May 1, 1960.
The day gave birth to one of India’s most resilient and successful states - Maharashtra.
The humdrum at Colaba, the precarious solitude of Nariman Point and the frenzy at Dalal Street don’t betray the struggle that erstwhile Bombay has had to endure.
55 years since its formation, we take you through the journey of this state from Bombay State to present day Maharashtra.
The Race to Colonise Bombay
Bombay was once just an amalgamation of seven islands, separated only by swamps. In 1534, the Portuguese colonized these islands, establishing a trading centre in what they called Bom Bahia or ‘the good bay’.
More than a century later, in May 1662, King Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza and inherited a handsome dowry in the form of this Portuguese territory - popularly called Bombay by the English.
By the 19th century, substantial engineering work had been carried out across Bombay. The gaps - by way of swamps - were filled and city had become one unified island.
Splitting the Unification
In December 1953, the then Prime Minister of Independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru appointed the States Reorganisation Commission to reorganise Indian states on the basis of linguistic and social divisions.
The States Reorganisation Act was enacted on August 31, 1956. In November 1956, the Bombay State was re-organised under the Act, with territories such as Saurashtra and Kutch being included in its domain.
However, on May 1, 1960 the Bombay State was split once again along linguistic lines, and divided into the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The ‘de-unification’ also saw Bombay State’s southernmost districts transferred to the princely State of Mysore.
Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan!
In the years leading to the split and in the decades that followed, Bombay and in turn Maharashtra became a concoction of all things social, political and cultural. Gradually becoming India’s ‘Maximum City’.
Its importance on the global financial map notwithstanding, Bombay became synonymous with the glamour that the Indian Film Industry held. It became a home to aspirations, dreams and stardom.
It gave birth to stalwarts, it torched several dreams. It tried and tested people, till the very best remained.
On that thought, Happy Birthday, Maharashtra !
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