Dadabhai Naoroji Road, referred as the commercial spine of
Mumbai, connects
Crawford Market with the
Victoria Terminus. Further ahead towards the south this road leads to the famous
Flora Fountain.
This road is home to numerous establishments such as the Municipal Corporation headquarters, Times of India, University of Mumbai and a host of banks and plazas. It is a blend of the classic past and the commercial present, with some old heritage structures interspersed among modern buildings.
Dadabhai Naoroji Road was previously known as Hornby Road, in memory of William Hornby, the erstwhile Governor of Bombay (Mumbai) from AD 1771 to 1784. Originally a simple street passing along the Mumbai Fort, it was converted into a broad avenue in the 1860’s. Over the years, it has witnessed the rise of large office buildings and commercial establishments.
Alarmed by the rise in the hectic commercial activities and the large sized signboards, which seem to dwarf the heritage structures, the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority launched a conservation project aimed at protecting the 19th century streetscape. This project, codenamed Dadabhai Naoroji Road Heritage Streetscape Project, has won laurels in the international circuit by bagging UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Heritage Award of Merit in the year 2004.
Churchgate Railway Station is the nearest railhead.
