Kaka Baptista Gardens on Mazagaon Hill is named after Joseph ‘Kaka’ Baptista, who was born in Matharpacady in 1861. In 1925, he was elected as the mayor of the Bombay Municipal Corporation. A barrister by qualification, he practised law at the Bombay High Court. He was also involved in politics and advocated for the rights of the East Indian community. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Kaka Baptista were close allies during the Indian Home Rule Movement.
Chawls provided affordable housing solutions for the working-class population. Typically, a chawl is a multi-storeyed structure and has individual living units arranged around a central courtyard. The units open on a running balcony which is used to socialize with neighbours. The residential unit may include a bedroom, sitting room, and kitchen, though washroom facilities are usually common.
As a gesture of goodwill and public service, the descendants of Nawab Ayaz supported the construction of a sizable tank on the site of which a pyau (drinking waterspout) was placed in 1916. Horses and bullocks that pulled carts carrying cargo to the warehouses and dockyards had their own section of the tank. Subsequently, the tank was filled and transformed into a playground. It also has a subterranean water tank.
Though Mazagon was an island with sea on all sides, it was well-known for freshwater resources. Before the days of municipally supplied tap water, there were a lot of wells and tanks that supplied drinking water. While some of these wells were privately dug within homes, others were open to the public. This covered well, for instance, is a private well located inside a Parsi mansion.
A tailor operates a sewing machine on the ground floor of Khorshed Mansion. This building, located on Nawab Tank Bridge Road, is extremely narrow, and the shop stands on its wedged corner. The floor space of the shop is barely a metre wide, enough to run a tailoring business.
The view of the open space in front of the club is reserved for parking vehicles (as mentioned on the board above the entrance). The quarters above the entrance are used by members of the club who currently live there. Interestingly, this space was once used as the servants' quarters. Nowadays, the club cannot afford to have servants.
Goans emigrated to Mumbai in search of better trade, education, and employment opportunities. Erivan Velho, a 26-year-old from the village of Deussua, is staying at the club where he is preparing for his exams. The Kudd offers students like Erivan a quiet place to stay and study away from the hustle of the city.
Kudds allows storage for left-over luggage at no extra cost. The trunks are neatly stacked on top of each other along the wall, saving floor space. With dwindling occupancy, nowadays more trunks vie for space in the corridors than actual guests staying there.
A garlanded portrait of Jesus greets visitors in the reception hall. The Latin phrase adveniat regnum tumm, written on the scroll above, translates as ‘May your kingdom come.’ This particular phrase is associated with Christ the King, referring to the idea of the Kingdom of God, where Christ is described as being seated at the right hand of God. In front of the portrait is a small figure of Mother Mary holding the infant Jesus.
Each guest is allowed one trunk for storage which contains their personal belongings. The trunks are labelled with family names or membership numbers for identification.