Sewri Flamingo Point

This is a fort in Mumbai built by the British at Sewri. Built in 1680, the fort served as a watch tower, atop a quarried hill overlooking the Mumbai Harbour. Up to the 18th century, Mumbai consisted of several small islands. In 1661, seven of these islands were ceded by the Portuguese to the British as part of the dowry of Charles II of England. The harbour proved eminently apposite, and the British planned to shift base from Surat to Mumbai. The Siddis, who were of African descent and noted for their navies, had allied themselves with the Mughals. The British, under the East India Company, and the Mughals were constantly waging war on each other. As allies of the Mughals, the Siddis also declared the British enemies. Faced with relentless attacks by the Siddis in 1672, several fortifications were constructed in Mumbai, and in 1780 the Sewri fort was complete. It stood on the island of Parel, on a hill overlooking the eastern seaboard and Indian mainland. It had a garrison of 50 sepoys (Indian soldiers) and was managed by a subedar (Pakistan lieutenant). It was also armed with eight to ten cannons. After the decline of the regional powers, the fort was subsequently used to house prisoners. It was later converted into a Bombay Port Trust godown. The fort was built primarily for defence, and embellishments are absent. It is bordered by high stone walls, including an inner ring for added protection. It is landlocked on three sides and sits atop of sheer cliff of about 60 m. The entrance is a stone doorway that leads into a courtyard. To prevent a frontal assault from the main entrance, the inner entrances were placed perpendicular to the main entrances. There is also a pentagonal room along with a long domed corridor, and linear vaulted structures. The area overlooks the Sewree mudflats, which are frequented by migratory birds, particularly the lesser flamingoes.

Take a walk in the mornings.

The house of Dr B. R. Ambedkar. The ground floor of the three-storey building hosts a heritage museum. Ambedkar collected more than 50,000 books during his time at Rajgruha, which made it one of the largest personal libraries in the world at the time of his death.

One of the oldest bridges in Mumbai, built-in 1923. This bridge is made entirely of granite and hard English-made metal. The bridge is an important connection between east and west Dadar. Approximately 10,000 cars use the bridge each day.

A very special and tranquil church. This is probably the most prominent landmark in this district.

Around the 1700s this area was called Marubai Tekdi Gaon, which is said was shortened to MaTunGa (Matunga). Marubai is the traditional Gaondevi (village Goddess) of Matunga whose small temple existed under a peepal tree at King's Circle.