Churchgate (Marathi pronunciation: ͡ʃəɾt͡ʃɡeːʈ is an area in the southern part of

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, close to the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

. 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. At the exact location of the Churchgate, Flora Fountain was built.

Geography

is situated at west and Nariman Point on south of Churchgate. Churchgate railway station is a major railway terminus on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway.

2008 Mumbai attacks

On 26 November 2008, a Pakistan trained

Lashkar-e-Taiba Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is a Pakistani Islamism, Islamist militant organization driven by a Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist ideology. The organisation's primary stated objective is to merge the whole of Kashmir with Pakistan. It was founded in 19 ...

terrorist attacked the Trident hotel and the Oberoi hotel. This attack ended up killing as many as 30 people. 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.

Metro

Mumbai Metro's Aqua Line (Line 3) will pass through Churchgate area, with its route covering

Colaba Colaba (; or ISO 15919, ISO: Kolābā) is a part of the city of Mumbai, India. It is one of the four peninsulas of Mumbai while the other three are Worli, Bandra and Malabar Hill. During the Portuguese rule in the 16th century, the island was ...

- 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: * Cricket centre - headquarters and office of

Board of Control for Cricket in India The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of the sport of cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at the Cricket Centre in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. BCCI is the wealthiest governing body ...

* Wankhede stadium - an international cricket Stadium * Mumbai Cricket Association - headquarters of Mumbai cricket * Marine drive - a seaside road * Cricket Club of India (CCI)- an exclusive sports club for rich elites * Brabourne Stadium - an old cricket stadium, owned by CCI * Churchgate railway station

Colleges

* K.C College * K.C. Law College * Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies * H.R. College of Commerce and Economics * Government Law College, Mumbai * Jai Hind College * Sydenham College * Elphinstone College * SNDT Women's University

Sights

Tourist spots in the Churchgate area include: * Hutatma Chowk * Maharashtra High Court *Marine Drive * Oval Maidan .

References

Neighbourhoods in Mumbai {{Mumbai-geo-stub