Agripada the u201c hamlet ( pada) of the Agrisu201d, wedged between west Byculla and east Bombay Central, was where a trio of cultivators ( Agris) camped: Bhat Agris or rice planters, Mitha Agris or salt manufacturers and Bhaji- pala Agris or vegetable farmers. Altamont Road it is, not Altamount Road as most misname it. Colonel Altamont served the Nawab of Lucknow before settling on this lush Cumballa Hill slope leading up from Kempu2019s Corner. Apollo Bunder is traced partly from u201c bandaru201d, meaning u201c portu201d. Palla fish was sold on these shores. Corrupted to the Portuguese u201c Pollemu201d, the word finally emerged as u201c Apollou201d. Another version has it that Apollo is an adaptation of palava, a fishing vesselu2014u201c Palava la jaavu yau201d meant u201c Letu2019s go fishing.u201d Bandra being prime monkey habitat, was called Vandra, or u201c apeu201d. The general allusion is the Portugueseu2019s, hailing Bandor, from u201c bandaru201d or u201c portu201d. Variations aboundedu2014 Bandera, Bandura, Bandore, Bandorah, Bandarau2014 till a railway signboard conclusively printed: Bandra. Bhendi Bazar isnu2019t only a nod to Indian tulip tree groves ( Thespesia populnea), locally dubbed u201c bhendiu201d. The Brits referred to the area as u201c behind the bazaru201d, which people colloquially slurred to Bhendi Bazar. Borivli gets its name from plantations of boras, fruit berries which used to fall in thick carpets on the ground of this northern suburb the English insisted on spelling as u201c Berewleeu201d. Breach Candy comes from u201c breachu201d, a gap in the rocks the land mass formed here, linking its Arabian Sea flank to the Mahalaxmi and Byculla flats beyond. u201c Candyu201d could be the Anglicised pronunciation of u201c khindu201d, meaning u201c a passu201d. Byculla partially alludes to European carriages, called u201c gharriesu201d ( read purring Plymouths and stately Studebakers), rolling past Cassi fistula treesu2014 the Indian laburnum, u201c bhayau201d. Suffixed with u201c khalau201d, which was a threshing floor, the words combined as Byculla. Carmichael Road, with residences Claude Batley and George Wittet imagined along the eastern edge of Cumballa Hill, acknowledges David Fremantle Carmichael of the Civil Services. It has been renamed ML Dahanukar Road, honouring the first post- Independence Sheriff whose family lived midstreet at Shree Sadan. Chembur stems from the charming Marathi u201c chimboreeu201d ( big crab), like Kurla from u201c kurlyau201d ( little crab). At low tide, its sun- hardened soil withstood the tread of bullock carts carrying Pathare Prabhu, Koli, Bhandari and Agri settlers. Chowpatty combines u201c chauu201d or u201c fouru201d and u201c pattiu201d, the channels that tides flowed into till the western foreshore was reclaimed. Interestingly, though the word signified four inlets from the sea to Girgaon, today this is an outlet for people to the sea. Churchgate refers to St Thomasu2019 Church ( it became a cathedral in 1837), half a kilometre from the railway station, roughly where the Flora Fountain stands. Till the 19th century, Bombay was fortified with walls, a moat and three gates. The other two were Apollo Gate and Bazar Gate. Dongri derives from u201c dongaru201d, or rock, rising on a hill levelled by the City Improvement Trust. Dongri is supposed to have given its name to the dungaree, Indian calico used for workmen and labourers clothes before it became a fashion item. Forjett Street takes after Charles Forjett, the Anglo- Indian Deputy Commissioner of Police ( 1856- 64), who organised Bombayu2019s first police force. Slipping into clever disguises to bust 19th- century crime rings, he donned the desi dress, spoke local lingo and artfully slunk along dark streets to feel the pulse of the people. French Bridge is in fact fully English. The 1866- constructed Gamdevi bridge is named for Colonel Patrick T. French, British founder chairman of the BB& CI Railway. Indophile and musicologist, French submitted the Royal Irish Academy essays like u201c Catalogue of Indian Musical Instrumentsu201d. Ghatkopar some say, alludes to the suburban hill range tapering off at Thane, u201c ghat ke ooparu201d. Others ascribe it to the Marathi word for corneru2014u201c khoprau201du2014 of the Western Ghats, therefore Ghat- khopra. Goregaon is not a hat tip to activist Mrinal Gore, dubbed u201c Paniwali Baiu201d ( she campaigned for drinking water, among other crusades). Ghodegaon was the horse trade centre for Maratha warriors. They bought horses from Ghodegaon market, after trial trots 10 kilometres away on the rugged prescott road: At 90, Jini Dinshaw is founder- trustee of the cityu2019s longest running ensemble, the Bombay Chamber Orchestra. She lives and teaches music on Prescott Road, named after Mary Prescott ( inset), who sailed solo to 19thcentury Bombay to pioneer education for girls in the Esplanade area. PIC/ SURESH KARKERA Gorega on: Goregaon activist Mrinal Gore, socialists Baburao Samant and George Fernandes at Baburaou2019s daughteru2019s wedding in the 1970s Mulund: Girija Chandramouli, a Mulund old- timer, at a flower show in the suburb Emperor Ashoka himself was among the first to step into. PIC/ DATTA KUMBHAR town

How did Bombayu2019s precincts get to  have the evocative names they  do? Aselection from the new book  inspired by this column  across 

Whatu2019s in a name? A whole lot across town

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Home / Mumbai / Mumbai News / Article / Whatu2019s in a name? A whole lot across town

Whatu2019s in a name? A whole lot across town

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