Kala Ghoda Walk in Mumbai

One of the main reasons I planned for my travel to Mumbai this year was to complete the Kala Ghoda Walk. I lived in Mumbai for a few weeks and in spite of it I had never done this walk. The first time I had heard about the Kala Ghoda Walk, I was very curious to find out more about it. I had seen such spectacular pictures of the festival and the walk on the internet that I had to complete this walk myself to see those landmarks which the other websites talked about.

PIN for later reference

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What is Kala Ghoda Walk?

The Kala Ghoda walk is a way to get introduced to some of the cool and historical sights/buildings in Mumbai city. Mumbai is the capital city of the state of Maharashtra in India.

The walk covers the areas between Colaba and Fort district in Mumbai. And the walk is also called the Black Horse Walk. Even though the walk takes only about 2 to 3 hours, one can easily spend hours looking at these spectacular sights. It is a must-do and I would say a great weekend activity to get an insight into Mumbai’s heritage buildings and landmarks.

Note: There is a Kala Ghoda festival that happens annually in February and more information on the Kala Ghoda Art festival can be found on Wiki.

Path of Kala Ghoda

As I mentioned earlier, the walk passes through many historical places in Mumbai. The walk can be done in two ways – one is a self guided walk and the other is through a tour operator.

Note: There are agencies/tour operators who conduct these city and art walks for a charge. These are great to get some guidance and knowledge on the walk.

I did the walk by myself as I was not in a hurry and wanted to take my own time. Below is the path that I took and I have divided the walk into two parts.

Part 1 – Taj Mahal Palace to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

The distance between the Taj Mahal Palace and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya is only 1 kilometre. Note: This distance will increase as the walk passes through the different points of interest.

• The Taj Mahal Palace – Built in 1903, the Taj Mahal Palace is a 5-star hotel. It was the city’s first harbour landmark.
• Gateway of India – The trip to Mumbai is incomplete without seeing the Gateway of India. The arch monument was built in the year 1911.
• Royal Bombay Yacht Club – Found in 1846, the Royal Bombay Yacht Club is the premier gentlemen club.
• Dhanraj Mahal – A residence building of Dhanrajgir family in Mumbai. It was once the costliest and largest building in Mumbai.
• Regal Cinema – The art theatre was built by Framji Sidhwa and the first film to be aired was The Devil’s Brother.
• Majestic Guest House – The former Majestic Hotel is a landmark built in 1909.
• National Gallery of Modern Art – Opened in 1996, this gallery hosts exhibitions and art collections.
• Elphinstone College – Established in 1856, the college has a history of more than 150 years.
• Jehangir Art Gallery – This art gallery was built in 1952 and is an important exhibition space.
  • Timings: Everyday 11 AM to 7 PM;
  • Cost: Free.
• K Dubash Marg, Fort
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) – The main museum in Mumbai was built in 1905.
  • Timings: Tuesday to Sunday 10:15 AM to 6 PM;
  • Cost: Rs 85.

Part 2 – Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue to University of Mumbai

The distance between Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue and University of Mumbai is only about 500 metres. Note: This distance will increase as the walk passes through the different points of interest.

• Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue – Built in 1884, the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue is the second oldest Synagogue in Mumbai.
  • Timings: Sunday to Thursday 11 AM to 6 PM.
• Mamagoto restaurant – A fusion Asian restaurant in Bandra.
• Rope Walk Lane
• David Sassoon Library and Reading Room – The famous library and heritage building in Mumbai.
  • Timings: Everyday from 8 AM to 9 PM.
• Esplanade Mansion ????? ???? – Formerly known as Watson’s Hotel, it is the oldest surviving cast-iron building.
• Rajabai Clock Tower – A clock tower in Mumbai, which stands at a height of 85 metres.
• Bombay High Court – An oldest high court of India, which was established in 1862.
• Flora Fountain – Opened in 1864, this is an ornamentally sculpted heritage monument.
• St. Thomas’ Cathedral – The first Anglican church in Mumbai which was opened in 1718.
• Horniman Circle Gardens – This is a large park in South Mumbai.
• The Asiatic Society Mumbai Library – This library was founded in 1804, which houses the State Central Library.
  • Timings: 10:30 AM to 6:45 PM except for Sunday.
• Eros Cinema – Opened in 1938, this is an Art Deco style cinema theatre in Mumbai.
• The New India Assurance Co Ltd MOTI MAHAL DO-111800 – It is the largest public general insurance company in India.
• University Of Mumbai – One of the oldest universities in India. The university was founded in 1857.

Map

Refer Kala Ghoda Map for the exact path.

Logistics

• Total length of the walk: Approx. 3 to 4 kilometres
• Total time taken: 2 to 3 hours with stops
• Grade: Easy (through the streets of the city)

Be careful of the vehicles on the roads and take extra precautions while crossing the roads.

Conclusion

I had a great time exploring all these sights and admiring the landmarks of Mumbai. The walk took me through various points of interest and gave a great overview of the history. I would definitely recommend everyone doing this walk at least once.

The last spot where I ended my walk was at the Kala Ghoda Cafe. The cafe is beautiful and has an old Iranian cafe look. It also has amazing delicious food. I had a cold coffee to beat the Mumbai heat and it was really tasty.

• Address of Kala Ghoda Cafe: 10, Rope Walk Ln, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India.

I would like to conclude that this walk and the cafe are absolutely amazing experiences and I would ask everyone who visits Mumbai to do this walk for sure.

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