A coconut vendor outside Mary Lodge, commonly referred to as David and Stanny’s house. The ground floor of the bungalow still has vestiges of classroom numbers from the time St. Isabel’s Primary School was established here to promote female education. The school was set up by the Ladies Charitable Association, Mazagaon Circle, and the first class took place on 9th November 1887, with 40 students and two teachers. Later St. Isabel’s Primary School relocated to Tank Square, and thereafter, Mount Road (39, Dr Masceranhas Road), where it stands now.
Atmaram is the village mochi (cobbler), plying his trade in the footsteps of his father, who also worked in Matharpacady. His tiny workshop is a hole-in-the-wall located below a staircase at 31 Matharpacady. His customers wait on stools as he goes about repairing their bags and shoes. This is among the rare shops inside Matharpacady, which is otherwise entirely a residential zone.
Lawrence D'Souza, an East Indian, is undertaking renovations at 11 Matharpacady. The East Indians have lived at Matharpacady for more than two centuries. The East Indians—as recorded in history—are the original inhabitants living in the seven islands of Bombay, Salsette, and Bassein (Vasai). Belonging to various native communities, they were converted to Catholicism by missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries, when Bombay was governed by the Portuguese.
Bounding Matharpacady on the west, Mascarenhas Road is named after Dr M. Ubaldo Mascarenhas, who hailed from Bastora village, Bardez, Goa. An Indian freedom fighter who was evicted from Goa, he later became the 19th Mayor of Mumbai (1948–49). The descendants of his family still live at 16 Matharpacady. The family includes Dr Gerald Mascarehnas and Dr Allwyn Mascarenhas (D. Ubaldo’s grandnephews), who serve the community as medical doctors. Another descendant, Vincent Mascarenhas, is the current president of the Matharpacady Holy Cross Committee.
The region around Matharpacady was renowned for mango groves and paddy fields. As mentioned in the book “Bombay: The Cities Within”, in 1749, a portion of the paddy fields west of Mazagaon was leased to DN Rustamji and Dhanji Punja. Over time they came to be known as mhatre, meaning ‘respected elder’ in Marathi, thus the neighbourhood came to be known as Matharpacady, meaning “quarter of the elders”. The mango groves are now long gone but the green cover has survived in some parts.
Matharpacady has a network of lanes and alleys where children play games and have fun with neighborhood cats. The idyllic setting of the gaothan, away from the din and chaos of the city outside, is reminiscent of susegad, typical of the Goan culture. Derived from the Portuguese sossegado (meaning 'quiet'), it is used to describe the relaxed, laid-back attitude towards life that defined the lifestyle in the former Portuguese territory.
Matharpacady is a historic village (or gaothan in the local language) in Mazagaon, wedged between R. Naik Road and Champsi Bhimji Road. The Gaothan was settled by the East Indian community more than two centuries ago, or possibly even earlier. Over time, due to the original East Indians migrating to other parts of Mumbai and emigration to foreign countries, various other communities have moved in and made Matharpacady their home.
Typically, staircases are located on the outside. This saved space inside the houses and allowed independent access to tenants living on the first floor. Originally, balconies were open and had a wooden or metal balustrade running around. Over time, some balconies have been enclosed with metal grilles fitted from outside, which allow the space to be utilized for storing plants or serve as an extension of the living quarters.