Borivali
Encyclopedia
Borivali or Borivli a suburban area located in the north-west section of Mumbai
island. Borivali is approximately 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) from Mumbai Airport and 33.4 kilometres (20.8 mi) from Churchgate
Railway Station. The estimated population
of Borivali in 1991 was over 6 lakh
s.
, Shimpoli
, Mandpeshwar, Kanheri, Tulsi, Magathane and others which were situated on and around Mount Poinsur, between two rivers Tulsi and Poinsur. It is believed that the name "Borivali" comes from existence of lot of bushes of sweet fruit named "bor" in local language. The existence of Portuguese churches and the Mandpeshwar and Kanheri caves is testament to the rich history of this place. Borivali was spelt 'Berewlee' by the British
and is also known as Borivli.
The original residents in Borivali can be referred in two groups but are local Maharashtrians: the tribals and the East Indians. These groups owned almost all the land and lived here with agriculture being the only occupation, other than occasional fishing. There was a huge influx of people in the 19th century when the price of land began rising between Bandra and Churchgate. There is still a very small population of the originals, but they have all changed their occupation with the times.
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park
lies in the eastern section of Borivali near the Western Express Highway (NH 8). It has a few lions, leopards, and panthers and a 4th century BCE archaeological site called Kanheri Caves.
It has three huge statues of Jain tirthankar Lord Adinath and his two sons Bharat and Bahubali. Borivali is home to the Mandapeshwar Caves which are in its west. There was a tunnel to Vasai Fort passing through Borivali; it is said to be touching these caves. The entry to the tunnels from the caves are sealed due to untoward incidents. These caves have a rich history and are proved to be built by the same people as the Kanheri caves.
Gorai Creek is on the western coast of Borivali. This place is famous as a crossover point for Essel World, Water Kingdom, the Global Pagoda (Vippasana) and a quick way to reach Gorai village.
One of the many gardens that Borivali boasts of is the Veer Savarkar Udayan on Lokmanya Tilak Road. It has four entrances from T.P.S. road, Factory lane, and Babhai is an idle place for all which have facilities like jogging track, boating area, kids play garden, skating etc., Gorai Udyan is at Gorai Sector-1.
Borivali has a garden named Jhansi Ki Rani on Link road adjacent to the famous Eskay Resort. Borivali is a melting pot of different ages as the large number of gardens in the western part of this suburb makes this an ideal residential option for kids, senior citizens, the middle aged, and college goers.
Festivals are celebrated with equal enthusiasm and joy be it Hindu, Muslim or Christian as all faiths have blended very beautifully here in this lovely suburb.
The Borivali Railway Station is a terminus for all slow, semi-fast and fast trains on the Mumbai Suburban Railway
system. It also serves as the final city-limit stop for all mail and express trains on Western Railway before leaving Mumbai
. As of 2006, there were plans to extend the Harbour Line to Borivali, and expansion plans are in full steam at the railway station.
As of July 2011, there are nine platforms at the station. Platform numbers 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 (from Borivali (West) side) handle trains between Borivali and Churchgate
; platform numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 6(A) are used for Virar
-bound trains and long-distance mail/express trains. The 1st platform also caters to Virar-bound slow train and sometimes express trains. The 7th and 8th platforms are terminal platforms.
Recently, reports have been arising of public discontent over the large distance between 8th platform and the 1st platform (approximate distance is 0.9 km). February 4 witnessed spontaneous public outburst of Borivali commuters over this issue. The cancellation of 9:10 Churchgate fast local starting from platform 2 was abruptly canceled triggering the unrest until normalcy was restored in the evening.
The platform, sanctioned under the railway budget 2009-10, had been announced after a protest by Borivali commuters paralysed services on Western Railways earlier this year. The station building was sanctioned in the previous budget; work on it started in May 2009.
Platform 6(A) is used for long distance and suburban services. Platform 6(A) is carved out of platform 6, after the existing platform's width is extended from 6 mts to 10 mts. The increase in width will result in one of the two lines on the east of platform 6 being done away with. This means there are ultimately two platforms called 6A — the one on the other side of platform 6.
Borivali Railway Station is the main hub for trains. All Western important trains halt at Borivali.
and Gujarati
. It would be fair to say that Borivali has a very cosmopolitan crowd and a lovely modern air to its community, as it has Marwaris, Sindhis, Catholics, Punjabis, South Indians, Bengalis as well in equally good numbers.
Of these educational institutions St. Francis is the largest and the oldest institution managed successfully by the Franciscan brothers since 1908. St. Francis D'Assisi high school has more than 8000 students and has been known for its quality education and all round development.
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
island. Borivali is approximately 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) from Mumbai Airport and 33.4 kilometres (20.8 mi) from Churchgate
Churchgate
Churchgate is an area in downtown South Mumbai. During the eighteenth and up to the mid 19th century, Bombay was a walled city. The city walls had three gates, and Church Gate, named after St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai was one of the gates. The gate was situated near the present day location of...
Railway Station. The estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Borivali in 1991 was over 6 lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
s.
History
Borivali town was developed in areas of what once used to be the small villages called Eksar, Poisar, KandivaliKandivali
Kandivali, or Kandivli is the name of a suburb of Mumbai, India. It is also the name of the railway station in Kandivali suburb, on the Western Railway line of the Mumbai suburban railway.- History :...
, Shimpoli
Shimpoli
Shimpoli Road is a locality in suburban Mumbai, located in the western suburb of Borivali. It is a 15 minute walk from the Borivali Railway Station....
, Mandpeshwar, Kanheri, Tulsi, Magathane and others which were situated on and around Mount Poinsur, between two rivers Tulsi and Poinsur. It is believed that the name "Borivali" comes from existence of lot of bushes of sweet fruit named "bor" in local language. The existence of Portuguese churches and the Mandpeshwar and Kanheri caves is testament to the rich history of this place. Borivali was spelt 'Berewlee' by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and is also known as Borivli.
The original residents in Borivali can be referred in two groups but are local Maharashtrians: the tribals and the East Indians. These groups owned almost all the land and lived here with agriculture being the only occupation, other than occasional fishing. There was a huge influx of people in the 19th century when the price of land began rising between Bandra and Churchgate. There is still a very small population of the originals, but they have all changed their occupation with the times.
Landmarks
Borivali is at the tip of western Mumbai. Its one of the major suburbs of Mumbai; social amenities include hospitals, schools, colleges, lovely cafes, good restaurants, shopping malls. Borivali is famed as the "suburb of gardens" — its a lovely green suburb with gardens at almost every block.The Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Sanjay Gandhi National Park , previously Borivali National Park, is a large protected area in the northern part of suburban Mumbai city in Maharashtra State in India...
lies in the eastern section of Borivali near the Western Express Highway (NH 8). It has a few lions, leopards, and panthers and a 4th century BCE archaeological site called Kanheri Caves.
It has three huge statues of Jain tirthankar Lord Adinath and his two sons Bharat and Bahubali. Borivali is home to the Mandapeshwar Caves which are in its west. There was a tunnel to Vasai Fort passing through Borivali; it is said to be touching these caves. The entry to the tunnels from the caves are sealed due to untoward incidents. These caves have a rich history and are proved to be built by the same people as the Kanheri caves.
Gorai Creek is on the western coast of Borivali. This place is famous as a crossover point for Essel World, Water Kingdom, the Global Pagoda (Vippasana) and a quick way to reach Gorai village.
One of the many gardens that Borivali boasts of is the Veer Savarkar Udayan on Lokmanya Tilak Road. It has four entrances from T.P.S. road, Factory lane, and Babhai is an idle place for all which have facilities like jogging track, boating area, kids play garden, skating etc., Gorai Udyan is at Gorai Sector-1.
Borivali has a garden named Jhansi Ki Rani on Link road adjacent to the famous Eskay Resort. Borivali is a melting pot of different ages as the large number of gardens in the western part of this suburb makes this an ideal residential option for kids, senior citizens, the middle aged, and college goers.
Festivals are celebrated with equal enthusiasm and joy be it Hindu, Muslim or Christian as all faiths have blended very beautifully here in this lovely suburb.
Prominent personalities
- Shri Sanjay Nirupam, member of Parliament, North Mumbai and secretary, Indian National Congress (AICC)
- Gopal Shetty, (M.L.A.) former deputy Mayor of Mumbai and BJP's Mumbai president
- Vinod Ghedia, deputy mayor of Mumbai
- Late Jaywant DalviJaywant DalviJaywant Dalvi was a prominent contemporary Marathi writer in Maharashtra, India. Originally hailing from Sawantwadi in Maharashtra he was born in a Gaur Saraswat Brahmin family....
, Marathi author - Rupak Kulkarni, Hindustani classical flutist
- Dhondutai Kulkarni, Hindustani classical singer
- Late Pt. Ratnakar Pai, Hindustani classical singer
- Rohit SharmaRohit SharmaRohit Gurunath Sharma[ Marathi : रोहित गुरुनाथ शर्मा Telugu: రోహిత్ గురునాథ్ శర్మ] is an Indian cricketer. Sharma is a right-handed middle-order batsman and occasional right-arm offbreak bowler. Having started his international playing career at the age of 20, Sharma quickly exhibited his...
, member, Indian Cricket Team - Arun Nalawade, actor
- Manish Naidu, educationalist and founder Maginot
- Sheetal Mhatre, longest serving municipal councillor
- Shubha Raul, mayor of Mumbai for 33 months (March 2007)
- Pt. Ramjas Upadhyay, social worker, president of Uttar Bhartiya Hindi Samaj
Railway station
Mumbai Suburban Railway
The Mumbai Suburban Railway system, part of the public transport system of Mumbai, is provided for by the state-run Indian Railways' two zonal Western Railways and Central Railways. The system carries more than 6.99 million commuters on a daily basis. It has the highest passenger densities of any...
system. It also serves as the final city-limit stop for all mail and express trains on Western Railway before leaving Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. As of 2006, there were plans to extend the Harbour Line to Borivali, and expansion plans are in full steam at the railway station.
As of July 2011, there are nine platforms at the station. Platform numbers 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 (from Borivali (West) side) handle trains between Borivali and Churchgate
Churchgate
Churchgate is an area in downtown South Mumbai. During the eighteenth and up to the mid 19th century, Bombay was a walled city. The city walls had three gates, and Church Gate, named after St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai was one of the gates. The gate was situated near the present day location of...
; platform numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 6(A) are used for Virar
Virar
Virar is a name of a suburb of Northern Mumbai. Virar is a city and a part of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation in Thane district in the Indian state of Maharashtra....
-bound trains and long-distance mail/express trains. The 1st platform also caters to Virar-bound slow train and sometimes express trains. The 7th and 8th platforms are terminal platforms.
Recently, reports have been arising of public discontent over the large distance between 8th platform and the 1st platform (approximate distance is 0.9 km). February 4 witnessed spontaneous public outburst of Borivali commuters over this issue. The cancellation of 9:10 Churchgate fast local starting from platform 2 was abruptly canceled triggering the unrest until normalcy was restored in the evening.
The platform, sanctioned under the railway budget 2009-10, had been announced after a protest by Borivali commuters paralysed services on Western Railways earlier this year. The station building was sanctioned in the previous budget; work on it started in May 2009.
Platform 6(A) is used for long distance and suburban services. Platform 6(A) is carved out of platform 6, after the existing platform's width is extended from 6 mts to 10 mts. The increase in width will result in one of the two lines on the east of platform 6 being done away with. This means there are ultimately two platforms called 6A — the one on the other side of platform 6.
Borivali Railway Station is the main hub for trains. All Western important trains halt at Borivali.
Demographics
The majority population residing in Borivali is MarathiMarathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
and Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. It would be fair to say that Borivali has a very cosmopolitan crowd and a lovely modern air to its community, as it has Marwaris, Sindhis, Catholics, Punjabis, South Indians, Bengalis as well in equally good numbers.
Hospitals and health care
There are number of small hospitals and nursing homes which take care of health needs of the population.- Bhagwati hospital is a prominent municipal hospital on SVP Road
- Vivek Pathology Laboratory
- Dr. Jariwala Laboratory
- Vibha, Kora kendra, near McDonalds, Borivli West
- Suvarna General Hospital, Kastur Park, Shimpoli Road, Borivali (West)
- Mandpeshwar Hospital, Rokadia cross lane, Borivali (West)
- Apex Hospital, Chandawakar Road, Borivali (West)
- Mangal Murti Hospital, Gorai, Borivali (West)
- Bhargav Hospital, Babhai Naka, Borivali (West)
- Arihant Heart Clinic (Dr. Ajmera)
- N. M. Medical
- Karuna Hospital, LIC Colony, Borivali (West)
Schools
- St. John's High School (Siddharth Nagar)
- St. John's High School (Tata Power House)
- Our Lady of Remedy High School
- Acharya Narendra Deo Vidya Mandir
- Srimati Damyanti Devi Tilakdhari Jha Prathmik Vidyalaya
- MKVV International VidyalayaMKVV International VidyalayaMKVV International Vidyalaya , mkvviv, or Matushri Kashiben Vrajlal Valia International Vidyalaya, formerly known as BES International Vidyalaya, is a private, CBSE affiliated school in Borivali, Mumbai. It is a co-educational school, that attempts to mould the mind, heart and soul of every child...
- Suvidya Prasarak Sanghache Shree Mangubhai Dattani Vidyalaya (Tata Power House)
- Suvidya Prasarak Sanghache Suvidyalaya, Vazira
- St. Francis D'Assisi High School
- Ajmera Global SchoolAjmera Global SchoolAjmera Global School is a school in the Yogi Nagar complex, Borivali, Mumbai, India. It was established in 1983 by the S.S. Ajmera Trust as S.S. Ajmera High School....
- Don Bosco High School
- Namdar Gopal krishna Gokhale High school
- Himalaya High School
- St. Lawrence High School, Borivali (W)St. Lawrence High School, Borivali (W)St Lawrence High School is education institute located in Borivali providing premier education facility up to higher secondary level.Students from play group to Xth standard are in the school.Chairman of the school is Dr.A.F Pinto,Managing director Madam Grace Pinto,H.M...
- St. Anne's High School
- St. Xavier's High School, Ratan Nagar, Borivali (E)
- Our Lady of Vailankanni High School
- R. C. Patel High School
- BES International Vidlaya
- Swami Vivekananda International School
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vidyalaya
- Sheth Gopalji Hemraj High SchoolSheth Gopalji Hemraj High SchoolSheth Gopalji Hemraj High School is located in Borivali , Mumbai, India. It is managed by Borivali Education Societies. The high school offers teaching in three languages - Gujarati, English and Marathi.This is one of the oldest schools in Mumbai....
- J B Khot High School 1, Borivali East
- J.B.Khot High School 2, Borivali West
- Sheth D.M. High School
- S. Radhakrishnan High School
- Chogale High School
- Bimanagar Education Society
- Sharad Pawar International School
- Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyalay
- Gokhale College
- Anandibai Kale College
- M.K. College
- St. Francis Jr. College
- St. Francis Institute of Technology
- St. Francis Institute of Management
- St. Francis ITI
- St. Francis Institute of Interior Design
- Holy Angels College of Alternative Medicines
Of these educational institutions St. Francis is the largest and the oldest institution managed successfully by the Franciscan brothers since 1908. St. Francis D'Assisi high school has more than 8000 students and has been known for its quality education and all round development.