Tracing Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy’s contribution towards development of Mumbai

Mahim Causeway Lady Jamshetjee RoadNear the Sitladevi Metro station look out for one of Mumbairsquos oldest plaques dated 1846 which highlights the building of the original Mahim Causeway This road is also called Lady Jamshetjee Jamshedji Road after Sir JJrsquos wife Lady Avabai This vital road connected Mahim Island with Bandra and proved to be a lifesaving infrastructural development since prior to this commuters had to use ferries to commute the same distance He donated the entire amount on the condition that local residents should be exempted from the tollCharni Road railway stationPicSAYYED SAMEER ABEDIThe location that covers this railway station was once grazing land for cattle Sir JJ bought over this large tract near the seafacing area of Thakurdwar to ensure that starving cattle could graze here since cattleowners could not afford to pay a lsquograzing feersquo introduced by the British Thanks to his intervention cattleowners could ensure their cattle could graze here without any fee The area came to be known as lsquocharnirsquo grazing When the area was identified to have a railway station on the Bombay Baroda and Central India line BBCI todayrsquos Western Railway it was called Charni RoadSir JJ Dharamshala Bellasis RoadSir JJ is believed to have donated over Rs 1 lakh to set up this space that till date supports old and destitute people with food clothing shelter and medicines free of cost This dharamshala welcomes people across caste creed and religion It was the first such free facility for senior citizens in AsiaSir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Fort Boysrsquo High School and Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Parsee Benevolent Institution Girlrsquos High School DN RoadSir JJ was responsible for setting up the Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Parsi Benevolent Institution to promote education among the Parsi community The Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Fort Boysrsquo High School originally called The Central English School was started in 1849 and later at the suggestion of Dadabhai Naoroji a girlsrsquo school was started in 1850Grant Government Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals Nagpada BycullaAn engraving of the Bombay Native Hospital built at the joint expense of Sir Jejeebhoy and the East India Company it was later renamed Sir JJ Hospital Pic courtesyWikimedia CommonsThe JJ Hospital was set up in 1845 and remains one of South Asiarsquos oldest functioning hospitals It was set up with a generous donation of R1 lakh from Sir JJ to build this hospital for Indians The Grant Medical College was named after Sir Robert Grant former Governor of Bombay who was at the forefront of planning an institution for medical education in the city Together with Sir JJ they worked closely to realise and establish this key medical landmark in the cityJJ School of Art DN RoadIn the mid1800s Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy approached the Bombay Government for land to build a school of art The prestigious educational institution Asiarsquos oldest was named after this philanthropist entrepreneur and visionary After Sir JJrsquos petition was sanctioned his generous contribution of R1 lakh ensured work began in full swing While the institution was founded in March 1857 the first structure mdash the School of Art mdash was established in 1874 with designs by GT Molecey Sadly Sir JJ passed away in 1859 and was unable to see his vision become a reality The new sections like Architecture and Applied Art that were introduced later within the campus were also named after Sir JJChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus formerly VTLook out for the medallion portrait of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy on the faccedilade of the main office building facing DN Road He along with Sir Jagannath Shunkersett were the only two Indians on the board of the managing committee of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway GIP todayrsquos Central Railway and played a key role in the railwaysrsquo development in West IndiaOther major contributionsSir JJ made significant endowments towards charities hospitals and schools in the city and aided in construction of wells reservoirs and bridges He also donated towards Bombay Samachar todayrsquos Mumbai Samachar pic below which remains Asiarsquos oldest stilloperational newspaper Another landmark that he contributed towards was the Victoria and Albert Museum in Byculla that is known today as the Dr Bhau Daji Lad City MuseumPhilanthropy in his veinsThen Governor of Bombay Lord Elphinstone said this about Sir JJ ldquoBut it was not the mere possession of wealth that made Sir Jamsetjeersquos name memorable It was the distribution of that wealth with unparalleled benevolence and an enlightened desire to attain the height of usefulness which was equally rare that rendered him famousrdquoAdded inputs Rajendra B AklekarMapSuhas KaleNOTE Map not to scale