Mumbai in the 1860s with Church Gate visible in the background.
Churchgate (Marathi pronunciation: [t͡ʃəɾt͡ʃɡeːʈ]) is an area in the southern part of Mumbai, close to the Arabian Sea. The area is known for its unique architecture consisting of art deco style residential buildings, access to sporting venues, and the business district of Nariman Point.
History
During the eighteenth and up to the mid-19th century, Mumbai was a walled city surrounded by a fortification. The city walls had three gates. One of the gates, Churchgate, was named after St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai. The area west of the original gate came to be known as Churchgate. In the mid-19th century, the wall of the fort along with its gates were torn down to aid in the expansion of the city.[citation needed] At the exact location of the Churchgate, Flora Fountain was built.[1]
On 26 November 2008, a Pakistan trained Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist attacked the Trident hotel and the Oberoi hotel. This attack ended up killing as many as 30 people.[4] The hotels are situated on the southern border of Churchgate in the Nariman Point area. The attacks were part of a larger Mumbai terrorist attack, which killed 166 and injured 238 in an unprecedented Islamic terrorist attack. In response, Mumbai police killed one terrorist and apprehended another, Ajmal Kasab, along with which the National Security Guards (NSG) killed 8 other terrorists.[5]
Metro
Mumbai Metro'sAqua Line (Line 3) will pass through Churchgate area, with its route covering Colaba-Bandra-Seepz. Hutatma Chowk, Churchgate and Vidhan Bhavan are the stations listed for this area, and all of these will be built underground. Line 3 is expected to reduce road congestion as well as the load on the Western Line between Bandra and Churchgate.
Places
Following places are located in Churchgate area of Mumbai:
