Know your city

Mumbai keeps surprising most of us, now and then. And since the last few weeks you know why. Enjoying reading the little known facts about Mumbai? Here are some more:

Legend has it that Lord Ram and Lakshman, while on their way to Lanka, in search of Sita, stopped at what we know today as Banganga in Malabar Hill. Ram was thirsty and since there was no water to drink, he pierced the ground for water with his arrow ban. The lake is known as Banganga to date.

Historical documents claim that Chhatrapati Shivaji, Kanhoji Angre and Raghunathrao Peshwe visited the Banganga temple in Malabar Hill.

The revolutionary Chapekar brothers who were hanged for the murder of Rand, a cruel British officer, one after the other lived in the Kamat chawl in Girgaum. The chawl exists even today. n The Bazaar Street, near Hutatma Chowk, is one of the oldest streets of Mumbai.

Ice was first available to the people of this city in 1836.

Mumbai first made use of match sticks in circa 1839.

The first bank in Mumbai started in 1840. What we know today as Nariman Point is actually reclaimed land. 14.5 hundred acres of land was created8217; by reclaiming the sea between Marine Lines and Colaba. This was done in the 1920s.

Kurshid Nariman led the agitation against reclaimed land; but the irony is that, a large area of the reclaimed land is named after him and is called 8212; Nariman Point.