The Mahim causeway is an important link connecting the Mumbai city with its suburbs. The causeway links Mahim with Bandra.
As we know that Mumbai is made up of seven islands viz, Mahim, Parel, Worli, Mumbai, Maazgaon, Colaba and Chota (small) Colaba.
(P.C.- Wikipedia)
Seven islands of Mumbai
These seven islands that came to constitute Mumbai were under the control of successive indigenous empires before being ceded to the Portuguese and subsequently to the British East India Company when in 1661 King Charles II married the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza, and as part of her dowry Charles received the ports of Tangier and seven islands of Bombay.
The Mahim Causeway was built between 1841 and 1846 to connect the island of Salsette with Mahim.
(P.C.- Wikipedia) Salsette Island (Sashtee) in green
Salsette or saashtee as it is actually pronounced is bounded on the north by Vasai Creek, on the northeast by the Ulhas River, on the east by Thane Creek and Bombay Harbour, and on the south and west by the Arabian Sea.
Avabai, Lady Jeejeebhoy was the wife of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, 1st baronet of Mumbai. She is best known for having funded the construction of theMahim causeway.
Before 1845, there was no connection by land between the present-day Mumbai neighbourhoods of Mahim and Bandra; people had to be ferried across the Mahim Creek. This was dangerous during themonsoons, when the seas around Mumbai are extremely rough; people sometimes lost their lives merely in crossing Mahim and Bandra on the ferries. The passage of carriages and other land conveyances was impossible.
The government deliberated upon the matter, estimated the required expense as being one lakh rupees, and made it known that paucity of funds precluded the expenditure of what was then a vast sum of money. Avabai, perhaps by personal experience, well knew the importance to local residents of building the causeway, and resolved upon seeing the needful done. She arranged with the government to have the causeway constructed by them at her expense. Avabai was a lady of independent means. Avabai stipulated that given the circumstances of the causeway’s construction, no toll should ever be charged by the government for its use.
Construction of the Mahim causeway began in 1841 and was completed in 1845. The estimated cost of construction was far exceeded, and finally amounted to Rs. 1,57,000/-, all of which was paid out of money donated to the treasury by Avabai from her personal funds.
Inscription at Bhandar Gully cross road (1846)
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