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Journalism of Courage
The third of February, 2001, marked an important date in the history of Mumbai’s nascent heritage movement. The Naval Dockyard, one of the city’s pre-eminent historic districts, was for the first time made accessible to heritage lovers and Indian citizens. Heritage buildings are like the living pages of history and they communicate more effectively than any history text ever could.
The Naval Dockyard and the INS Angre or Bombay Castle are unique as the history of modern Mumbai revolves around it. And had it not been for its natural harbour, coupled with its protected position from land attacks, Bombay would have never been what it is today the ‘Gateway to India’ and the ‘Urbs Prima in India’. The British cleverly visualised the potential and importance of this obscure marshy backwater and skillfully manipulated the acquisition of Bombay from the Portuguese. This was made possible by the marriage treaty of Charles II to Princess Catherina Braganza of Portugal in 1661, when “the Port and Island of Bombay were ceded to the King of Great Britain, his heirs and successors, forever.†Bombay became a possession of the East India Company in 1668.
The origin of the colonial port cities began as modest trading outposts of the East India Company. Madras was founded in 1640s, Bombay in 1660s, and Calcutta established in 1690s. As the Company was transformed from a trading organisation into a political force, so were these trading outposts, transformed into substantial settlements with hegementistic agendas.
Of all the early architectural activities in the port cities, defense was undoubtedly of paramount importance, as such cities were surrounded by hostile local powers on the one hand and by European rivals on the other. The city had the ‘Bombay Castle’ or the Old Fort with four strong polygonal bastions. This area formed the nucleus of activity and it was built upon a part of an existing Manor House (constructed around 1528 to 1626) of which little remains today. On its landward side was the town which was fortified and hence the area was called ‘The Fort’. The fortifications of the town were constructed in 1745 and later demolished in 1862, when the city’s population expanded substantially and Bombay was planned a major commercial, manufacturing and trading centre.
The Dockyard:
The brick and stone Naval Dockyard enshrines a history dating back to the Portuguese times of Nuno de Cunha. The Portuguese Viceroy of Goa selected the present site of the Dockyard in Mody Bay for safe anchorage in 1531. From a small basin, it burgeoned to accommodate shipping vessels of many varieties. One of the great attractions of the Naval walk is that you can actually see this development over time.
The dockyard extended from the Castle till the Old Sailors Home and its entrance gate and Clock Tower were constructed in 1798. And though the former has been sealed, the latter opposite Hornby House (Great Western Hotel building today) is one of the treasured antiquities of Bombay, mute witness to 200 years of its hoary past.
Fort’s eastern flank is architecturally and historically very significant as it is here that the city’s history unfolds and is visible through its innumerable old structures like Bombay Castle with its sundial and entrance portal, the Mint (c. 1829), Town Hall (c. 1833) and the Naval Dockyard. Apart from their architectural and historical significance, these areas are also technologically significant. The construction of the dry and wet docks are great engineering marvels of an earlier era. A majority of these were by the Royal Engineers, of which prime examples are the Town Hall and the Mint. Although they have been subjected to the pressures of modernisation, they have managed to retain their intrinsic character. An important reason for this is that they’re enclosed by the Navy, hence their ambience till date has been undisturbed and still worthy of preservation.
The built heritage within the Naval Dockyard comprises two typologies namely the Docks and Buildings. The Bombay Dock (c. 1735) is the oldest and the first dry dock in Asia, the Duncan Dock (c. 1807), the Wet Bassin (c. 1889), the Torpedo Dock (c. 1890). The buildings consist of the Clock Tower facing the Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, which earlier was the main gateway through which Lord Clive, Nelson and Duke of Wellington have passed through. The other buildings are the main administrative Building (c. 1807), and the Dockyard Apprenticeship School (c. 1930), both constructed of load bearing walls with pilaster and half-round arch tall openings, with the roof hipped or pitched with projecting tiled roofs.
The layout of the buildings facing the Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg creates an interesting precinct profile of what Bombay would have been 200 years ago. A walk through it is like passage through time. The naval walks are an important step towards creating awareness of heritage. It is hoped that the Navy will continue to protect these heritage structures, following the correct scientific methods of repair and restoration and shall set the precedence for other defence and government departments to follow.
