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This is possibly Mumbai’s best-kept secret and most certainly the best shortcut to reach the Gateway, Churchgate or the Blue Gate from St Georges Hospital on P DeMello Road.

Two Mumbai Mirror reporters on Thursday discovered an over 240-year-old tunnel tucked under the St Georges Hospital.

The 1.5 km tunnel, now full of muck and sea water, starts under Ward 5 of the hospital and has exits at the Gateway, the Blue Gate and Churchgate.

1. PWD workers stand next to the trap door leading to the tunnel at St George’s Hospital at ward no 5

With its lone entrance, covered by a wooden hatch now, plonked right in the middle of the Swine Flu ward, the tunnel for many years has been a source of great curiosity and many unfounded stories in the hospital.

The wooden hatch on Thursday was raised and a ladder lowered into the tunnel to let the two reporters explore its depths. But they found that they could not go beyond a few metres.

The tunnels three arms lay blocked with brick-and-mud walls. There was knee deep water in the tunnel and hospital staff said the level would rise as monsoon progresses.

2. Mumbai Mirror reporter Sudhir Suryawanshi uses a ladder to get down to the 1.5-km long tunnel at the hospital

Historians say since the Dutch, the French and the Portuguese posed a constant threat, the Britishers built a network of tunnels starting from St Georges Fort, present days St Georges Hospital.
These tunnels were used to ferry injured soldiers, arms and ammunitions and also as escape routes in event of an attack.

Urban historian Sharada Dwivedi said she had come across the St Georges Hospital tunnel during her research on Mumbai’s past. There are many tunnels fromthe British period which run through the Fort area.

St George’s Hospital tunnel, the exit points of which are Churchgate, Gateway and Blue Gate

Georges hospital tunnel may be connected to Apollo Bunder (Gateway of India), Churchgate and Blue Gate. These secret passageways tell us a lot about our past and they need to be protected and preserved, she said. The tunnel has tiny skylights that also let some fresh air in, not enough though. The tunnel smells of rotten flesh, enough to make anybody sick in a matter of minutes.

Former superintendent of St Georges Hospital, Dr K N Varade, said he got the tunnel door opened once during his tenure.

The wooden plank covering the tunnels opening was damaged. I got it fixed. We did not talk about the tunnel because we didn’t want the Archaeological Survey of Indiato step in and take over this part of the hospital, he said.

3. The 18th century tunnel below the ward has law arched ceilings with barely enough room for an adult to stand erect

4. One of the exits of the tunnel which is now partially submerged under sea water and muck leads to St George’s Fort that’s next to Blue Gate

5. The ventilators that let light and fresh air to the tunnel which was used for ferrying injured soldiers and ammunition.

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Awesome! B_O_M_B_A_Y

Bombay has no bombs and is a harbour not a bay.
Churchgate has neither a church nor a gate. It is a railway station.
There is no darkness in Andheri.
Lalbaag is neither red nor a garden.
No king ever stayed at Kings Circle ..
Nor did Queen Victoria stay at Victoria Terminus..
Nor is there any princess at Princess Street ..
Lower Parel is at the same level as Parel
There are no marines or sailors at Marine Lines.
The Mahalaxmi temple is at Haji Ali not at Mahalaxmi.
There are no pigs traded at Dukar bazaar.
Teen bati is a junction of 3 roads, not three lamps.
Trams used to terminate at Kings circle not Dadar* Tram Terminus (Dadar T..T..).
Breach Candy is not a sweetmeat market, but there is a Hospital.
Safed Pool has the dirtiest and blackest water.
You cannot buy coal at Kolsa street.
There are no Iron smiths at Lohar chawl.
There are no pot makers at Kumbhar wada.
Lokhandwala complex is not an Iron and steel market.
Null bazaar does not sell taps.
You will not find ladyfingers at Bheendi Bazaar.
Kalachowki does not have a black Police station.
Hanging Gardens are not suspended.
Mirchi Gully does not sell chillies.
Figs do not grow in Anjir Wadi.
Sitafals do not grow in Sitafal Wadi,
Jackfruits do not grow at Fanaswadi.
But it is true that you may get fleeced at Chor Bazaar!
AMCHI MUMBAI
A City where everything is possible, especially the impossible .

Where telephone bills make a person ill,
Where a person cannot sleep without a pill.

Where carbon-dioxide is more than oxygen,
Where the road is considered to be a dustbin,

Where college canteens are full and classes empty,
Where Adam teasing is also making an entry,

Where a cycle reaches faster than a car,
Where everyone thinks himself to be a star,

Where sky scrapers overlook the slum,
Where houses collapse as the monsoon comes,

Where people first act and then think,
Where there is more water in the pen than ink,

Where the roads see-saw in monsoon,
Where the beggars become rich soon,

Where the roads are leveled when the minister arrives,

Where college admission means hard cash,
Where cement is frequently mixed with ash..

This is Mumbai my dear, But don’t fear, just cheer, come to Mumbai every year!

THINGS TO PROVE YOU’RE A BOMBAYITE

1. You say ‘town ‘ and expect everyone to know that this means south of Churchgate.

2 You speak in a dialect of Hindi called ‘Bambaiya Hindi’,
which only Bombayites can understand.

3. Your door has more than three locks.

4. Rs 500 worth of groceries fit in one paper bag.

5. Train timings ( 9.27 , 10.49 etc) are really important events of life.

6. You spend more time each month traveling than you spend at home.

7. You call an 8′ x 10′ clustered room a Hall.

8.. You’re paying Rs 10,000 for a 1 room flat, the size
of walk-in closet and you think it’s a ‘steal.’

9. You have the following sets of friend: school friends, college friends, neighborhood friends, office friends and yes, train friends, a species unique only in Bombay. (REALLY TRUE)

10. Cabbies and bus conductors think you are from Mars
if you call the roads by their Indian name,
they are more familiar with Warden Road, Peddar Ã‚ Road, Altamount Road

11. Stock market quotes are the only other thing* besides cricket
which you follow passionately.

12. The first thing that you read in the Times of India is the
‘ Bombay Times’ supplement.

13. You take fashion seriously.
You’re suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you.

14. Beggars and the homeless are invisible.

15. You compare Bombay to New York ‘s Manhattan instead of any other
cities of India.

16. The most frequently used part of your car is the horn.

17. You insist on calling CST as VT, and Sahar and
Santacruz airports instead of Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

18. You consider eye contact an act of overt aggression.

19. Your idea of personal space is no one actually standing on your toes.

20. Being truly alone makes you nervous.

21. You love wading through knee deep mucky water in the monsoons, and
actually call it ”romantic’.
22. Only in Bombay, you would get Chinese Dosa and Jain Chicken
Salaam Bombay..

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Category: MUMBAI

Secret tunnel of Mumbai

AMCHI MUMBAI

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