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Mid-Day staffer helps save 1893 Bellasis Road plaque, set for Western Railway heritage gallery
Updated On: 24 September, 2026 07:32 AM IST | Mumbai | A Correspondent
Marble sign was built to pay tribute to people who built Bellasis Road in Mumbai Central as they settled here after escaping the 1793 Surat famine. When it was at risk of being lost forever, mid-day’s Rajendra B Aklekar’s report and follow-ups ensured that this piece of history is now saved for posterity

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.
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