Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra, is one of the major cosmopolitan cities in India. It is a popular tourist attraction that is well-renowned for its beautiful beaches, luxury five-star hotels, and large markets. Mumbai has been popular with international and national tourists due to its iconic locations and culinary diversity, as well as because of the film city that attracts many people from all over India who arrive here with the ambition of becoming stars. The town we know today was not the same before 1995, and in this article, we will discuss a significant evolution: How Bombay became Mumbai.
This incredible City originally consisted of seven different islands. When it was colonized, the Portuguese called it 'Bom Bahia,' which translates to 'Good Bay.' Later, the Portuguese gave control of the islands to the Britishers as a dowry of Catherine of Braganza when she married King Charles II of England in 1661. Afterward, the Britishers expanded their claim and took over the land around the island to turn it into a port city. During this time, the City had a name, Bombay. However, the locals called it Mumbai, derived from the City's deity, Mumba Devi's name.
After its independence, the City became a part of Bombay State. In 1960, the state of Maharashtra was formed; it was where the Marathi speakers resided, and Bombay became its capital. At that time, the Marathis or Maharashtrians called the City Mumbai, while the Gujratis and North Indians called it Bambai. At that time, a party emerged that was Shiv Sena, which aimed to speak for the sons of the soil or the real locals, and one issue they raised was to rename the City of Bombay to Mumbai in the 1970s and 80s.
Other parties' politicians also agreed with and aligned with Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackery on his Initiative to change the City's name. MP of North Mumbai, Ram Naik from Bhartiya Janta Party, raised their voice and spoke in the center in 1889. He called for attention to this issue about the constituency, calling it Uttar Bambai, not Uttar Mumbai.
In 1995, the Initiative and demand were fulfilled after the Shiv Sena and BJP alliance. That was when an alliance Government was formed and came into power. When the first cabinet meeting was held, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi renamed the capital city Bambai as Mumbai. The central government agreed to that, and with their agreement, the renaming was done, and it was official on October 6, 1995.
At that time, many people were against this renaming. They argued that it would go against the City's cosmopolitan character. Also, the world recognized Bombay as the financial capital of India. Another argument was that it was a parochial political expression of Shiv Sena. In 1996, a petition was filed against this renaming, in which the petitioner stated that the government had not followed due procedure to rename the City, so it was not valid. However, the High Court supported the name change and commented that there was no violation of legal procedures. The High Court said that it was a cultural expression of identity, that they accepted the new name legally, and that it was officially appropriate.
The Portuguese gave the City its old name, and later, the British modified it. While locals always called it Mumbai, when the Shiv Sena emerged, they raised the local people's voices and gained attention. The Government of India agreed to them and officially renamed it Mumbai in 1995. This was how Bombay evolved into Mumbai. The difference between Mumbai and Bombay is that one name displays the culture, while the other displays nature.