Latest news with #ElphinstoneCollege
Pink Villa
6 days ago
- Business
- Pink Villa
Sneak peek into 140-year-old historic Mumbai mansion and among the first with electricity, lavish decor, oil-painted ceilings
Jamsetji Tata was an Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded India's largest conglomerate, Tata Group. He is widely regarded as the 'Father of Indian Industry'. Jamsetji Tata played a major role in the industrial development of India. Here's what his Mumbai mansion looks like. Exploring Jamsetji Tata's Mumbai mansion, a historic property and one of the first in the city to have electricity An Instagram user named Nishant Sonavane posted a video of Jamsetji Tata's mansion located at Waudby Road, Mumbai. The clip shows the outside view of the heritage mansion, called Esplanade House. According to the user, the mud-colored architectural gem boasts a stunning Renaissance Revival Design, a 19th-century architectural and decorative style inspired by the Italian Renaissance period (14th-17th centuries). Built in 1885, Jamsetji Tata's mansion was among the first properties to have electricity in Mumbai. The house also has concealed wiring and an elevator. Gold-gilded decor, oil-painted ceilings and more Jamsetji Tata's Mumbai mansion is decorated with lavish interiors. The house features gold-gilded decor with ivory inlays, and the ceilings are painted with oil. Saint Bernard dog sculpture at the entry gate Esplanade House has beautiful gardens, marble fountains, and statues which add a unique touch to the mansion. The historical gem also has a brown-colored Saint Bernard dog sculpture installed at the entry, right above its main entrance. Jamsetji Tata's Mumbai mansion, Esplanade House, is not open to the public. Its beautiful decor says it all about the rich heritage in the city. It is also proof that the late industrialist was truly a visionary. A brief about Jamsetji Tata Born on March 3, 1839, Jamsetji Tata hailed from a Zoroastrian Parsi family of priests in Navsari, Gujarat. He was the first child and only son of Nusserwanji Tata. The late industrialist worked in his father's company until he was 29 years old. His father got him enrolled in Elphinstone College in Mumbai. Jamsetji Tata graduated from the institution as a 'green scholar' in 1858. He commissioned the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 1903. He was also the founder of Jamshedpur city. He contributed towards the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science, Tata Steel and Tata Power.
Scroll.in
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Ramachandra Guha: Remembering Yusuf Meherally, the Muslim socialist mayor of Mumbai
Back in 2006, I wrote a column in the now defunct Time Out Mumbai setting out the criteria for an urban agglomeration to be considered a ' world city'. To qualify for that appellation, I argued, a city had to be massive in size, have historical depth, a thriving cultural life, appreciable social (including linguistic and religious) diversity, and be an economic powerhouse. I concluded that there were only three world cities: London, New York, and Mumbai. I remembered that piece when reading about Zohran Mamdani's campaign for the mayoralty of New York. Christian-dominated London, remarkably, already has a Muslim mayor; might New York, known so far for being Christian and Jewish (and atheist), also soon have one? In considering this question, it struck me that our third world city, Mumbai, comfortably beat them in this race, for it has had as many as six Muslim mayors, the first in 1934 and the last in 1963. This column focuses on one of these Muslim mayors of Bombay, for whom his brief stint in that post was not his only or even his most important distinction. His name was Yusuf Meherally, and among the reasons for writing about him now is that he died 75 years ago this month. An articulate leader Born in Bombay in 1903, Meherally studied at the Bharda High School and at Elphinstone College, where he acquired a formidable reputation as a debater. He also took a law degree, but was denied a licence to practice on account of his political views. For he had thrown himself into the freedom struggle, playing an active part in the protests against the all-White Simon Commission in 1928, and being jailed in the Salt Satyagraha two years later. In 1934, the Congress Socialist Party was formed, seeking to give an egalitarian direction to the parent party led by Gandhi. Meherally became one of the CSP's most articulate leaders, with a particular interest in workers' rights and in anti-colonial movements in other parts of Asia and Africa. Through the 1930s he travelled tirelessly across India promoting the credo of grassroots socialism, while also visiting Europe and America to build bridges with democratic socialists there. In April 1942, Yusuf Meherally was elected mayor of Bombay. In August of the same year, Gandhi launched the Quit India movement. In his capacity as mayor, it fell to Meherally to formally welcome Gandhi when he arrived by train in Bombay for the All Indian Congress Committee session which passed that historic resolution. Folklore has it that Yusuf Meherally came up with the slogan 'Quit India'; this may be a misattribution, though it was indeed Meherally who came up, in 1928, with that other resonant slogan, 'Simon Go Back!' Notably, Madhu Dandavate's biography, published in 1986, does not make the claim, merely writing that 'with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi, Meherally's Padma Publications, brought out on the eve of the 1942 August Revolution a booklet with the caption, Quit India.' The book Quit India by #MahatmaGandhi & edited by Yusuf Meherally, was published by Padma Prakashan. In Sept 1942, C.I.D raided the premises of Padma Prakashan at Pherozshah Mehta Rd Mumbai/Bombay for the copies of 'Quit India'. #QuitIndiaMovement — Mani Bhavan Mumbai (@GandhiInMumbai) August 8, 2023 In one of his jail terms, Meherally was incarcerated in Lahore, far away from his native city. He noted in his prison diary that it moved him to be so close to the barracks in which Lala Lajpat Rai was imprisoned, so close to the yard where Bhagat Singh and his companions, Sukhdev and Rajguru, were executed, so close to 'the famous well whose water Maharaja Ranjit Singh loved so much and which today [1942] serves the entire jail population'. I myself first heard of Yusuf Meherally in the early 1980s, when a friend worked at a centre for urban studies named for him. Some years later, I bought, in a New York bookshop, a collection of essays by the American journalist and historian, Bertram D Wolfe. The book was called Strange Communists I Have Known, and it had an essay on Meherally, intriguingly titled: 'Gandhi versus Lenin'. Wolfe and Meherally became friends in the mid 1930s, on the latter's first visit to the United States of America. Before he met Meherally, the species of Leftists Wolfe was most familiar with were American communists, who swore a blind fealty to the Soviet dictators, Lenin and Stalin, and fanatically believed that allegedly worthy ends justified using the most immoral means. Speaking to Meherally, Wolfe was struck by the compassionate humanism of his socialism and came to understand how 'it was the influence of Gandhi within the Congress Socialist Party which had immunized it against the moral corruption of the communists'. Wolfe tells a lovely story of taking Yusuf Meherally to the tip of Cape Cod, where the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Massachusetts Bay meet. Meherally got out of the car, leaving his sandals behind, and waded into the waters. When Meherally walked back to the road, recalled Wolfe, 'his face was lit up with an expression of happiness that I had not seen before. 'We Indians believe that every confluence of waters is a sacred place', he explained to me.' Indian Socialist heads: Jayaprakash Narayan and Yusuf Meherally — Socialist Swaraj (@SocialistSwj) February 27, 2023 On Meherally's first visit to the US, Wolfe found him full of righteous indignation against the horrors of British colonial rule. However, on his second trip, made in 1946 when it was clear that India would soon be independent, Meherally was heard speaking in fonder terms of the oppressor, telling his American friend 'of the good things the British had contributed to Indian civilisation and culture, above all the safeguarding of individual and civil rights that are inherent in the British tradition'. Wolfe was taken aback by this change of heart. He asked Meherally how he could now praise 'the British sense of justice' when it had kept him in jail for so long. Meherally answered: 'Even while they oppressed us, they were uncomfortable about it. A hunger strike in a British jail could get me… your book or other books to read. In Hitler's jails or in Stalin's it would only have gotten me before a firing squad…If Gandhi had been in the Soviet Union, he would have disappeared forever from view after his first word of protest. The English at least at least felt that they had to report his defiance, even while they ridiculed it and imprisoned him. That is why he taught us to hate the evil things the English did but not to hate the English or ever despair of their regeneration or our own.' In his introduction to Madhu Dandavate's biography, Meherally's former colleague in the Congress Socialist Party, Achyut Patwardhan, described him as 'a great Humanist. Not for him any narrow religious affiliation. He was nurtured on a deep love of India's past culture.' Meherally's lifelong quest for mitigating human suffering went alongside a keen interest in art and literature, as well as a precocious environmentalism. His friend, recalled Patwardhan, 'had stood entranced before the Himalayan range, and he had caught the secrets whispered by the vast skies to the ageless snow ranges where man had never set foot'. Elsewhere in the book, Dandavate quotes another old associate, the great socialist-feminist, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, as writing after Yusuf Meherally's death in July 1950: 'Fearless yet tender, daring yet considerate; ready for any sacrifice, yet full of love and affection, Meherally was unique among men. He claimed devoted friends and loyal comrades, cutting across politics and religion.' A third comrade, the trade union leader and Goan freedom-fighter, Peter Alvarez, said in his tribute in the Bombay assembly that Meherally 'was a mingled fire and honey whose only concern was every human interest except his own'. It was this selflessness, this absolute commitment to the welfare and happiness of others, that led Meherally to neglect his own health, hastening his early death. During his last illness, he was shifted to a well-known Bombay clinic, but when the treatment provided no relief, Meherally told Jayaprakash Narayan to take him back home so that he could die there since 'he did not want to spoil the good name of the doctors who attended on him.' In this manner, writes Dandavate, 'even at the last moment of his life, Yusuf's concern was for others'. His death brought together people from across the political spectrum, with conservative Congressmen walking side by side with radical socialists in the funeral procession. For Mumbai to have had a mayor who was born Muslim was once both commonplace and characteristic. Tragically, while London and New York have become more open-minded in recent decades, more welcoming of religious and linguistic diversity, Mumbai has turned more chauvinistic. It is hard to see how, or when, it will ever again elect a mayor like Yusuf Meherally, that socialist, scholar, patriot and internationalist, truly a man who ennobled his city, his country, and the world.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Before Mumbai had a university, this college was already shaping icons like Ambedkar, Tilak & Tata
In the busy lanes of South Mumbai, surrounded by colonial-era buildings and the rush of modern life, stands Elphinstone College, a place that quietly laid the foundation for higher education in the city. Long before the University of Mumbai came into being, this college was already preparing young minds for the future. It all began before 1856 Though Elphinstone College was officially set up in 1856, the journey started earlier. Back in 1824, the Bombay Native Education Society opened an English-medium school for Indian students, a bold and progressive step for those times. By 1827, the idea of a college took shape. It was named after Mountstuart Elphinstone, the then Governor of the Bombay Presidency, who strongly believed in education reforms. His aim was not just to govern, but to educate, and that's what made this college such an important legacy of his rule. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Quote Undo In 1835, proper classes began at Town Hall, with just two teachers, Arthur Bedford Orlebar for natural philosophy and John Harkness for classical literature. It may have started small, but the goal was big: to teach Indians English, science, and liberal arts. By 1856, Elphinstone became an independent college, and by 1860, it got affiliated to the newly-formed University of Mumbai. Live Events A launchpad for big names in India's history Elphinstone College is no ordinary institution. It produced some of the greatest names in Indian history, including B. R. Ambedkar, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Jamsetji Tata. Even Dadabhai Naoroji, a key figure in India's political history, taught here. Its influence also reached the legal world. In 1855, it began the Perry Professorship of Jurisprudence, which later became Government Law College, the oldest law college in Asia. That's not all. In 1857, Sir J. J. School of Art started its journey from Elphinstone's classrooms. And in 1948, Jai Hind College began its first classes at Elphinstone's Fort campus before moving to its own location. The buildings tell their own story In 1871, Elphinstone got its first building in Byculla, designed by James Trubshawe and built by John Adams. It later became a hospital. The current building, in Gothic Revival style, is located in Fort near the Jehangir Art Gallery. Today, it stands as both a heritage monument and a working college. A new chapter since 2019 After over 150 years with the University of Mumbai, Elphinstone took a fresh step in 2019. It became part of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, a state-run cluster university that promotes better academic freedom and teamwork. Today, the college offers degree courses in arts, science, and commerce. But its role is much larger, it represents the belief that education can change a city, a society, and a country. From a humble classroom in Town Hall to shaping India's leaders and thinkers, Elphinstone College is not just a place, it's a powerful idea that still lives on. Inputs from TOI
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Before Mumbai University, this college laid the foundation for the city's modern education
In the heart of South Mumbai, tucked between colonial facades and modern chaos, stands a college that predates most of the city's iconic institutions. Elphinstone College, officially established in 1856, is more than just an academic institution—it is the seed from which Mumbai's entire higher education system grew. The story, however, began much earlier. From a governor's vision to educational awakening In 1824, the Bombay Native Education Society—a progressive force for its time—opened an English school for Indian students. Just three years later, the idea of 'Elphinstone College' took shape, named in honour of Mountstuart Elphinstone, then the outgoing Governor of Bombay Presidency. Elphinstone's tenure had marked a shift in colonial priorities—from administrative consolidation to educational reform—and this college was its most enduring legacy. By 1835, classes began formally at Town Hall, led by just two professors: Arthur Bedford Orlebar in natural philosophy and John Harkness in classical literature. The foundations were modest, but the ambition was sweeping—to train Indians in English, European sciences, and liberal thought. By 1856, the institution stood on its own as Elphinstone College. Four years later, it was affiliated with the newly-formed University of Mumbai. A launchpad for India's legal, political and industrial futures Few institutions in India can claim the intellectual lineage that Elphinstone can. It not only nurtured B. R. Ambedkar, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Jamsetji Tata, but also hosted Dadabhai Naoroji—a pioneer of Indian political economy—as a faculty member. Alumni walked out of its classrooms and into courtrooms, legislatures, and industries that would redefine the subcontinent. The college also played a formative role in shaping legal education in India. In 1855, it launched the Perry Professorship of Jurisprudence, the precursor to the Government Law College, now the oldest law school in Asia. That was just one of several institutions that trace their roots back to Elphinstone's corridors. In 1857, the same year as the First War of Independence, the Sir J. J. School of Art began its journey from Elphinstone's classrooms. In 1948, Jai Hind College started its first academic session in the college's Fort campus before moving to its own premises. Architecture that mirrors academic grandeur In 1871, Elphinstone got its first dedicated building in Byculla, a structure designed by James Trubshawe and constructed by John Adams. It stood across the Jijamata Udyaan and later served as a hospital. The current Gothic Revival building in Fort, near Jehangir Art Gallery, still houses the college—a heritage site and a functioning academic campus rolled into one. The quiet power of legacy After over 150 years of affiliation with the University of Mumbai, Elphinstone College turned a new page in 2019. It became one of the constituent colleges of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, a state cluster university aimed at improving academic integration and autonomy. Today, it continues to offer undergraduate programs in arts, science, and commerce, but its influence goes far beyond curriculum. The story of Elphinstone College is not just about an institution—it's about the idea that education can shape a city, a generation, and a country. From its early days as a single-room classroom in the Town Hall to becoming a crucible of India's political, industrial, and intellectual elite, Elphinstone has remained a constant in a city that's always in flux. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
News18
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Lakshmi Puri's Novel Reimagines India's Freedom Struggle Through Love, Loss, And Grit
Last Updated: Lakshmi Puri's debut novel brings India's independence era alive through two sisters' journeys, echoing the quiet power of everyday lives shaped by extraordinary times. You know how they say everyone carries a novel within them? I wouldn't have guessed that when I met Lakshmi Puri in Budapest, where she was serving as India's ambassador to Hungary. That was nearly 25 years ago. I was there for one of those 'reporter stories", the kind that takes unexpected turns—but that's a tale for another time. Back then, I couldn't have imagined that the story Puri now tells in her debut novel had already begun to stir inside her. At the international launch of Swallowing the Sun at the stately National Liberal Club in London last week, she revealed that she resumed work on the book after a gap of 22 years. That means she may have been writing—or at least playing at writing—even then, all while navigating an extraordinary career that would later include top roles in the Indian Foreign Service, as Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women. Through it all, this novel—set around India's independence—seems to have quietly taken root and refused to let go. Somewhere in the background, it was writing itself long before it got written. The result is a remarkable work of fiction anchored in a period deeply familiar to every Indian. The Indian freedom struggle continues to fascinate us—meeting or even hearing about someone who lived through that time is always compelling. Swallowing the Sun captures the pulse of that era not through sweeping historical dramatics, but through ordinary lives rendered in extraordinary ways. Inspired by the real-life story of her parents—her father, who contributed to drafting the Indian Constitution, and her mother, a rare woman graduate of the time—Puri transforms their lived experiences into characters negotiating the emotional, social, and political upheaval of the era. The novel is not just felt—it is feeling, distilled. At its heart are two sisters, Malati and Kamala, who grow up in a village in Maharashtra and later attend Elphinstone College in Bombay. Malati, spirited and strong-willed, challenges patriarchal, caste, and religious boundaries. She falls in love with Guru, a lawyer she later marries. Their romance is inspired by real letters exchanged by the author's parents, lending the narrative both intimacy and authenticity. These are not stories of simplistic heroism. They are layered with compromise, disillusionment, resilience, and quiet courage—the kind that unfolds in everyday life. Malati's strength is rendered not through grand gestures but in the granular details of experience. This is not the mythologised valour of Jhansi ki Rani, though that too deserves respect. Instead, it is the story of daring to dream, to live, and to persist in the face of contradictions. The novel also includes characters from the British milieu—professors at Elphinstone College, including a fictional younger brother of PG Wodehouse, and a cameo by Annie Besant. These additions expand the texture of the world without turning every encounter into a clash between binaries. Conflicts emerge, but not all are confrontational or ideological. Some are simply, and more compellingly, human. 'I wanted to enrich the global garden of English with exotic plants from India's past and be part of 'the Empire Writes Back' of the Salman Rushdie movement," Puri told me. Indeed, while Midnight's Children is an iconic work, I've never quite warmed to Rushdie's cerebral force or his ornate style. For a felt story, grounded in lived experience, I'd pick Swallowing the Sun any day. First Published: July 01, 2025, 08:49 IST
