View source for Bandra

{{Short description|Suburb of Mumbai, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Bandra
| native_name        = Vandre
| native_name_lang   = 
| other_name         = 
| settlement_type    = Suburb
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
| photo1a                         = Bandra Worli Sea Link at night.jpg
| photo2a                         = IL&FS - Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.jpg
| photo2b                         = PWC office in Bandra, Mumbai (India).jpg
| photo3a                         = Mumbai_Bandstand_Promenade.jpg
| photo3b                         = Jama Masjid (Bandra Mosque).JPG
| photo4a                         = ICICI Towers, BKC (289443859).jpg
}}
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = [[Bandra–Worli Sea Link]], IL & FS - [[Bandra Kurla Complex]], PWC office, Mumbai Bandstand Promenade, Jama Masjid Bandra and ICICI Bank
| nickname           = 
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = India Maharashtra#India#Mumbai
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt    = 
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Bandra in [[Maharashtra]], India
| coordinates        = {{coord|19.054444|N|72.840556|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = India
| subdivision_type1  = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Maharashtra]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Mumbai Suburban district|Mumbai Suburban]]
| subdivision_type3  = City
| subdivision_name3  = [[Mumbai]]
| subdivision_type4  = Zone
| subdivision_name4  = 3
| subdivision_type5  = Ward
| subdivision_name5  = H West
| established_title  = <!-- Established -->
| established_date   = 
| founder            = 
| named_for          = 
| government_type    = [[Municipal corporation]]
| governing_body     = [[Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation]] (BMC)
| unit_pref          = Metric
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_rank          = 
| area_total_km2     = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| population_total   = 337,391<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.demographia.com/db-mumbaidistr91.htm|title=Mumbai Wards & Districts: Population & Density by Sector 2001|website=www.demographia.com|access-date=22 September 2018|archive-date=4 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404174942/http://www.demographia.com/db-mumbaidistr91.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_as_of   = 2017
| population_rank    = 
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonyms = Mumbaikar
| population_footnotes = 
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Marathi language|Marathi]]
| timezone1          = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1        = +5:30
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code        = Bandra - 400050, 400051
| registration_plate = MH-02
| blank1_name_sec1   = [[Lok Sabha]] constituency
| blank1_info_sec1   = [[Mumbai North Central (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mumbai North Central]]
| blank2_name_sec1   = [[Vidhan Sabha]] constituency
| blank2_info_sec1   = [[Vandre West Assembly constituency|Bandra West]] (covers Bandra West) <br /> [[Vandre East Assembly constituency|Bandra East]] (covers Bandra East)
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
| NYC place          = 
| official_name      = 
}}
'''Bandra''' ([[Indian English|[bæːɳɖɾa]]]) is a coastal suburb located in [[Mumbai]], the largest city of the [[Konkan division]] in [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. The area is located to the immediate north of the [[River Mithi]], which separates Bandra from the [[Mumbai City district]].<ref>{{Citation |url=http://mumbaiboss.com/2014/04/21/bandra-is-changing-but-it-isnt-being-gentrified/ |title=Bandra Is Changing But It Isn't Being Gentrified |date=21 April 2014 |access-date=10 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018090116/http://mumbaiboss.com/2014/04/21/bandra-is-changing-but-it-isnt-being-gentrified/ |archive-date=18 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It is the third-largest commercial hub in [[Maharashtra]], after the Mumbai City and [[Pune]], primarily aided by the [[Bandra Kurla Complex]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=PropertyPistol Insight |date=15 January 2022 |title=Everything you need to know about the commercial hub- Bandra East |url=https://www.propertypistol.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-commercial-hub-bandra-east/ |access-date=30 August 2023 |website=Real Estate Sector Latest News, Updates & Insights - PropertyPistol Blog |language=en-US}}</ref>

Before the opening of [[Khar Road railway station]] on 1 July 1924, Bandra was a larger area and included the present day [[Khar, Mumbai|Khar]] neighbourhood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mumbai's Khar Station Turns 90 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/mumbais-khar-station-turns-90-582737 |access-date=30 August 2023 |website=NDTV.com}}</ref> It was considered too large a suburb to be served by one railway station, and a railway station was established to give the northern part of Bandra closer access to the [[Western Railway (India)|Western Railway]] line. This eventually led to Khar being considered a separate suburb.<ref name="NDTV.com Article">{{cite news |title=Mumbai's Khar Station Turns 90 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/mumbais-khar-station-turns-90-582737 |access-date=1 July 2014 |publisher=ndtv.com |archive-date=24 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024094306/https://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/mumbais-khar-station-turns-90-582737 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, to this day, the two adjoined [[Suburb|suburbs]] make up one homogeneous zone. A number of prominent residents of Bandra are celebrities or VIPs who are or have been active in [[Hindi cinema|Bollywood]], media, cricket or politics. 

[[File:Bandra Sea Link aerial.jpg|thumb|right|View of Bandra from an aeroplane window, while taking off from the [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport]]]]

==History==
The original name of the suburb "Vandre", originates from the Marathi word for monkeys, or "Vandr",<ref>{{Cite web |last=Agarwal |first=Somya |date=2024-06-07 |title=Rewind to the Roots {{!}} Know the former names of THESE 7 Mumbai neighbourhoods! |url=https://www.knocksense.com/mumbai/rewind-to-the-roots-know-the-former-names-of-these-7-mumbai-neighbourhoods#:~:text=Bandra%20was%20Vandre/Bandor/Bandar/Bandera&text=However,%20it%20is%20strongly%20suggested,Vandre%22%20-%20the%20original%20name. |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Knocksense |language=en}}</ref>."However, another theory suggests that "Bandra", possibly originates from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word for port, or "bandar."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/a-tour-through-mumbai-s-historical-neighbourhoods/|title=A Tour Through Mumbai's Historical Neighbourhoods|date=3 January 2016|access-date=19 January 2019|archive-date=19 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119230903/https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/a-tour-through-mumbai-s-historical-neighbourhoods/|url-status=live}}</ref> It is described by [[Duncan Forbes (linguist)|Duncan Forbes]]'s in ''A Dictionary, Hindustani and English'' (1848) as "a city; an emporium; a port, harbor; a trading town to which numbers of foreign merchants resort".<ref name="Forbes1848">{{cite book|author=Duncan Forbes|title=A Dictionary, Hindustani and English: To which is Added a Reversed Part, English and Hindustani|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7klIAAAAYAAJ|access-date=12 April 2012|year=1848|publisher=W.H. Allen|archive-date=4 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704152003/https://books.google.com/books?id=7klIAAAAYAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> In [[Konkani language|Konkani]], ''bandar'' is a [[loanword]] from Persian meaning ''[[Bombay Harbour|harbour]]'' or ''[[Bombay Port|port]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/stream/anenglishkonkan00bygoog/anenglishkonkan00bygoog_djvu.txt | title=An English-Konkani dictionary | year=1883 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&dq=Konkani+word+port+bandar&pg=PA28 | title=A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992 | isbn=9788172016647 | last1=Saradesāya | first1=Manohararāya | year=2000 | publisher=Sahitya Akademi | access-date=7 June 2022 | archive-date=4 July 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704152004/https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&dq=Konkani+word+port+bandar&pg=PA28 | url-status=live }}</ref>

The area, along with much of the [[Konkan region]], was ruled by the [[Silhara dynasty]] in the 12th century. Bandra was a tiny fishing village inhabited by [[Kolis]] ([[fishermen]]) and [[salt farm]]ers. The area was part of [[Portuguese Bombay]] territory, extending from [[Daman, India|Damaon]] to [[Chaul]], before its acquisition by the [[English East India Company]].

===Indo-Portuguese era===
[[File:Entrance to Bandra Fort.jpg|thumb|Entrance of the Bandra Fort, originally known as the "Castella de Aguada", Portuguese for "Fort of the Waterpoint"]]

In 1534, Diego da Silveira, a [[Piracy|pirate]] from the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]], entered Bandra's creek and burned the fishing town he found there. With that, Bandra came under the rule of the [[Portuguese Goa]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The East Indians of Bandra|url=http://www.east-indians.net/BANDRA.htm|access-date=10 March 2021|website=www.east-indians.net|archive-date=8 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508032529/http://east-indians.net/BANDRA.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

A period of [[Christianisation of Goa|Christianisation]] began in Bandra. Father [[Conceicao Rodrigues]], a [[Catholic Church in India|Catholic]] priest, was instrumental in increasing the Church's prominence in Bandra.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} In 1580, he baptised about 2,000 fishermen. By the time he died 11 years later, Father Gomes' "invincible strength of soul", as one historian describes it, had helped convert close to 6,000 people in the area.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} Father Gomes also established [[St. Andrew's Church, Mumbai|St. Andrew's Church]].

Bandra officially became a possession of the [[Portuguese East Indies]] when the [[Sultanate of Cambay]] ceded Bandra and adjacent areas via the [[Treaty of Bassein (1534)]], which was signed aboard the [[brig]] named ''[[São Mateus (ship)|Sao Mateus]]'' (St. Matthew) at [[Vasai (Bassein)]] harbour, aided by Governor-General [[Nuno da Cunha]] and [[Diego da Silveira]]. The Portuguese [[enfeoffed]] (gave) Bandra, [[Kurla]], [[Mazgaon]], and four other villages in 1548 to [[António Pessoa]]; as a reward for his military services. This was confirmed by the Royal Chancellery on 2 February 1550.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

As these villages were given for a period of "two lives", they reverted to the [[Portuguese Crown]] after the death of [[Isabel Botelha]], Pessoa's widow. In 1568, the [[Jesuits]] who had applied for acquisition of these villages in anticipation of Isabel's death, obtained them from the [[Portuguese viceroy in Goa]], they received royal confirmation from [[Lisbon]], in 1570.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.firstpost.com/blogs/have-bandras-xenophobes-forgotten-their-own-history-238786.html |title=Have Bandra's xenophobes forgotten their own history? |publisher=[[First Post]] |date=9 March 2012 |access-date=10 October 2015 |archive-date=21 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321011020/http://www.firstpost.com/blogs/have-bandras-xenophobes-forgotten-their-own-history-238786.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1661, when [[Charles II of England]] married Catherine of Portugal, the [[Seven Islands of Bombay]] were given away as part of the [[dowry of Catherine Braganza]].<ref>{{Citation |url=https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A2998461 |title=Catherine of Bragança (1638–1705) |publisher=BBC |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=4 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804220811/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2998461 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, [[Salsette island]], on which Bandra laid, was not part of this treaty and remained with the Portuguese.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/greater_bombay/volume1.html |title=Greater Bombay District Gazetteer |series=Maharashtra State Gazetteers |volume=27 |year=1960 |access-date=13 August 2008 |publisher=[[Government of Maharashtra]] |page=174 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906220718/http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/greater_bombay/volume1.html |archive-date=6 September 2008}}</ref>

The [[Portuguese Empire]] built additional chapels, oratories& churches in Bandra, one of the earliest being [[St. Andrew's Church, Mumbai|St Andrew's Church]] in 1575. Their Jesuit missionaries, who learned [[Konkani language|local languages and cultures]], attracted many Indian converts to [[Western Christianity]] (Catholicism) among the natives of the island. Their descendants continued their membership of the six Catholic [[parish church]]es—[[Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Bandra|Mount Carmel]], St. Peter's, St Andrew's, St Theresa's, St Anne's and St Francis d'Assisi; that lie within an area of four square kilometres.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-once-a-part-of-bandras-catholic-heritage-a-chapel-at-pali-hill-will-soon-be-history-1824997 |title=Mumbai: Once a part of Bandra's Catholic heritage, a chapel at Pali Hill will soon be history |publisher=[[DNA India]] |date=21 April 2013 |access-date=10 October 2015 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904022643/http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-once-a-part-of-bandras-catholic-heritage-a-chapel-at-pali-hill-will-soon-be-history-1824997 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===British Bandra===

Bandra became part of the English territory with the signing of the [[Treaty of Surat]] in 1775, but was retroceded to the [[Marathas]] in 1779 during the [[First Anglo-Maratha War]]. In 1802, [[Baji Rao II]] signed the [[Treaty of Bassein (1802)|Treaty of Bassein]] with the English, surrendering sovereignty and again ceding Bandra, and it remained under British control until 14 August 1947.

'''Arrival of Railways and Development''': On 12 April 1867, the first railway service was inaugurated, with one train per day between [[Virar]] and Bombay, as part of the then private rail company, [[BB&CI]], which was the earliest form of [[Western Railway (India)|Western Railway]]. A grand railway station building for Bandra was inaugurated in 1869. The innovative aspects used in the design of this structure are visible to this day.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} On closer scrutiny, it is evident how railway tracks bunched together, make up each of the iron pillars, that hold up the roof over the platforms. In 1873, with growing demands, the frequency of trains available was increased to 24 each day. In the early 1900s, the affluent [[Pathare Prabhu]] community lived in [[South Mumbai]], and used their quaint [[bungalow]]s in the Khar part of Bandra as weekend dwellings. [[Khar Danda]] was one of the original villages of the erstwhile larger Bandra. Back then, the local [[Bandra railway station]] was felt considerably far to alight from trains and hire 'tangas' (horse carriages) to get to their bungalows by these Bandra residents. Keeping these factors and Bandra's growing population in mind, a new railway station named 'Khar Road' was introduced adjoining [[Bandra railway station|Bandra Railway station]] on 1 July 1924. This development is the primary reason that the Khar part of Bandra started being referred to as a suburb by itself.<ref name="IndiaTVnews.com article">{{cite news |title=July 02, 2014 |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/mumbai-khar-station-turns-90-38684.html?page=3 |publisher=IndiaTV |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=7 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007082039/https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/mumbai-khar-station-turns-90-38684.html?page=3 |url-status=live }}</ref> As late as the 1930s, Bandra had only one bus service from [[Pali Naka]], [[Hill Road, Mumbai|Hill Road]], to the Railway station. Other people just walked to the nearest railway station. After [[World War II]], the building boom began with an aim to accommodate immigrants. As of 2018, 940 trains stop daily at [[Bandra railway station]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Bandra was raised to the status of a [[Bandra Municipal Committee|municipality]] in 1876 and was then expanded.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} In 1950, following independence, it was merged into the Bombay Municipal Corporation to form the [[Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay]]. Bandra consisted of many villages, among them Sherly, Malla, Rajan, Kantwady, Waroda, Ranwar, Boran, Khar Danda, Pali, and Chuim. These have almost been lost to the urban development of the island.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

====Mount Mary's Church====
[[File:Mother mary.jpg|thumb|right|Statue of Mary at [[Mount Mary Church, Bandra]]]]

The [[Bandra Fair]] is held during the eight days of the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lady, beginning 8 September, when people throng the church.<ref>[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=255163 Mount Mary fair begins today]{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} ''[[Indian Express]]'', 8 September 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_devotees-throng-to-bandra-fair-on-opening-day-as-stall-owners-protest_1437121 "Devotees throng to Bandra Fair on opening day as stall owners protest"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001112943/http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_devotees-throng-to-bandra-fair-on-opening-day-as-stall-owners-protest_1437121 |date=1 October 2012 }}, ''[[DNA (newspaper)]]'', 13 September 2010.</ref>

====Educational institutions====
The first school founded in Bandra after Bombay passed on to the English was St Andrew's Parish School, started by Fr. [[Francisco de Melo]] in 1780 to teach catechism to the children of the parish. This later became [[St. Andrew's High School, Mumbai|St. Andrew's High School]].<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://saintandrewschoolbandra.in/content/history-0|publisher=St Andrew High School, Bandra|access-date=19 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331133206/http://saintandrewschoolbandra.in/content/history-0|archive-date=31 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The school is located in Bandra West.

[[St. Theresa's High School, Bandra|St. Theresa's High School]] grew out of St. Andrew's Indian Christians' School, housed in a very dilapidated building situated in Old Khar. This school was founded in 1918. It was taken over by the Society of Divine Word (S.V.D). in 1952. It is counted among the best schools in [[Mumbai]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sthsboys.com/ |title=St. Theresa's High School |access-date=21 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412145712/http://www.sthsboys.com/ |archive-date=12 April 2012 |url-status=dead  }}(no valid archive exists)</ref>

[[St. Stanislaus High School]] was founded in 1863 by the [[Jesuits|Society of Jesus]]. It started as a Native Boy's orphanage. It became a high school in 1923 and was the first English medium school in the suburbs. Later, it grew to be a full-fledged educational institution for day-scholars as well as boarders. Cardinal Gracias High School is a [[convent school]] located in Bandra East. St. Joseph's Convent High School for girls is run by the nuns of the congregation of the Daughters of the Cross in Bandra West. It was built in 1865 (Bandra was then known as Bandora)<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-here-s-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-journey-from-bandora-to-bandra-2156323|title=Here's everything you need to know about the journey from Bandora to Bandra {{!}} Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|date=16 December 2015|work=dna|access-date=26 May 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=26 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526112729/http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-here-s-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-journey-from-bandora-to-bandra-2156323|url-status=live}}</ref> and boasts a chapel. The school has produced illustrious alumni over the years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sjcschoolbandra.org/alumnae/illustrious-alumni/|title=Illustrious Alumnae – St. Joseph's Convent School|website=sjcschoolbandra.org|access-date=27 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125131346/http://sjcschoolbandra.org/alumnae/illustrious-alumni/|archive-date=25 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Rishi Dayaram National College|R.D. National College]] was originally set up in 1922 in [[Hyderabad, Pakistan]] under the guidance of [[Annie Besant]]. In the run-up to the [[Partition of India]], it was relocated to its present site in 1949 in Bandra. The [[Thadomal Shahani Engineering College]] was established in 1983 by the [[Hyderabad (Sind) National Collegiate Board]].

The [[Rizvi Education Complex]], located off [[Carter Road Promenade|Carter Road]], comprises the [[Rizvi College of Arts]], Science and Commerce as well as Rizvi High School (both established in 1985); [[Rizvi College of Engineering]] (established in 1998); Rizvi College of Architecture; Rizvi College of Hotel Management & Catering Technology; [[Rizvi Law College]]; Rizvi College of Education and the Rizvi College of Fashion Designing & Creative Arts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rizvi.edu.in/|title=Rizvi Education Society|website=www.rizvi.edu.in|access-date=12 January 2014|archive-date=30 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230101206/http://www.rizvi.edu.in/|url-status=live}}</ref> All are managed by the Rizvi Education Society, and may have the status of [[Muslims|Muslim]] religious minority institution.

[[St. Andrew's College of Arts, Science and Commerce]] is another famous college located in the heart of Bandra, just a few hundred metres away from St. Stanislaus High School. St. Andrews boasts of one of the best auditoriums in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://standrewscollege.ac.in/|title=St. Andrew's College|access-date=24 August 2020|archive-date=22 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922064741/https://standrewscollege.ac.in/|url-status=live}}</ref>

IES's Management College an Research Centre is also located at Bandra Reclamation. It offers PGDM programs related to management and pharma.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 December 2020 |title=IES's MCRC invites online application for PGDM batch 2021-23 |url=https://www.mcrc.ies.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406214942/https://news.careers360.com/iesmcrc-invites-online-application-for-pgdm-batch-2021-23 |archive-date=6 April 2023 |access-date=6 September 2022 |website=news.careers360.com |language=en}}</ref>

====Bandra Lake====
{{main|Bandra Talao}}

[[Bandra Lake]], also called Bandra Talao or Motha Reservoir, was constructed by a rich [[Konkani Muslims|Konkani]] Muslim of [[Navapada]] (also spelled Naupada or Naopara), an adjoining village.<ref name="auto">{{cite journal |journal=Gazetteer of Thane District |title=Places of Interest |date=1882 |url=http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/gazeetter_reprint/Thane-III/places_Bandra.html |access-date=5 June 2011 |archive-date=10 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210034248/http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/gazeetter_reprint/Thane-III/places_Bandra.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The lake was later acquired by the [[Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai]]. It was officially renamed [[Swami Vivekananda|Swami Vivekanand]] Sarovar. Paddle boating facilities and [[pisciculture]] (fish farming) activities were operational in this lake during the 1990s but have since stopped. This lake is now a heritage structure of "Heritage II" status.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite news|title=BMC plans walkway around Bandra Talao|url=http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/jan/310111-Bandra-Talao-BMC-Powai-Lake-jogging-track-walkway.htm|access-date=10 January 2012|newspaper=[[MiD DAY]]|date=31 January 2011|archive-date=26 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826071552/http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/jan/310111-Bandra-Talao-BMC-Powai-Lake-jogging-track-walkway.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=dna>{{cite news|title=Makeover for Bandra Talao finally kicks off|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_makeover-for-bandra-talao-finally-kicks-off_1403141|access-date=10 January 2012|newspaper=[[Daily News and Analysis]]|date=30 June 2010|archive-date=2 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702042558/http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_makeover-for-bandra-talao-finally-kicks-off_1403141|url-status=live}}</ref> The Portuguese also pronounced Bandra As Bandora.

===Development of Bandra as a commercial hub===
{{main|Bandra Kurla Complex}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2023}}

As traffic in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region worsened, especially in [[South Mumbai]], there was increased demand to construct a business district outside of Mumbai, in the suburbs. In the mid-2000s, the city of Mumbai started an audacious task to reclaim lands on the [[Mithi River]] in the eastern portion of the city, near the [[Kurla]] border. The newly formed [[Bandra Kurla Complex]] (BKC) has attracted several equity and technology firms, such as Blackstone, [[Google]], and [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], who chose Bandra instead of Mumbai City for its location, lower-cost of land, and new development.

As the last suburb before entering [[Mumbai|Mumbai City]], Bandra has for a while been strained with traffic, particularly around the railway station and S.V. Road. The development of a business centre has only exacerbated the traffic problems, as unlike other commercial hubs, Bandra's BKC is located between [[Banda Station|Bandra]] and [[Kurla railway station|Kurla]] stations and requires approximately 10-15 minute vehicular commute from either of the stations. Nearly 300,000 office-goers alight daily at Bandra Railway Station and take a taxi or bus to BKC. This has made [[Banda Station|Bandra]] among the busiest stations in India, surpassing [[Andheri]] and [[Bombay Central]], and the second-busiest station in Maharashtra's Western Railway after [[Churchgate railway station]].

===Terror attacks===
In 1993, a group of terrorists attacked a hotel in Bandra in addition to other sites in the city.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33713846|title = How the 1993 blasts changed Mumbai forever|work = BBC News|date = 30 July 2015|access-date = 10 January 2022|archive-date = 26 June 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190626125420/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33713846|url-status = live}}</ref>

==Urban art==
Bandra has a large collection of street art or graffiti. The paintings on walls are principally located in the vicinity of Chapel Road and Veronica Street, but prominent works are also visible near the Bandstand and [[Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, Bandra|Mount Mary Church]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minorsights.com/2016/03/india-ranwar-village.html|title=Ranwar Village|access-date=22 March 2016|publisher=Minor Sights|archive-date=9 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409090239/http://www.minorsights.com/2016/03/india-ranwar-village.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minorsights.com/2016/03/india-bollywood-art-project.html|title=Bollywood Art Project|access-date=22 March 2016|publisher=Minor Sights|archive-date=9 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409071500/http://www.minorsights.com/2016/03/india-bollywood-art-project.html|url-status=live}}</ref> They consist of various types of graffiti, including pieces, stencils, tags, etc. Globally renowned artists such as Gomez have created works on these walls.
St+art Mumbai, [[Bollywood Art Project]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/BollywoodArtProject/|title=Bollywood Art Project – BAP|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=22 March 2016|archive-date=27 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170527150833/https://www.facebook.com/BollywoodArtProject/|url-status=live}}</ref> and Dharavi Art Room are some of the organisations that conduct various programs to encourage the artists. The programs have support from the [[Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation]] (BMC).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://trawellness.wordpress.com/2015/07/19/mumbai-street-life-graffiti-chapel-road-bandra/|title=Mumbai Street Life – Graffiti @ Chapel Road Bandra|date=19 July 2015|website=wordpress.com|access-date=24 July 2015|archive-date=24 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724173823/https://trawellness.wordpress.com/2015/07/19/mumbai-street-life-graffiti-chapel-road-bandra/|url-status=live}}</ref> Bandra was also home to the 37X46 metre (120X150 foot) portrait of [[Dadasaheb Phalke]] on the [[Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited|MTNL]] building at Bandra Reclamation. It was created by Ranjit Dahiya (from the Bollywood Art Project) and other artists including [[Yantr]], Munir Bukhari and Nilesh Kharade as part of the St+art Mumbai festival in 2014. The mural was unveiled officially by [[Amitabh Bachchan]] and [[Piyush Pandey]], but the building has been re-painted.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/phalke-mural-to-be-unveiled-today/|title=Phalke Mural to be Unveiled Today|work=The Indian Express|access-date=26 May 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=26 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526191409/http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/phalke-mural-to-be-unveiled-today/|url-status=live}}</ref> It is reportedly Asia's largest mural.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/leisure/story/20180423-muralist-nilesh-kharade-street-art-graffiti-start-india-foundation-1211441-2018-04-13|title=Larger than life|website=India Today|date=13 April 2018 |language=en|access-date=26 May 2018|archive-date=26 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526004408/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/leisure/story/20180423-muralist-nilesh-kharade-street-art-graffiti-start-india-foundation-1211441-2018-04-13|url-status=live}}</ref>

== In literature ==
Many of the characters in the book Bloodline Bandra<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pereira |first=Godfrey |title=Bloodline Bandra |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2014 |isbn=9789351364429 |edition=1st |location=India |language=En}}</ref> by Godfrey Joseph Pereira (2014), are East Indian, including the protagonist, journalist, David Cabral, who reside in a village (hamlet) called Pali in Bandra. The book itself is set in the 1950s with the first half of the book having most of the action in [[Pali Village]], a predominantly [[Bombay East Indians|East Indian]] populace at the time.

[[File:Graffiti at chapel road Bandra 2015.jpg|thumbnail|Graffiti on a shop door in Bandra]]

==Geography==
[[File:MumbaiClimate.jpg|thumb|Sunset at [[Bandstand Promenade|Bandra Bandstand]]]]

Bandra is split by the local railway-line into West Bandra (Postal Code 400050) and East Bandra (Postal Code 400051). The part of Bandra located on the western side of the railway line developed into a fashionable suburb by the middle of the 20th century. Film director [[Mehboob Khan]] established the [[Mehboob Studio]]s here in 1954. Soon the area became a center for the Indian movie industry, [[Bollywood]]. A recording studio was set up in the 1970s.<ref name=pn>{{cite news |title=Mehboob mere, Mehboob tere |url=http://www.punemirror.in/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Mumbai&sectid=3&contentid=20081101200811012008337798596fdb6 |newspaper=Pune Mirror |date=1 November 2008 |access-date=21 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718051651/http://www.punemirror.in/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Mumbai&sectid=3&contentid=20081101200811012008337798596fdb6 |archive-date=18 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref name=dn>{{cite news|title=Mumbai, meri mehboob?|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/column_mumbai-meri-mehboob_1504231|newspaper=[[DNA (newspaper)|DNA]]|date=7 February 2011|access-date=21 February 2011|archive-date=10 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110210081419/http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/column_mumbai-meri-mehboob_1504231|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the eastern part emerged as a commercial and administrative hub. It houses the Family Court, [[Bandra Kurla Complex|Bandra Kurla Commercial Complex]], the office of the state housing development authority ([[Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority|MHADA]]) and the office of the [[District Collector]]. The residential quarters of the employees of the Maharashtra State Government are also located here.

Most roads and places in Bandra were given English names during [[British rule]]. They have been renamed over time but many are still popularly known by their old names.

* Neighbouring suburbs: [[Dharavi]], [[Khar, Mumbai|Khar]], [[Kurla]], [[Mahim]], [[Santa Cruz (Mumbai)|Santa Cruz]]
* Arterial roads: [[Swami Vivekanand Road (Mumbai)|Swami Vivekanand Road]] (S.V Road), [[Linking Road]], Turner Road (Guru Nanak Marg), [[Hill Road, Mumbai|Hill Road]] (renamed Ramdas Nayak Marg), [[Carter Road Promenade|Carter Road]] (renamed Naushad Ali Marg), Navpada Road (Balsamant), [[Western Express Highway]]. The [[Bandra–Worli Sea Link]] connects the western part of Bandra to [[Worli]] by the sea route, thus diverting a lot of road traffic.

[[File:Worli skyline from Bandra.jpg|thumb|300px|Worli skyline as seen from Bandra Reclamation]]
[[File:Bandra Linking road.jpg|thumb|A stall on Linking Road]]

==Transport==
[[File:India Mumbai Bridge .jpg|thumb|[[Bandra-Worli Sealink]] project]]

[[Bandra railway station]] is connected with the [[Western Railway Zone (India)|Western Railway]] and the [[Harbour Line]], which is an offshoot of the suburban [[Central Railway (India)|Central Railway]]. It also has a newly built terminus called [[Bandra Terminus]] in Bandra (E) from where trains bound for northern and western India are scheduled regularly. The important trains include the Bandra-[[New Delhi]] Rajdhani Express, Bandra-[[Indore]] Express, Bandra-[[Patna]] Express, Bandra-[[Jaipur]] Express, Bandra-[[Jodhpur]] Express and the Bandra-[[Amritsar]] Express.

Public transport also includes [[Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport|BEST]] buses, auto rickshaws and taxis, which are abundant. Bandra is the last southern point from Mumbai where auto rickshaws ply. Beyond Bandra, entering [[Mahim]], only taxis are allowed to ply.

The [[Bandra–Worli Sea Link]] bridge connects Bandra West with [[Worli]], located in central Mumbai. Due to Bandra's central location, most parts of the city are easily accessible.

==Places of interest==
[[File:MtMarys.JPG|thumb|right|Mount Mary's Basilica]]
[[File:Mumbai-mosque-cleaned.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Jamaa Masjid]]

* [[Jogger's Park]], a small seaside jogging track. The park, next to the Otter's Club, was where Mumbai's first laughing club was launched.
* [[Khar Danda]], one of the oldest villages in Bandra
* [[Villages in Bandra, Mumbai|Ranwar Village]]
* [[Mount Mary's Basilica]]
* [[Bandstand Promenade]]
* [[Hill Road, Mumbai|Hill Road]], a popular street shopping area with various restaurants and retail brands
* [[Linking Road]], a shopping area
* [[Pali Hill]], an affluent residential locality with several restaurants and eateries
* [[Carter Road Promenade]]
* [[Bandra Fort]], also known as Castella de Aguada (Portuguese for Fort of the Waterpoint)
* Colonial-era [[bungalows]]; Bandra's unique architectural heritage is being threatened by ongoing development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minorsights.com/2014/05/india-bungalow-of-bandra-bombay.html|title=India: Bungalows of Bandra – Bombay's Vanishing Heritage|website=www.minorsights.com|access-date=7 March 2015|archive-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105007/http://www.minorsights.com/2014/05/india-bungalow-of-bandra-bombay.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable residents==
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2025}}
* [[Farhan Akhtar]], film actor
* [[Zoya Akhtar]], film director
* Lieutenant-General [[Francis Dias]], [[PVSM]], [[AVSM]], [[Vir Chakra|VrC]]
* [[Sanjay Dutt]], film actor
* [[Karan Johar]], film director
* [[Reema Kagti]], film director
* [[Salman Khan]], film actor
* [[Shah Rukh Khan]], film actor
* [[Aamir Khan]], film actor
* [[Nicholas Kharkongor]], film director
* [[Mithila Palkar]], film actor
* Flt Lt [[Lawrence Pereira]], [[Vir Chakra|VrC]]
* [[Rekha]], film actor
* [[Bala Sawant]], politician and former [[Shiv Sena (1966–2022)|Shiv Sena]] MLA
* [[Ashish Shelar]], president of [[BJP]] [[Mumbai]] 
* [[Sachin Tendulkar]], cricketer
* [[Asif Zakaria]], Congress candidate for 177 - Bandra West Assembly Constituency

==See also==
{{Commons category|Bandra}}
* [[Villages in Bandra, Mumbai]]
* [[Bandra Government Colony]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Mumbai metropolitan area}}

[[Category:Bandra| ]]
[[Category:1534 establishments in the Portuguese Empire]]
[[Category:Suburbs of Mumbai]]