Charni RoadLocation within MumbaiChurney Road, (station code: CYR) is a railway station on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It serves the suburb of Charni Road. The next station south is Marine Lines Station; the next station north is Grant Road Station. Southbound fast locals stop at Charni Road but skip the station during the evening peak hours (17:00 to 20:00). The main significance of Charni Road station is that it is near the Girgaum Chowpatty beach and Marine Drive promenade, a major destination for tourists in Mumbai. It is also important because of the diamond trading industry located here, mainly in the Panchratna and Prasad chambers building near the railway station.
History
The word 'Charni' is derived from the Marathi word 'Charne' (to graze), as the area was once used as a grazing ground for cattle and horses. In 1838, the British rulers introduced a 'grazing fee' which several cattle-owners could not afford. Therefore, Sir Jamshetji Jeejeebhoy spent ₹20,000 from his own purse for purchasing some grasslands near the seafront at Thakurdwar and saw that the starving cattle grazed without a fee in that area. In time the area became known as "Charni" meaning grazing. When a railway station on the BB&CI railway was constructed there it was called Charni Road. The station was opened on 3rd September 1868. The BB&CI suburban line from Back Bay to Virar opened in 1867.
Surroundings
Today Charni road is well known for its old charm Chawls, wholesale markets of diamonds (Opera House), garments, Irani cafés traditional Maharashtrian culture (Girgaon) and also tall skyscrapers. It is not only famous for skyscrapers and Chowpatty but also attracts crowds because of the religious places built in it (Mumbadevi temple) and also the famous celebration of Gudipadva and Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Girgaon. Also the famous Hinduja College of commerce and economics have been set up by Hinduja group in 1974.
For information about the area, see Charni Road.
Gallery
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Northward view of Charni Rd station from FoB
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Charni Rd station
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Charni Rd platform board
References
- Jhingron, A.K (2009). Heritage, Traditions, and Legends. Western Railways. p. 210.
- D'Cunha, Jose Gerson (1900). "IV The Portuguese Period". The Origins of Bombay (3 ed.). Bombay: Asian Educational Services. p. 212. ISBN 81-206-0815-1. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
- "As recent demands in Mumbai show, battles over station names never seem to end". The Economic Times. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- Aklekar, Rajendra (2014). Halt Station India : The Dramatic Tale of the Nation's First Rail Lines. Rupa Publications. p. 160. ISBN 978-81-291-3497-4.
- Jhingron, A.K (2009). Heritage, Traditions, and Legends. Western Railways. p. 210.
- Eastern Economist. Vol. 64. R.P. Agarwala. 1975. p. 170.
| Mumbai metropolitan area | |
|---|---|
| South Mumbai | |
| Navi Mumbai | |
| Eastern Suburbs | |
| Western Suburbs | |
| Mira-Bhayandar (Thane district) | |
| Thane (Thane district) | |
| Kalyan-Dombivli (Thane district) | |
| Ulhasnagar (Thane district) | |
| Bhiwandi-Nizampur (Thane district) | |
| Vasai-Virar (Palghar district) | |
| Suburbs in Raigad district | |
| Stations on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway | |
|---|---|
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