Mahim

Mahim (Marathi pronunciation: [maːɦiːm])(Marathi: माहिम) is a neighbourhood in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The Mahim Junction railway station on the Western Railway and Harbour Railway of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network is the last station of the city, as neighboring Bandra comes in Mumbai Suburb. Mahim is an ethnically and religiously diverse town and has a Hindu temple, church, mosque and Parsi fire-temple existing within a few meters of each other. The town has a large Rich and Upper Middle class Marathi population.

History

The name Mahim is derived from the ancient Mahikavati meaning "miraculous" in Sanskrit. Other historical names for the area include Mahimawati, Maijim, and Mejambu.^[1]

Mahim was one of the seven islands that originally made up

In 1343, this island was possessed by the Delhi Sultanate. It was in their reign that the old Mahim mosque was built. A dargah of Makhdoom Ali Mahimi was built here in 1431.

In 1543, the Portuguese captured the islands of Mumbai. In 1662, these islands were given to the English King,

The causeway connecting Mahim and Bandra (corrupted from "Bunder" meaning port in

In 1847, a small group of Scottish missionaries decided to start a new school, now one of the most high-profile schools in Mumbai — the

The 1993 Bombay bombings took place in Mahim among other places. A truck driver placed a vehicle here and put a bomb there which exploded.

The town is also in close proximity to the remarkable Maharashtra Nature Park. This park has been created out of a garbage dump, and houses a bird sanctuary. It houses 12,500 varieties of plants and several rare birds including flamingos.

Demographics -

The town has a large and strong base of upper middle class and rich

Mahim is surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the west, Bandra to the North, Matunga and Dadar to South and by Dharavi and Sion to the east.

Schools and educational institutions

Mahim has a number of schools and educational institutions. Some of the well-known schools are

Mahim Creek is a 15 feet (4.6 m) deep

The nearest railway station is Mahim Junction on the Western line and Harbour Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. The station is an important Junction as it connects Western Suburbs (till Goregaon) with Harbour line (CSMT to Kings Circle). Taxis and buses are widely used by the locals and auto rickshaws are not allowed. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is just 4 kilometers away from the town.

Mahim Causeway

The Mahim Causeway is a vital link road connecting the neighborhoods of Mahim in Mumbai City district to Bandra in Mumbai Suburban district.

The Mahim Causeway was built between 1841 and 1846 to connect the island of Salsette with Mahim. The swampy area between the two islands made travel dangerous and thus a need for a causeway arose. The

Thomas Grantham then strengthened the fort's ramparts in 1684. In 1772, 111 years after Bombay was taken from them, the Portuguese attempted to attack this fort. The British replied fiercely with cannonballs. The Bandra church also bore the brunt of their fire. There were about 100 soldiers and 30 cannons in the Mahim Fort at that time.

The fort is situated just beside Mahim beach. Today the fort is almost ruined and encroachers and hutments occupy it.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mahim.

• Makhdoom Ali Mahimi
• St. Michael's Church (Mumbai)
• Mithi River
• Back Bay
• Mahim Causeway
• Mahim halwa

References