Navy Nagar is a
cantonmentA cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...
area, established in 1796 and now shared by the
Indian NavyThe Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
and
Indian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
in the
ColabaColaba is a part of the city of Mumbai, India, and also a Lok Sabha constituency. During Portuguese rule in the 16th century, the island was known as Candil...
area of Mumbai, India.
Overview
It is located at the extreme south of the city, connected to it through
Colaba CausewayThe Colaba Causeway is a commercial street , and a major causeway or land link between Colaba and the Old Woman's Island in the city of Mumbai, India....
. Entry is restricted to the area. The area houses the residences of the navy and army staff. Within it are enclaved the
Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchThe Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is a research institution in India dedicated to basic research in mathematics and the sciences. It is a Deemed University and works under the umbrella of the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. It is located at Navy Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai...
, the institute which does research in basic sciences and the Indian Meteorological Department office of
ColabaColaba is a part of the city of Mumbai, India, and also a Lok Sabha constituency. During Portuguese rule in the 16th century, the island was known as Candil...
. The
Vice AdmiralVice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
of the Western Naval Command resides here.
Navy Nagar is maintained by the military but law and order is handled by the civilian police. The area is well maintained and has a large amount of greenery.
During the British rule, the area was known as Duxbury, and had an airstrip. It was also known to be unsafe. The
Afghan ChurchThe Church of St John the Evangelist, better known as the Afghan Church is a Presbyterian Church in South Mumbai, India, built by the British to commemorate the dead of the disastrous defeat in the First Afghan War of 1838...
was one of the earliest structures built there, and the spire was used by sailors to get their bearing. It is Asia's largest naval base.
School
Within its premises it has four schools:
- Naval Children School Mumbai
- Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1
Kendriya Vidyalaya, is a system of central government schools under the Ministry of Human Resource Development ....
- Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2
Kendriya Vidyalaya, is a system of central government schools under the Ministry of Human Resource Development ....
- Guru Nanak High School
There is also one school, Kendriya Vidyalaya No 3, located at R.C. Church
Transportation
The area is well connected by the public transport of
B.E.S.T busesThe transportation wing of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking operates a large number of bus lines in the Mumbai metropolitan area. These buses are called BEST or B.E ST bus . BEST bus serves the entire Mumbai City. It also has operations outside city limits into neighboring...
. The nearest railway stations to the area are
Churchgate StationChurchgate is an area in downtown South Mumbai. During the eighteenth and up to the mid 19th century, Bombay was a walled city. The city walls had three gates, and Church Gate, named after St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai was one of the gates. The gate was situated near the present day location of...
and the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus StationThe Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus , is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and historic railway station in Mumbai which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. Situated in the Bori Bunder area of Mumbai, it was built as a new railway station on the location of the Bori Bunder Station in 1887...
.