Follow this Instagram account to learn about Mumbai's glorious past

This Instagram account recalls the stories of our coastal town’s glorious past through people and structures

Did you know that Bombay had its own official crest? Or that in 1750, the city unveiled Asia’s first dry dock—Bombay Dock—that is in use to this day? While Mumbai is a bustling metropolis and commercial hub today, every nook and corner in this once-upon-a-time fortified harbour holds a piece of rich history.

While historic events are interesting to hear about, plowing through volumes of journals in archives can seem daunting—often leaving you with a tower of unread books that makes you bristle with guilt. If you’re looking for a lighter, more engaging solution, head over to Chronicles of Mumbai on Instagram. With Goldilocks-sized stories about iconic structures and noteworthy people, a trove of heritage images and old paintings, each post recalls a glorious past across centuries. In an informal conversational-style, with intriguing bits of trivia, it’s like listening to a friend at Marine Drive.

One of our favourite stories was how ice and ice cream was introduced in the 1930s via New England. An American trader, Frederick Tudor, would ship chunks of ice cut from icy ponds across the globe by wrapping them in sawdust to keep them from melting. The first consignment was imported into India in September 1834 by Jehangir Nusserwanjee Wadia, with pieces being sold at 4 annas (25 paise) per pound. To build on his success, Tudor introduced ice cream, and the first to give the city a taste of it was Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy who served it at a house-warming party!

The account is a passion project recounting a range of insightful topics from how Mumbai’s wadis were formed to who the first Parsi in the city was, and how the 10-day Ganeshotsav became an organised public festival in 1893. Its slow and steady stream of historical accounts teaches us something new every other day, and we’re hooked. 

@chroniclesofmumbai, Instagram

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