A bread seller ferrying his goods on a bicycle in front of D’Silva House, 24 Matharpacady, the house of Mr Trevor D’Silva, and his sister Joan Saint-Prix, grandnephew and grandniece to Joseph ‘Kaka’ Baptista (1864-1930), Indian freedom fighter and a prominent member of the East Indian community. Kaka Baptista was born in Matharpacady in 1864 in his ancestral house which has now been demolished and replaced by a high-rise building. Kaka Baptista was a barrister at the Bombay High Court and was closely associated with Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In 1925, he was elected as the mayor of the Bombay Municipal Corporation.
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.
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum was designed by William Tracey in the Neo-Palladian style that originated in Italy. From 2003–08, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in collaboration with the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation undertook extensive refurbishment of the building.
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.
The northeast lane to Banganga Tank has a contemporary wall mural created by award-winning installation artist Shilo Shiv Suleman in 2021. Titled Pyaas, it draws attention to the origin myth of the Banganga Tank. The theme alludes to the role of women and the importance of water in the daily life and livelihoods of the local residents at Walkeshwar.
The Mahalaxmi Temple, marked by its framed torana (marble arch), is the newest temple in the precinct of Banganga Tank. It was built on the site of a shrine at the base of a peepal tree located in the northeast corner of the tank. It was built in 1973, by members of the Shrimali Brahmin community from Rajasthan. The temple has been refurbished in 2021.
Reliance Retail is ranked second-fastest growing retailer in the world in Deloitte’s 2021 Global 250 list of World’s Largest Retailers. Reliance Retail expands its footprint by:
• Launching 7-Eleven® convenience stores in India
• Partnering with India’s leading designers Ritu Kumar, Manish Malhotra and Anamika Khanna
• Launching JioMart Digital, the new merchant business for Consumer Electronics
• Foraying into ultra-premium grocery segment in India with launch of Freshpik.