Pydhonie is a neighbourhood in
South Mumbai. Etymologically the name is derived from the
Marathi word ''Py'' which means feet, and ''dhoné'' which means "to wash". Thus the name means "A place where feet are washed."
The name Pydhonie or "foot-wash", and probably refers to a small creek that formed at high tide between the Great Breach (separating the islands of Bombay and Worli) and
Umarkhadi, the creek between the islands of
Mazagaon and
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 ...
(Bombay). This was probably the first land permanently reclaimed from the sea in Mumbai.
Pydhonie separates the predominantly Muslim population of the eastern part of the inner city from the mainly Hindu part to the west. The main landmark is the Mumbadevi Temple, moved here from the
Fort area in 1737 or 1766. The present structure was financed by a Prabhu goldsmith called
Pandurang Shivaji. Many of the older houses in this area were built by immigrants from
Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
and
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
, and have the murals on the walls, ''
jharokhas'', balconies and ornate lintels typical of architecture from these states.
The ‘''1860 ''’ engraved police station is the oldest in the city and has a history in the
1993 Bombay bombings, which followed the
Bombay riots, wherein the "''first bullet during the riots was fired near the Pydhonie station and the first bus stoning during the riots also happened in this jurisdiction''," said Madhukar Zende, who was the ACP during the 1993 riots and is famous for his arrest of serial killer
Charles Sobhraj.
[City’s oldest police station is abound with stories from pages of histor]
/ref>
References
Pydhonie
Neighbourhoods in Mumbai
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