Borivali


Borivali is an affluent coastal suburb and is located at its north-western end. Recent real estate statistics show Borivali holds its recorded position as the primary residential zone of Mumbai. Notable for its upmarket locality overseeing the Gorai Creek it is amongst the preferred destinations for prime property seekers. Other attractions include Sanjay Gandhi national park, fish park, Kanheri caves, Mandapeshwar caves, etc.

History

Borivali has developed from what was once a congregate region of smaller towns namely; Eksar, Poisar, Vazira, Shimpoli, Mandpeshwar, Kanheri, Tulsi, Magathane and Gorai, which were situated on and around Mount Poinsur, between the Dahisar River and Poisar River.
It is believed that the name "Borivali" comes from the existence of a lot of bushes of a sweet fruit called "borr meaning "berries" in English. Hence, the name means the town of berries literally "bori-vali". The existence of the ancient temple of Lord Ganesha "Shree Svayambhu Ganpati Devalaya" in Vazira Naka area, meaning the "self-manifested" or the one that is created from its own accord in Hinduism.

The pre-historic era's "Mandpeshwar" and "Kanheri caves" stand testament to the rich history of this place. Borivali was spelt "Berewlee" by the then ruled India under the British Raj Era. It is also spelt and pronounced as "Borivli".
Borivali is densely populated but continues to retain some green cover due to the presence of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, previously known as the "Borivali National Park" in the east and the mangroves in the west end of Borivali.

Landmarks

One of the many gardens that Borivali boasts of is the Veer Savarkar Udyan on Lokmanya Tilak Road. It has four entrances from T.P.S. Road, Factory Lane and Babhai and is an ideal place for all which have facilities like jogging track, boating area, kids' play-garden, skating etc. Gorai Udyan is at Gorai Sector-1.
In 2009, Jhansi Ki Rani Laxmibai Joggers' Park was inaugurated on Link Road adjacent to the Eskay Resort. The plot measures around 4 acres, has a jogging track surrounding a body of water where boating facilities have been started and features slabs with information on various freedom fighters scripted on them, besides seating areas for senior citizens. This Jogger's Park has a small fee for entry. Another Joggers' Park is located in Chikuwadi.

Transport

Road Ways: Autorickshaws, Taxis, BEST buses and Trains are the public modes of transport available in and to Borivali. Borivali is well connected with Western Express Highway while Borivali is linked to the New Link Road. Connectivity is set to increase with the two metro lines set to pass through Borivali viz. Mumbai Metro Line 2 and Mumbai Metro Line 7.

Railway station

Borivali railway station is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It is one of the major platforms of the Mumbai metropolitan city and the biggest railway station in the Western railway. The platform has access to all stations from Churchgate to Virar. The platform has good connectivity for Express trains which goes to different states around the country. It has 10 platforms which were renumbered in 2019, this sudden change created a lot of confusion for everyday travellers. With every platform being busy for almost 18–20 hours a day. It is believed to be one of the blind-friendly railway stations on the western railway. Information obtained under the Right to Information Act reveals that It is the most crowded station in Mumbai with around 2.87 lakh passengers traveling from there daily. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, nearly 500 volunteers from an NGO ‘Making A Difference’ has given a new look to Borivali Railway Station. This is a symbolical message to the people regarding the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Notable People