Juhu (Pronunciation: suburb of Mumbai. It is known for the sprawling Juhu Beach. It is surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the west, Versova to the north, Vile Parle to the east and Santacruz to the south. Juhu is among the most expensive and affluent areas of the metropolitan area and home to many Bollywood celebrities. The nearest railway stations are Santacruz, Andheri and Vile Parle on the Western Line and Harbour Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. The nearest metro stations are D. N. Nagar and Andheri West. There are two minor B.E.S.T bus depots in Juhu.
J. R. D. Tata, the father of civil aviation in India, made his maiden voyage to Juhu Airport from Drigh Road airstrip, Karachi, via Ahmedabad, on 15 October 1932 carrying mail in a Puss Moth aircraft.[ Page 112]
Climate
Juhu enjoys a uniform climate throughout the year. In summers the maximum temperature reaches and the minimum temperature is . The weather remains hot through winter. Monsoons prevail from mid-June to September, when it rains quite heavily.
History
In the nineteenth century, Juhu was an island: a long, narrow sand bar rising above sea level by a metre or two, just off the west coast of
Salsette. It could be reached during low tides by walking across the tidal inlet.
Juhu was called "Juvem" by the Portuguese. At its north point, nestled the village of Juhu, inhabited by Agris (salt traders) and Kunbis (cultivators) and at its south point, opposite Bandra island, lived a small colony of fisherfolk and cultivators (Koliwada). The inhabitants of Juhu were mainly Koli people and there was a small section of Goans. The Church of St. Joseph was built by the Portuguese in 1853.
During the Indian independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi visited Mumbai and took several walks along Juhu Beach. A famous photograph of Gandhi poking his grandson Kanaa during a walk on the beach was taken in 1937.
In the 1970s, Bhaktivedanta Swami (Srila Prabhupada) started the Hare Krishna Movement and built ISKCON Temple.
Founded in 1928 as India's first civil aviation airport, Juhu aerodrome served as the city's primary airport during and up to World War II. In the 1990s, a group of terror suspects detonated a bomb in a Juhu hotel, as well as in a number of other locations.
Juhu Beach
Juhu Beach is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It stretches for six kilometres up to Versova. The short, rocky formations make up the Juhu Beach unlike the
Marina Beach in
Chennai that is primarily sandy. It is a tourist attraction throughout the year and is also a destination for shooting films. The beach generally gets more crowded on weekends and public holidays. The food court at its main entrance is known for its 'Mumbai style' street food, notably
bhelpuri,
panipuri and
sevpuri. Horse-pulled carriages used to offer joyrides to tourists for a small fee but have been banned now. Acrobats, dancing monkeys, cricket matches, toy sellers, Youth are playing old games vie for tourist's attention. The beach is among the most popular sites in the city for the annual
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations where thousands of devotees arrive in grand processions, carrying idols of the Lord Ganesh of various sizes, to be immersed in the sea at the beach. Juhu Beach is also a common spot for plane spotting as a portion of it lies underneath the departure path from Runway 27 and occasionally, the arrival path from Runway 09 of
Mumbai Airport. There are several small entrances to the beach throughout the stretch, however the main and most used entrance is near Hotel Ramada Plaza By Wyndham Palm Grove. The best time to visit Juhu Beach is from September to May, as during the monsoon period of June to August the tide is mostly high which makes it dangerous to wander around on the beach.
Home to celebrities
The busy-yet-peaceful surroundings of Juhu is home to many Bollywood celebrities and a significant number of Mumbai's business elite. Hence, Juhu has come to be referred to as the "Beverly Hills of Bollywood".
Juhu Citizen Welfare Group
The Juhu Citizen Welfare Group is the outcome of many years of activism by Juhu residents who have been associated with other NGOs.
Religious places
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ISKCON also known as Hare Krishna Mandir
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St. Joseph's Church, Juhu
External links
