St Thomas Cathedral's Story Of Missing Milestone ( South Bombay )

Posted By : Ashley D'souza

A famous Bombay church, St. Thomas Cathedral, built to honour Saint Thomas the Apostle, is endowed with eye-catching monuments and an interesting history and story of Missing Milestones .

The name of nearby Churchgate station refers to this church. One of the gates in the Fort which the East India Company had built to protect their settlement was the entrance to the St. Thomas Church. It was called Churchgate.

That is why the whole area towards the West of the Church is called "Churchgate" even today. The Cathedral is located in the Historic Centre of Mumbai, Horniman Circle and is close to Flora Fountain and Bombay House . And was later Renamed like many streets in Bombay, And is now known as Veer Nariman Road.

The foundation stone of the church was first laid in 1676, This 342 years old church although was only finally consecrated for divine service 1718 , Richard Cobbe, the Chaplain, completed the construction of the building between 1715 and 1718. It was opened for divine service on Christmas Day 1718, and since then has served continuously as an Anglican place of worship.

It was the First Anglican church in Mumbai (then called Bombay), within the walls of the fortified British settlement. The Cathedral then lead to the creation of the Cathedral & John Connon School in 1860 , In order to provide choristers to the church. The cathedral is a landmark in South Mumbai and is one of the oldest churches in India.

STORY OF MISSING MILESTONES

Zero Point – St Thomas church was built in December 1718 and consecrated as a Cathedral In 1847 was considered as “Zero Point’  The City Center , Distance along all major roads were measured in Miles from This Point , Of the 16 Milestones which were commissioned in 1817 , And only 10 have been found at original locations

These milestones were built before 1837 on the arterial roads leading from south to north Mumbai. These milestones existed from Horniman Circle to Sion.

They traced the distance from St Thomas's Church (which has now been elevated to the status of a Cathedral) because all the roads started from the church then. “In those days, there were few roads and people use to travel on horses. These milestones provided reference points

The reason why St Thomas church was chosen is because Bombay (as the city was referred to then) didn’t have any landmarks like a town hall or a post office.

So the British chose this religious structure, which was the first Anglican Church in the city .

Milestones are small but important markers of the city’s heritage  History notes  that Milestones are Grade 1 Heritage Structures and there are some 13-16 such milestones spread across the city. They were installed by the British some 200 years ago

Their last record, available at the Mumbai Heritage and Conservation Committee office, was apparently completed around 10 years ago (the names of certain landmarks quoted ceased to exist then). It cites inscription, location, landmark, date and remarks on the condition of each stone. When these locations were traced . Only six of 13 stones mentioned, all Grade 1 heritage structures, remain. Some have allegedly been removed, submerged or demolished by none other than road labourers hired by the BMC itself.

Many of these have been victim to the continuous development projects that have cropping up over the years. Either put aside or re-erected at some other location, uprooted or just disappeared over the years. Could they be stolen…? Although they stood tall at 5-7ft, the few survivors are buried under paver block footpaths, hidden behind hawker carts and stand at just a foot tall.

Below are the locations to the best to my knowledge and references online.

According to latest updates, 4 of these stones need to be tracked down and are missing (See below). If not found, Those remaining will be created and will have similar representative like the originals and will be places at the expected location it should be and will be linked digitally for future referenc

I mile (1.6 Km) from Zero Point located at Edward Theatre, 514, Near Metro Adlabs, Kalbadevi Road, Marine Lines East, Tak Wadi, Lohar Chawl, Kalbadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400002.

II mile (3.2 Km) from Zero Point (MISSING) located Outside Union Bank, Null Bazar, Ibrahim Rahimtullah Road, Mumbai.

III mile (4.8 Km) from Zero Point located at 15, August Kranti Marg, Papanas Wadi, Tardeo, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400036.

III mile (4.8 Km) from Zero Point located at Bhatia Hospital, Javji Dadaji Marg, Tardeo Road, Old Chikalwadi, Tardeo, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400007.

III mile (4.8 Km) from Zero Point (MISSING) located Opposite Bank Of India, Mazgaon Branch, Dr. Mascarehnas Road, Mumbai.

IV mile (6.4 Km) from Zero Mile located at Blue Bird Bakery, 439, N M Joshi Marg, Arthur Road Naka, Chinchpokli (West), Mumbai, Maharashtra 400011.

IV mile (6.4 Km) from Zero Point (MISSING) Opposite Voltas House A, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Road, Ghodapdeo, Chinchpokli, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400033.

V mile (8 Km) from Zero Mile located Somewhere near Patel Kardar Garage / Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, Dr. SS Rao Road, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400012.

V mile (8 Km) from Zero Point (MISSING) at ESIS Bhavan, 108, Panchadeep Bhavan, NM Joshi Marg, Opposite Western Railway Workshop, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013.

VI mile (9.6 Km) from Zero Mile located at Chitra Cinema, 198, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Road, Dadar East, Dadar, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400014.

VII mile (11.2 Km) from Zero point located at Dr Antonio Da Silva High School, SK Bole Road, Dadar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400028.

VIII mile (12.8 Km) from Zero Point (MISSING) at Kataria Marg Junction, Ladu Jamshetji Road, Mahim, Mumbai.

VIII mile (12.8 Km) from Zero Point (MISSING) wa originally located at a pavement opposite temple at Prabhadevi. It wa about 7 Feet tall.

VIII mile (12.8 Km) from Zero Point located at Opposite Karnataka Bank, Tamil Sangam Road, Namdev Koli Marg, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400022.

IX mile (14.4 Km) from Zero Point was found near a lake at Sion Chunabhatti junction by a student called ‘Gavin Martis’ of St. Xavier’s in 2012.(Milestone now preserved) at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, 91 A, Rani Baug, Veer Mata Jijbai Bhonsle Udyan, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Road, Byculla East, Mazgaon, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400027.

One of the Milestone was relocated to Colaba.

The Heritage Committee apparently has approved and cleared BMC the sum of Rs 30 Lakhs plan to restore and reconstruct the Milestones , As per the officials the Milestones which have gone missing will be Reconstructed , The stones will be raised to their original height , A clear distinct paving will be made using Black Granite Cobble Stones and flame finished black granite with a name of the locality etched on it

The restored and Reconstructed Milestones will stay true to the original Milestones , The Zero Mile Maker the geographical Center Of Bombay of the 18th Century  will have a map and provide details of all the City Milestones , Which they hopefully would be linked digitally for future reference.