Juhu

Juhu
Juhu
Coordinates: 19°06′N 72°50′E / 19.10°N 72.83°E / 19.10; 72.83Coordinates: 19°06′N 72°50′E / 19.10°N 72.83°E / 19.10; 72.83
Country India
State Maharashtra
District Mumbai Suburban
Metro Mumbai
Languages
 • Official Marathi
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)

Juhu is a neighborhood of Mumbai. It is most famous for the sprawling Juhu beach. It surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the west, Versova to the north, Santacruz and Vile Parle to the east, and Khar to the south. Juhu is among the most affluent areas of the city and home to many Bollywood celebrities. The nearest railway stations are Santacruz, Andheri and Vile Parle on the Western Line and Harbour Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway.

J. R. D. Tata, the father of civil aviation in India, made his maiden voyage to Juhu Airport from Drigh Road airstrip, Karachi, via Ahmedabad, on 15 October 1932 carrying mail in a Puss Moth aircraft.[1][2]

History

In the nineteenth century, Juhu was an island: a long, narrow sand bar rising above sea level by a metre or two, just off the west coast of Salsette. It could be reached during low tides by walking across the tidal inlet.[3]

Juhu was called "Juvem" by the Portuguese. At its north point, nestled the village of Juhu, inhabited by Bhandaris (toddy tappers), Agris (salt traders) and Kulbis (cultivators) and at its south point, opposite Bandra island, lived a small colony of fisher folk and cultivators (Koliwada). The inhabitants of Juhu were mainly East Indians and there was a small section of Goans. The Church of St. Joseph was built by the Portuguese in 1853.[4]

The open beaches of Juhu have attracted the well-heeled and the most affluent among Mumbai's population for almost a century. In the 1890s, Jamsetji Tata purchased land on Juhu and built a bungalow there. He planned to develop 1200 acres (5 km²) in Juhu Tara. This was to yield 500 plots of one acre (4,000 m²) each and a seaside resort. Simultaneously he wanted to extend the Mahim Causeway to Santacruz, to access to this area. After his death in 1904, the scheme was abandoned. With the dawn of aviation in the 20th century, the Bombay Flying Club commenced operations in 1929 at what eventually became the present Juhu Aerodrome.[5]

During the freedom struggle Mahatma Gandhi visited Mumbai and took many walks at Juhu Beach. We may recall the famous photograph of Gandhiji poking his grandson Kanaa during a walk at Juhu Beach,Bombay, 1937. To mark Gandhi's visit in Juhu, there is famous statue of Gandhi by the beach and a lane towards the beach call Gandhigram Road. There is also a Gandhi Shiksha Bhavan school in Juhu.

Climate

Popular attractions

Juhu Beach

Juhu Beach is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea,in the western part of Mumbai. It stretches for six kilometres up to Versova. It is a popular tourist attraction throughout the year and is also a sought after destination for shooting films. The beach generally gets more crowded on weekends with families and courting couples. The food court at its main entrance is famous for its 'Mumbai style' street food, notably Bhelpuri, pani puri and Sevpuri. Horse pulled carriages offer joyrides to tourists for a small fee while acrobats, dancing monkeys, cricket matches, toy sellers vie for tourist's attention. The beach is among the most popular sites in the city for the annual Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations where thousands of devotees arrive in grand processions, carrying idols of the Lord Ganesh of various sizes, to be immersed in the water at the beach; unfortunately, the beach often becomes very dirty. Juhu Beach is also a popular spot for planespotting as a portion of it lies underneath the departure path from Runway 09 and occasionally, the arrival path from Runway 27 of Mumbai Airport.

Home to celebrities

The busy-yet-peaceful surroundings of Juhu is home to many Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Mahesh Bhatt, Alia Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Dharmendra, Bobby Deol, Sunny Deol, Rakesh Roshan, Hritik Roshan, Anupam Kher, Ameesha Patel, Akshay Kumar, Dimple Kapadia, Fardeen Khan, Govinda, Hema Malini, Mithun Chakraborty, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Shakti Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Vidya Balan, Vivek Oberoi, Aditya Chopra, Rani Mukherjee and Zayed Khan. Apart from celebrities, it is also home to a significant number of Mumbai's business elite. Hence, Juhu has come to be referred to as the "Beverly Hills of Bollywood".[6]

ISKCON Temple in Juhu-Mumbai

Main article: ISKCON temple Mumbai

ISKCON temple Mumbai in Juhu is built upon four acres of land and is a stone's throw away from Juhu Beach.

Juhu Citizen Welfare Group

The Juhu Citizen Welfare Group is the outcome of many years of activism by Juhu residents who have been associated with other NGOs. It was formed in April 2002 (The Juhu Seatizen) and later formalised in August 2003 with its own monthly publication called The Juhu Citizen.[7] Officially registered in March 2004, it now comprises voluntary members invited from NGOs in the K-West Municipal Ward of North West Mumbai.

Religious places

ISKCON, Juhu

Hotels and restaurants

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Colleges and universities

Institutes and organisations

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Juhu.
  1. ↑ "The Tata Airmail Service". Flight Global. 14 September 1933. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  2. ↑ Pran Nath Seth; Pran Nath Seth; Sushma Seth Bhat (2005). An introduction to travel and tourism. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Retrieved February 20, 2011. Page 112
  3. ↑ "Geography - Salsette group of Islands". Maharashtra State Gazetteer, Greater Bombay district. 1986. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  4. ↑ "Juhu Church History". http://stjosephchurchjuhu.com. Retrieved 28 March 2012. External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ↑ "Bombay Flying Club First Annual Report". Flight Global. 1 August 1929. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  6. ↑ Ecker, Shana (16 July 2013). "Peek Inside This Juhu Beach Apartment In The 'Beverly Hills' Of Bollywood (PHOTOS)". The Huffington Post.
  7. ↑ "Juhu Citizens Welfare Group". Juhucitizen.org. 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  8. ↑ "5 Star Hotel Orchid - India's Deluxe Hotels near Mumbai Bombay, Airport, Reservations, five Hotels Discount Accommodation Mumbai Hotels online Hotel in Mumbai". Orchidhotel.com. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  9. ↑ JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai. "Luxury Mumbai Hotels | 5 Star Hotels in Mumbai | Mumbai Luxury Hotels". Marriott.com. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  10. ↑ "Juhu Residency Boutique Hotel". Juhuresidency.com. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  11. ↑ "[http://www.novotelmumbai.com Hotel Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach]: travel, stay or vacation, holiday at MUMBAI". Novotel.com. Retrieved 2011-12-22. External link in |title= (help)
  12. ↑ "Ramee Guestline Hotel Juhu".
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