, along with the all-vegetarian menu, has made the
eatery a hit with Gujaratis. Pics/ Rane Ashish
Self-service, fine dining and Continental cuisine are an inevitable reality.
Still, at the end of the day, don't we always come home to our rice and dal?


When the time arrived to name this new eatery, Sudhakar's mother, a keen follower of Rabindranath Tagore's writings and poetry, suggested Vishwabharati -- after Tagore's centre for the arts in West Bengal. 


At Vishwabharati, cooks begin work at 4.30 am to ensure patrons are
served fresh food when they pull up their shutters at 6 am. A senior cook
has been given the task of keeping a measure of the exact mix of
ingredients to ensure consistency.


South to NorthLike numerous fellow restaurateurs to have emerged from the coastal town of Udipi in Karnataka, Shetty senior too was bitten by the bug when he was still an employee at Mumbai's Khatau Mills. In the 1940s, just before the Fort Stikine blast devastated the Bombay harbour, he decided to start a restaurant called Bombay Fancy at Carnac Bunder. "My dad's nephew still runs the place; it's now called Bombay Fancy Hindu Hotel," shares Sudhakar, sipping on a glass of sweetened chai. "Bombay Fancy began as an eatery that served Maharashtrian cuisine, and added Udipi dishes to its menu, later. In fact, dad used to prepare good Usal (a pulse gravy). It was part of morning breakfast at home, and so we decided to serve it to his customers too."

It's 11.30 am. Vishwabharati's kitchen door swings furiously, juggling a mix of bruncheon customers and the early lunch crowd. The sixty-one-year-old has to break away from our conversation to graciously acknowledge a handshake or a namaste each time an old-timer stops by our table, before returning to the timeline.

"Later, dad decided to start a restaurant in Tardeo, but we had had to shut it down after it ran into losses. Dayanand, near Lalbaug, was another venture we launched;  it's now been given on lease. By then (late 1950s), he wanted to expand northward. He scouted around Ghatkopar but realised Mulund was more suitable for his plan. We've been around since then, by God's grace and dad's farsightedness."

Today, Shetty and his brothers run four restaurants, including Vishwabharati, Vishwa Mahal, Vishwa Samrat (both Mulund) and Vishwa Jyot (Vashi).

The Udipi formula
The Shetty-Udipi connect remains one of Mumbai's most fascinating restaurant success stories. We prod Sudhakar about this culinary love affair. "Our kitchens are spotless, food is cooked on the spot, the ingredients are never carried forward to the next day. We bring this ethic to our restaurants and the formula continues to click with the classes and masses. Our food will never harm your system," explains Sudhakar.

At Vishwabharati, his cooks begin work at 4.30 am to ensure patrons are served fresh food when they pull up their shutters at 6 am. A senior cook has been given the task of keeping a measure of the exact mix and ingredients to ensure authenticity is maintained. Vishwabharati's famous fluffy idlis are cooked from a batter that is left to ferment overnight, and is the only food item that is prepared a day earlier.

Sweet as SambharLike the Shetty-Udipi connect, Mulund has had a long association with the Gujaratis. Old-time residents of the suburb will vouch for the community's inherent entrepreneurship skills that helped establish Mulund as one of the most prosperous suburbs on the eastern line. Likewise, their love for dining out meant that Vishwabharati's menu had a sugar-induced leaning. "We use jaggery in our Sambhar. It's a good substitute for sugar," says Sudhakar. "Our Sambhar is made slightly sweeter; no garlic for our coconut chutney too." This masterstroke, along with the all-vegetarian menu has made Vishwabharati a hit with the Gujaratis.

Palate-sensitive gestures apart, competitive pricing has helped. A hearty breakfast based on Shetty's recommendation (Masala Dosa, Sheera and instant coffee) costs you around Rs 70. Nudge him about his favourite daily opener and the genial restaurateur reveals his sweet fixation: "It's Sheera; we don't use food colouring."

Does the veteran worry about fast-food chains invading his client base? "We have had to move with the times when we opened an extra mezzanine floor in the 1970s to serve Chinese and Punjabi vegetarian dishes. Self service, fine dining and continental cuisine are an inevitable reality. Still, at the end of the day, don't we always come home to our rice and dal?"