Nana Jagannath Shankerseth is one of the greats who made Mumbai India's foremost city. Here is why:
Some of Mumbai's iconic institutions came about because of Nana Jagannath Shankerseth, philanthropist, educator, businessman and institution builder.
Shankerseth (1803-1865) distributed wealth and large tracts of personal land to the city of Bombay.
He started the first school for girls in Mumbai.
He donated land to build the Victoria Terminus. He was a founding member of the Great Peninsular Railway, which started the first train service in India between Bombay and Thane.
GPR was later known as Central Railway. It continues to be headquartered at the iconic CST.
As a founding member, he would have been among the 400 passengers on that first train. It received a 21-gun salute as it chugged out.
Shankerseth was among the founders of Elphinstone College, Bombay University, the Grant Government Medical College, the crematorium near Banganga and the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai's first museum.
Dr Bhau Daji Lad was among the first batch of students to be admitted to the Grant Medical College.
His efforts in construction transformed bOMBAY into India's best city. Nana Chowk bears Shankerseth's name. The Mumbai Central train terminus will be renamed after him.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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