Another chowk springs up in Bandra

They say or at least they used to say if you throw a stone in Bandra, it would either hit a pigor a Pereira but does this hold true even today?

Bandra has definitely changed and change is always good. We can’t really hold on the past, the Bandra of beautiful homes & fields but maybe we can try and preserve what’s left of it. While the fields have long gone, few homes still dot the Bandra lanes and gullies. Most of these lanes and streets in the hinterland retain the charm of Bandra but their names are fast changing today. You may have heard of the inauguration of a recent Chowk on St. Martin Road just a month back or so. The residents were completely unaware of a Chowk being built, until someone seen some masons at work just at the junction of St. Martin and Turner Road. It did take the residents by shock as to what was happening. It was only later in the day that one learnt that a Chowk was to be inaugurated and the order for it was passed in 2016.

On Wednesday 24th April, Padmashri Mahendra Kapoor Chowk was unveiled amidst much fanfare with participation from the Bollywood fraternity but sadly with no participation from the very residents of St. Martin’s Road. It’s great that now people know who Mahendra Kapoor is, but what’s the relevance of him to the people of Bandra, and more so to the residents of St. Martin’s? How long has he been a resident of St. Martins and what was his contribution to the road?

Today the name of the chowk sign board takes precedence over the St. Martin’s Road one. But this is not the only new Chowk, Vali Mohammad Bhamla Chowk is another recent chowk another at the junction of Perry Cross Road and Turner Road (the road that leads to old Kantwadi), that took the residents by surprise. Then there is another, not so recent chowk at the junction of the Hill Road, and S.V. Road – just diagonally opposite Lucky restaurant which is P. Mohd. Rafi Chowk. I wonder what it takes to have a Chowk named after you, if you are not a Padmashri recipient and have no political inclination.

For sure, Bandra has its share of well-respected men & women alike & St. Martin Road is not short of its stalwarts. A remarkable personality & forgotten resident of St. Martin Road is Peter John Fonseca, who served the erst while Government of Bombay for 42 years. There was no chowk as such that was fashioned during his lifetime but an arch was erected in his memory that once graced Hill road. It was erected six months after his demise by the officers & employees of the Custom House & all those who worked with him in official capacity. They subscribed and erected the monument to his memory as a mark of their esteem. The inscription on the memorial read, “Erected to the memory of Mr. Peter John Fonseca, a most patient, careful and trustworthy Overseer, Import Department, 25 years.” (Collector’s Office Order No. 2370 of 10th December 1900) by his admirers, and by Officers, Employees and Dalals of the Bombay Custom House, as a mark of the esteem.” The opening ceremony was performed by Mr. H. Crawford, Assistant Collector, Import Inspecting Department, in the presence of a select gathering consisting of Customs Officials, community and family members but today the arch on Hill Road has long since disappeared.

We still refer to Hill Road as Hill Road and Carter Road remains Carters but those who requested for the name change are happy that it was a success. So today if you do throw a stone you definitely will not hit a pig, a Pereira? Maybe, but very likely that it will hit a more recently named road or chowk and well known original Bandra personalists will be bygones. And just like I am too busy sipping my coffee, the rest of Bandra is doing so too but we need to wake up and smell the brew, before its too late. #WakeUpBandra

It would be much appreciated that the local residents are taken into consideration and confidence for the creation of any chowk or renaming of a road.

With inputs from Major Leon G. Fonseca (Retd.) & excerpt from The Bombay East Indian Association, Golden Jubilee Souvenir 1937, Page 118 and 119.