Sassoon Docks

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Sassoon Docks, built in 1875, is one of the oldest docks in Mumbai and was the first wet dock constructed in Bombay.[1] It is one of the few docks in the city open to the public.[2] It is situated in Mumbai harbour in South Mumbai area of Colaba. It is one of largest fish markets in the Mumbai city, it has a wide variety of fishes, including Surmai (Indo-pacific mackerel), pomfret etc.[3][4] Its neighbouring features are Mumbai Port Trust Garden (Sagar Upvan Colaba) and Offices of Fisheries Department, and it overlooks Oyster Rock, an island in the Mumbai harbour, at a distance.

Sassoon Docks
Aerial view of Sassoon Docks
Map
Location in Mumbai
Location
CountryIndia
LocationMumbai
Coordinates18°54′41.81″N 72°49′34.11″E / 18.9116139°N 72.8261417°E / 18.9116139; 72.8261417
Details
Opened1875
Owned byMumbai Port Trust
Type of harbourFishing port
No. of wharfs7

History

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Albert Sassoon
 
Sassoon Dock Entrance
 
The Sassoon Docks

Built in 1875 on reclaimed land, it was owned by the mercantile company David Sassoon & Co. The company was headed by Albert Abdullah David Sassoon (1818–1896), son of David Sassoon, a Baghdadi Jew and the leader of the Jewish community in Bombay. The Sassoon Docks were the first commercial wet dock in western India and helped establish the cotton trade. In 1879, Sassoon Docks and other associated foreshore properties were purchased by the government on behalf of Bombay Port Trust.[1] The Sassoon Docks encouraged the Bombay Presidency to promote the construction of the large Prince's Dock. The Sassoon factories that produced silk and cotton goods in Bombay, also furnished employment for a large amount of native labor.

Street art

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Artwork at Sassoon Docks Art Festival depicting the buildings of Mumbai.

In 2017, street art transformed one of Mumbai’s oldest fishing docks into an exhibition space. Thirty artists from around the world gave the bustling 142-year-old Sassoon Dock, a colorful makeover as part of the St+art Urban Art Festival. The exhibition opened to public on 11 November 2017.[5] A second art exhibition was started on 22 December 2022 and went on till 22 February 2023.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Tides of Time (History of Mumbai Port) by M.V. Kamath" (PDF). Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  2. ^ http://wikimapia.org/135690/Sassoon-Docks-Main-Gate-and-Clock-Tower [user-generated source]
  3. ^ Mumbai Attractions – Colaba Causeway mustseeindia.com.
  4. ^ "A visit to Sassoon Docks and history". 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  5. ^ "Mumbai's 142-year-old Sassoon Dock has gone for complete makeover. Here's how". Hindustan Times. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
 
Digital art at the Sassoon Docks Art Festival, 2022 - 2023
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