Sion, Mumbai

Sion is the last locality within the City limits of Mumbai. The Marathi name for Sion is Sheev which means boundary or limit. In the 17th century the village formed the boundary between Mumbai and Salsette Island. Its surrounded by Kurla, GTB nagar and Dharavi.

One of the local historical places in Sion is a hilltop garden commonly known as Sion Fort or Sion Killa in native language Marathi.

History

In 1543, the Portuguese took possession of the islands of Bombay by force, naming it Sião. The Portuguese gave the Jesuit priests the sole ownership of some of these islands. The Jesuits then built a chapel on the hill near the present-day railway station and named it after Mount Zion (Sion) in Jerusalem. Its in South Mumbai.

Current status

Sion shares its name with a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Central Railway line. Sion also has a bus station.It is in the central line.<ref name=Vashi">Sen, Somit (5 August 2010). "Soon, BEST will start bus services to Vashi". Times of India (Mumbai). Retrieved Jan 28, 2015. </ref>

Mumbai

Mumbai (/mʊmˈbaɪ/; also known as Bombay, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India and the ninth most populous agglomeration in the world, with an estimated city population of 18.4 million. Along with the neighbouring regions of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, it is one of the most populous urban regions in the world and the seсond most populous metropolitan area in India, with a population of 20.7 million as of 2011. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. In 2009, Mumbai was named an alpha world city. It is also the wealthiest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West, or Central Asia. Mumbai has the highest number of billionaires and millionaires among all cities in India.

The seven islands that came to constitute Mumbai were home to communities of fishing colonies. For centuries, the islands were under the control of successive indigenous empires before being ceded to the Portuguese and subsequently to the British East India Company when in 1661 King Charles II married the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza, and as part of her dowry Charles received the ports of Tangier and seven islands of Bombay. During the mid-18th century, Bombay was reshaped by the Hornby Vellard project, which undertook reclamation of the area between the seven islands from the sea. Along with construction of major roads and railways, the reclamation project, completed in 1845, transformed Bombay into a major seaport on the Arabian Sea. Bombay in the 19th century was characterized by economic and educational development. During the early 20th century it became a strong base for the Indian independence movement. Upon India's independence in 1947 the city was incorporated into Bombay State. In 1960, following the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, a new state of Maharashtra was created with Bombay as the capital.

Mumbai Suburban district

The Mumbai Suburban district is a district of the state of Maharashtra in western India. Its headquarters is in Bandra. It consists of three administrative subdivisions : Kurla, Andheri, and Borivali. The district along with Mumbai City district and other suburban communities make up the metropolis of Mumbai on Salsette Island. The district occupies an area of 369 km².

This is the second smallest district of Maharashtra, and it administratively comes under Konkan Division.

The jurisdiction of Mumbai Suburban District is from Bandra to Dahisar, from Kurla (Chuna Bhatti) to Mulund and from Kurla up to Trombay Creek.

Mumbai Suburban District is one of the largest districts in the country by population. The current population is 9,332,481, according to the 2011 census, making it the fifth most populous district in India (out of 672). The Mithi River is the main river in the district.

History

Mumbai Suburban district was created on 1 October 1990 when Greater Mumbai bifurcated into Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban district.

2008 Mumbai attacks

In November 2008, 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic militant organisation based in Pakistan, carried out a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday, 26 November and lasted until Saturday, 29 November 2008, killing 164 people and wounding at least 308.

Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai: at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower,Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, the Nariman House Jewish community centre, the Metro Cinema, and in a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College. There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle. By the early morning of 28 November, all sites except for the Taj hotel had been secured by Mumbai Police and security forces. On 29 November, India's National Security Guards (NSG) conducted 'Operation Black Tornado' to flush out the remaining attackers; it resulted in the deaths of the last remaining attackers at the Taj hotel and ending all fighting in the attacks.