Wednesday 23 March 2011

Juhu Beach



Juhu is a suburban neighbourhood of North Mumbai. It is famous for its sprawling beach Juhu Beach. It is surrounded by Arabian Sea in the west, Santacruz and Vile Parle in the east. Juhu is one of the most affluent areas of Mumbai and many Bollywood celebrities live here too. J. R. D. Tata, the father of civil aviation in India made his maiden voyage to Juhu airport located in Juhu from Drigh Road airstrip, Karachi, via Ahmedabad, on 15 October 1932 carrying mail in a Puss Moth aircraft. The nearest railway stations are Santacruz, Andheri and Vile Parle.

The open beaches of Juhu have attracted the well-heeled & the most affluent among Mumbai's population for almost a century. In the 1890s, Jamsetji Tata purchased land in Juhu and built a bungalow there. He planned to develop 1200 acres (5 km²) in Juhu Tara. This was to yield 500 plots of one acre (4,000 m²) each and a seaside resort. Simultaneously he wanted to extend the Mahim causeway to Santacruz, in order to access to this area. After his death in the same year, the scheme was abandoned. With the dawn of aviation in the 20th century, the Bombay Flying Club commenced operations in 1929 at what eventually became the present Juhu aerodrome. One will also find the Juhu Tara Road & Juhu Koliwada close by, the latter which is the house to fishermen.

Juhu Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Mumbai. The beach may be accessed from the suburbs of Vile Parle,Santacruz and Andheri. Many tourists make it a point to visit the beach when they come to Mumbai, as it is a relatively uncrowded free space in the city, although it does get crowded in the evenings and weekends. The beach is polluted, and it is generally advised to not go in the water.

It is famous for its Mumbai street food, notably bhelpuri, pani puri, chaats, and of course pav bhaji. The food stands are relatively hygienic. Italian food is also very popular in Juhu with many restaurants like Little Italy, Penne, Don Giovanni, Mangi Ferra. On the southern end of Juhu beach there are many luxury hotels and apartments. Juhu beach is also a very popular place for watching aircraft as planes from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport usually takeoff directly over the beach towards the sea.

At the north end of Juhu Beach there is a place called Gandhi Gram. During the summer vacations, children often go and play games such as cricket, football, basketball at the Juhu Beach. The ship MV Wisdom was stranded on the Juhu beach in Mumbai in June 2011.

Attractions Nearby :
ISKCON temple
Mukteshwar Devalaya (Gandhigram Road)
Chandra Prabhu Jain Temple
Mahalaxmi Temple
St. Joseph's Church, Juhu Church Road
Holy Cross Church, Juhu Koliwada
Vittal Rukmani Temple, Juhu Koliwada

Do Visit