SIGNIFICANT NAME CHANGES

important, not only because they represent the local history, but also for navigation,” says Pankaj Joshi, president, Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI). “This happens with the renaming of chowks.”

Joshi said to do away with this confusion, there was a suggestion in the heritage committee to keep the new name and mention the old name in brackets. “That way, you have the historical reference and people won’t get confused.”

The zeal to Indianise localities and roads has also left in its trail some faux pas.

“When a name change is proposed by an elected representative in the BMC, it is referred to the respective ward officers., who are are responsible for inspecting the area and ensuring the new name falls in line with BMC norms,” said a senior civic official. “The name of a road cannot be changed if it is an Indian name.”

There is a renewed interest in naming streets and railway stations Streets and roads:

Cadell Road renamed Veer Savarkar Road

Colaba Road, Colaba Causeway, Custom House Road, and Mint Road to Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg

Altamount Road to S K Barodawallah Marg

Railway stations:

Victoria Terminus to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Bombay Central to Mumbai Central

Elphinstone Road to Prabhadevi Museums:

Prince of Wales to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya

Albert Museum to Bhau Daji Lad Museum

after the 19th century social reformer Jaganath (Nana) Shankarsheth, said Desai of the BHLS. “Gunbow street, renamed Rustom Sidhwa Marg, was a name given by the British to honour an Indian, Ganpat Sheth, one of Nana Shankarsheth’s ancestors. Gunbow was a corrupted form of Ganbab, as he was fondly called,” Desai said.

“But Gunbow street was renamed Rustom Sidhwa Marg as it was assumed to be a colonial name!”