Mid-Day staffer helps save 1893 Bellasis Road plaque, set for Western Railway heritage gallery

The plaque at the office of the Western Railway Deputy Chief Engineer. Pics/By Special Arrangement

In 1793, as famine gripped Surat, poor people left their homes and travelled to Bombay in search of a livelihood. Some would eventually help build a road that became an important link in the growing city.

That road is today known as Bellasis Road at Mumbai Central. Today, more than two centuries later, their story was at risk of disappearing amid infrastructure upgrades.

But thanks to the intervention of mid-day's Deputy City Editor Rajendra B Aklekar, a marble plaque commemorating their contribution has been saved and is set to find a new home at Western Railway's Heritage Gallery at Churchgate.

The historic plaque at the Bellasis Road site

Saved for posterity

The plaque has been carefully removed and will be preserved at Western Railway's Heritage Gallery at Churchgate. "We have carefully removed the plaque, and it will be safely kept at the Western Railway Heritage Gallery at Churchgate for preservation. It is presently at the Deputy Chief Engineer's office," said a Western Railway official.

‘Every relic must be preserved'

Historian Deepak Rao said he was elated that the plaque had been saved. "The railways have a glorious history, and every piece of such relic that documents old Bombay has to be preserved carefully. It is a wonderful achievement for this iconic bridge. The bridge lies in the heart of the city and connects once glorious areas of Nagpada and Tardeo."

The plaque

The plaque installed on the older 131-year-old Bellasis Road bridge was saved due to the intervention of the journalist and a report in mid-day and is now all set to be placed at the Western Railway's heritage gallery at Churchgate. The plaque was installed on the old Bellasis Road bridge when it was taken up for demolition in June 2024. It records the story of a roughly 1-km stretch of road named after British Major General John Bellasis. According to the plaque, the road was constructed in the 18th century by poor people who had been driven out of Surat by the 1793 famine.

Road helped the city grow

City historian Ramachandra Venkatesh said Bellasis Road played an important role in Mumbai's early urban development. "The Historic Bellasis Road has been a key contributor to Mumbai's urban growth in its nascent years in the early 19th century, taking its name from Major General Bellasis, under whose orders the road was built by public subscription, and provided survival sustenance to a suffering group of people from Surat who had come to Mumbai in search of livelihood due to a bad famine in Surat. "The road connected parts of the city hitherto underdeveloped, creating a vast opportunity for expansion in its heyday as ‘urbs prima in Indis'."

From old bridge to new

1893: The original bridge came up over Bellasis Road, crossing the railway lines and connecting Nagpada Junction to Tardeo via Mumbai Central railway station.

June 2024: The old 131-year-old bridge was taken up for demolition.

October 2024: Reconstruction of the road overbridge began.

February 26, 2026: The new bridge was opened to public.

15 months: Time taken to complete the reconstruction, according to railway officials.