Interesting facts about Marine Drive, Mumbai
Among the tourist attractions in Mumbai, the Marine Drive is an important destination. It is curved beachfront promenade and a curved road that runs for kilometers, giving a great view of the beach and the shore.
Marine Drive, the Queen’s Necklace is a treat for all kinds of travelers. During day, it becomes the place to enjoy the sparkling view of the beach and the sea during a fantastic drive, beach activities, sightseeing, outdoor activities and so on. By night, the place becomes a twinkling series of street food, evening picnic time, romantic strolls and so on.
History of Marine Drive
The Marine drive officially known as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road is a 3Km long, arc-shaped boulevard, located in Southern Mumbai, a landmark well-known for its glamour and glitter which it spreads in the city. It shawls the Arabian Sea and it’s the best place in Mumbai for seeing the sunset.
Being shielded by palm trees all around and lights encasing the coast, craft the spectacular view in the night. Marine Drive was constructed during the second phase of the urban development of Bombay during the late 20th century. It was fabricated as a division of the Back Bay Reclamation Scheme of the British Government.
A post lamp near Girgaum Chowpatty has an inscription on it which claims that the construction of Marine Drive began at the Kennedy Sea Face in 1915. It was named after an engineer Sir Michael Kavanagh Kennedy who was a General in the British Army and also a Secretary of Public Works Department Bombay.
It culminated briefer than authentic projection because of the recuperation of land terra firma lesser than that was estimated. The key facet that nicked the attention was the Arte Deco motif that fascinated the world with its dazzling and contemporary architectural modus operandi.
It was eagerly embraced by the wealthy folks, silver screen stars, and the Parsi immigrants who went on constructing alongside the Marine Drive. Apart from these, Wealthy Hindus who were the immigrants from Pakistan during the 1947 Partition and a handful of Kuwaiti Royals also fabricated Arte Deco Buildings around the Marine Drive.
In the vacillating sixties, Marine Drive became the vital center of the nightlife of the city. People used to enjoy their nightlife in restaurants, pubs, bars, and clubs in the city.
In 1996, after the renaming of Bombay to Mumbai, several roads were also renamed to remove the persistent expatriate nuances which steered to the rechristening of Marine Drive to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road.
Due to the premier whereabouts of the boulevard and dearth of space, the value of the ancient Arte Deco buildings has grasped a massive rate of 2 million and more.
Apart from knowing that it is one of the important tourist destinations in Mumbai, here are a few things that are usually not known to tourists about Marine Drive.
1. It is not Marine Drive
It is a 3.5 km long road along the coastline and thus, it is called as Marine Drive. However, the actual name of the region is called Sonapur. The road that runs along the drive is called as Nethaji Subash Chandra Bose road. The road connects Nariman Point to the foot of Malabar Hills at Babulnath. However, even the locals call it as the Marine Drive, today.
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2. Marine Drive was a failure
Marine Drive is not a pre-planned tourist attraction. It was a reclamation project, which failed and eventually turned into a tourist attraction. In 19th century, Backbay reclamation project started in Mumbai to connect Nariman Point with Malabar Hill, by British government. Later, it was tried during 1920s.
The project planned 1500 acres of land but, faulty plan and other commitments of the government led to reclamation of just 440 acres of land and out of that, 235 acres were taken for military purpose. The remaining 17 acres of land was left unused, which later became an attraction among locals and tourists, eventually.
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3. Repair-free for 72 years
Although a faulty project, the promenade built was too sturdy that, it did not require any form of repair or resurfacing for 72 years. In 2012, resurfacing project was conducted as a safety process, not out of sheer necessity.
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4. The Miami of Mumbai
As the place became more popular among tourists, government decided to top up the beauty of the place. Marine Drive was later constructed to be the Miami of India. Similar to Miami, the place is covered with offices, apartment blocks, cinemas and others built in Art Deco style. The place was designed to represent the architectural beauty of the land and many travelers have compared it with the Miami’s architecture.
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5. Epicenter
It is not just a tourist spot. It is also the hub for business and residence. This attracted the new rich people during 1940s and 1950s. The place was picked by rich people for residence, to stay close to the port and business areas. The place became a glamorous spot for affluent people during Independence.
Also, this is the place to enjoy nightlife, clubs and jazz for night owls. You can find numerous hotels and pubs in this region. If you are planning to stay in a hotel, choose rooms with the view of the Marine Drive.
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6. Heritage Site
The Marine Drive is famous for its Neo-Gothic architecture of 19th century and Art Deco Style architecture of 20th century. This architectural beauty has gained the heritage site recognition for the region, recently. Thus, Marine Drive is included in the long list of heritage sites of Mumbai.
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7. Tetrapods
You can find many large inverted funnel shaped concrete structures. Tourists prefer to sit on the structure to watch the beach or take pictures. They are not tourist facility or masterpieces. These tetrapods were constructed, for a reason. These structures protect the promenade from the strong waves. When the waves hit the shore, these concrete structures absorb most of the kinetic energy avoiding erosion and other problems.
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8. The Queen’s Necklace
The place is called as Queen’s Necklace since 1930 s. This is not some random name. Visit the drive during evening to watch the streetlight create a pearl like resemblance to the C-shaped road. These yellow lights along the curve make it look like a jewelry. To enjoy a complete view of this necklace, you ought to trek to Malabar Hill to watch the road and the sea, in a panoramic view.
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9. January Parade
If you are visiting Mumbai during January, you ought to enjoy the Republic Day parade that takes place along the road. The main ceremony is conducted at Shivaji Park and this is the best time to visit the Drive. Republic Day takes place of 26th of January.
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10. Surprised rent
This is one of the iconic attractions of the city, which attracted the rich people of 1940 s and later. It is obvious that the rent of this region should be sky-high, given the tourism value and the business hub vicinity. However, after the rent control act, landlords are not able to raise the rent and at the same time, it has become impossible to evict the tenants. Among the posh areas of Mumbai, this is the economic region for renting.
How Mumbai’s Marine Drive Became a Necklace of Trash ?
“What you sow shall you reap.” This is evident from the heap of the trash being accumulated at every step alongside the “Once known Queen’s Necklace”- Marine Drive. The Arabian Sea reverted the whole enchilada to the Mumbaikars which they plonked into it. Being one amid the most charming whereabouts in Mumbai, it encompasses the Arabian Sea and is renowned for its flashiness and ostentatious.
Before the ban of plastics in Maharashtra, the daily average production of plastic in the state was 1200 tones and most of this plastic was dumped into the sea. Not only the plastic, but people used to dump every kind of waste material into the sea.
When the high-tides occur, they bring with themselves mammoth amounts of plastic and waste back to the ground. The recent tides brought with them hefty amounts of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste which accumulated on the long stretch of Marine Drive and became a nuisance for the public.
The workers of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) cleaned every corner of the garbage-filled promenade. This trash is a source of a nuisance as the stench it spreads is irresistible and is also a breeding ground for different types of micro-organisms that are the causative mediators of numerous infectious diseases.
One of the major reasons that contributed to the accumulation of the trash by the tides in the promenade is the ignorance of town-planning strategy and waste management to curb the increasing waste produced by the intensifying population of Mumbai. The supplementary aspect subsidizing to this predicament is the ditching of trash by the industries into the sea located in Mumbai or nearby places.
To curb this menace, the Mumbai government banned the manufacturing, sale, purchase, and use of plastic and its products completely. However, the problem does not end here. The city will continue to receive such gifts from nature, if the people will not sojourn throwing their wastes into the sea. The all-embracing elucidation lies in educating the people about the corollaries of dumping and making strict rules to prevent abandoning by enforcing punishment and penalization for the lawbreakers.
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Amusing Things to do at Marine Drive
Queen’s Necklace of Mumbai – Marine Drive is an enchanting spot where visitors can indulge in a lot of fun activities. To fully enjoy your visit to Marine Drive, here are some amusing things to do at Marine Drive:
Sight Seeing
Marine Drive is an amalgam of beautiful views. In the daylight, you can sit on the walkway alongside and enjoy the pleasant beach environment that it offers. Have a calming experience and a lovely glimpse of sunset at Marine Drive.
At dusk, the sight is just breathtaking with the lined-up palm trees and street lights sparkling all around. The views here provide the visitors with a soothing atmosphere carrying away all their stress.
Staggering Photoshoots
Being an impeccable blend of the beautiful sights and pleasant construction, Marine Drive is a perfect spot to take breath-taking pictures for your social media accounts.
Carry away the memories of Marine Drive with you by clicking amazing pictures at this magnificent place. The drive offers a perfect place to have staggering photo shoots. The beautiful rocky view alongside the sea offers a picture-perfect milieu.
Take your own camera with you or you can also find various street photographers there to have your photo clicked!
Evening Strolls
The alongside road walkway is especially destined to have pleasurable evening strolls. You can do cycling also and have a relaxing experience. The evening environment is full of cheerfulness at Marine Drive.
People enjoy walking or jogging along the walkway in a peaceful environment with the wonderful feels of cold breeze and sparkling waters of the Arabian Sea.
The place is a perfect spot for evening walks for everyone whether young or old. It is one of the favorite spots of people to hang out here with their friends and family in the evening. You can also indulge in some recreational activities here for fun.
Visit Art Deco Buildings
Marine Drive is surrounded by exquisite Art Deco Buildings nearby. Head out to these amazing places while enjoying the startling views of Marine Drive. Also, the Small Tarapore Aquarium at the southern end of Marine Drive and Cricket Maidans dotted along Marine Drive is a must-visit.
Food Stalls
Satiate your foodie spirit along with enjoying at Marine Drive with the street food available at various stalls. Don’t miss out on the mouth-watering famous snacks such as Pav Bhaji, Keema Pav, Bhel Puri, Batata Vada, Baida Roti, Frankies, Pani Puri, Kanda Poha, Idli Dosa Sambhar, Sev Puri, and Bombay Sandwiches. The street food at Marine Drive is a must to eat to smack your taste buds.
Attractions to explore the Nearby Marine drive
Apart from enjoying at the various events of Mumbai marine drive. There are a lot of nearby points at which you can discover numerous exciting and entertaining things.
Chowpatty Beach is one of the famous nearby destination, located at the end of the Marine Drive. Its delicious meals and Bazaar are two of its specialties. Sunday evening would be perfect to buy various things from street shops and once can also get the chance to enjoy delicious cuisines from food stalls.
Evening walks around the Arabian sea near the sprinkling water will end up your day well. It is 11.3km long walk along with the line of restaurants. Additionally, Hosting events, Nana-Nani Park, famous Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum, adventurous H2o Water sports complex, and Roxy Cinema and Jewel Cinema are some of the most visited nearby sites of Marine drive to evolve in various activities before going home.
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Even a hundred more facts about the Marine Drive would not be equal to the view of the Drive, physically. Plan a visit to Mumbai and choose to enjoy a vacation close to Marine Drive.
