Byculla

Etymology

There was a Portuguese King whose name was King Byculla and he was the owner of this land hence the name Byculla.

Location & Geography

Byculla is neighboured by

• Nagpada and Mumbai Central on the West,
• Agripada, Jacob Circle and Mahalakshmi on the North-West,
• Chinchpokli to the North,
• Madanpura in the Centre,
• Reay Road and Ghodapdeo on the North-East
• Mazagaon and Dockyard Road to the East and
• Byculla falls under "E" Ward within the municipal limits of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC.

Demographics

• Traditionally, Byculla has been inhabited by Parsis, Christians, Jewish, Marathi and Muslims.
• Byculla, like many other locations of Mumbai have witnessed strong real estate growth, particularly in the Motisha Lane area where there are lots of tall residential buildings, occupied by affluent Jain community.
• Of late, Byculla has also witnessed the increase of population of Dawoodi Bohra and other traditional Muslims, who are primarily a business community like most of the Gujaratis.
• The Magen David Synagogue of Byculla the place of worship of the Jewish community is one of the most beautiful buildings in this area it is wellknown for the tourist attraction place as most of the Forigners in this area are in search or related to this place
• There is also a BIT Chawl, primarily housing Marathi working class community, home to one of the largest Ganesha idols during the Ganeshotsav celebrations.

Points of interest

Museum: Byculla also houses the Bhau Daji Lad Museum (earlier Victoria and Albert Museum). It was built in 1871 and is a near replica of its namesake in London. It reopened January 5, 2008, following extensive renovations.Zoo: Byculla houses the city zoo called Jijamata Udyaan or Rani Baug (earlier called Victoria Gardens). There are talks of shifting the zoo to a more spacious location.

• National Railway Hospital: Byculla also possesses the biggest National Railway Hospital called "Dr. thumb Babasaheb Ambedkar Railway Hospital" in front of Veer Jijamata Prani Sangrahalaya.
• Vegetable Market: The Byculla Vegetable Market is the largest vegetable market in Mumbai (even larger than Crawford Market).
• Fly-overs and bridges: Byculla is also known for Mumbai's first ever Y shaped bridge built across Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road which then splits further to go to Byculla East and West before the Clare Road intersection, thereby forming a Y shape when seen from the air. This was one of the oldest fly-overs built in Mumbai.
• Fire Brigade Headquarters: Mumbai Fire Brigade's headquarters are situated just below the "Y Bridge". In the front of the Headquarter building stands a memorial built in the memory of the numerous fire fighters who died during the Bombay Explosion of April, 1944.
• Mustafa bazaar: A wholesale timber market is frequently visited by many from the city.
• Jerbai Baug and Rustom Baug: are the two Parsi colonies where most of the Parsis of Byculla live.
• Seva Niketan: A solar-powered Jesuit-run men's hostel that has served as headquarters for various NGOs.
• Mazagaon: A residential locality close to byculla which has a famous hospital named "Prince Aly Khan Hospital".

Transportation

Byculla is very well connected by Central Railway line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway, as well as Bus routes serviced by BEST.

Rail

• Almost all local trains halt at Byculla railway station. Mumbai Central and Mahalakshmi on the Western Railway line and Dockyard Road and Reay Road stations on the Harbour Line of Mumbai Suburban Railway also lie close to Byculla.

Bus

• Most of the bus routes servicing South Mumbai, South-Central Mumbai, Central Mumbai and North-East Mumbai pass through Byculla. The resulting heavy traffic prompted city planners to develop major fly-overs in Byculla, as early as the 1980s.

Ferry

• Ferry Wharf, a major ferry servicing port is located at a small distance from Byculla, in the Dockyard Road locality.

Social Infrastructure

Religious Places

• Jain Temple: Byculla is also known for the famous Jain Temple, Motisha Jain Derasar. This Jain temple is situated in Love Lane, which has now been renamed as Motisha Lane.
• Gloria Church: Byculla also houses Gloria Church, the church frequented by most local Christians. The Church shares a common playing ground with Antonio D'Souza High School which was built in 1825.
• Magen David Synagogue: is believed to be one of the oldest ones in the city. David Sassoon, a Baghdadi Jew, built the Magen David Synagogue in 1861 in Byculla, where the family first lived.
• Like most other localities of Mumbai, Byculla also is home to a number of small Hindu temples and Muslim Mosques located in its small pockets.