Colaba Causeway

Colaba Causeway, alsorecognized as Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, is a marketplace in the heart of the city of Mumbai (one of India’s largest metropolitans and the country’s financial capital), which is in the western state of Maharashtra in India.

It is also a major cultural destination in Mumbaiand has its roots inthe colonial (British and Portuguese rule) era in India.

Colaba Causeway market has shopping selling a variety of good, from clothes and accessories to antique showpieces and toys.It is also a great place to shop for souvenirs and purchase handicraft items for home décor as well.

Colaba Causeway was established in the year 1838, and is said to have been a project conjured from the sea. The buildings here date back to the time of the British rule in India in 19th century.

The strip of land on which the market stands was originally created to connect the area of Colaba and Old Woman's Island to the larger, main island of Bombay (which was a H-shaped land) .

Colaba Causeway has the look and feel of old Bombay – with colonial architecture and other elements from those times. It is dotted with shops dealing in electronic goods, cosmetics, clothes, fancy jewellery, accessories, movies and music shops, andold book stalls on pavements.

It also consists of many restaurants, cafes and roadside eateries (some even dating back to 19th century!) that cater to the street’s large crowd of shoppers.

It is no hidden fact that Colaba Causeway is known for its array of shopping stalls selling clothing items, accessories, jewelry, handicrafts, home décor items, and much more. But the shopping hub is not meant for street shopping only, in fact, there are all kinds of delightful items for shopaholics of all kinds, ranging from budget to high-end shoppers and products under different range. One of the things that Colaba Causeway is known for, are the home decor products at bargain prices available at stalls as well as stores. Some boutiques that offer great collections are Aquamarine, AAA, Fuschia and Orange, Khubsons, Attic, Bungalow, and Silver House.

For a high street fashion and designer wears with accessories, below are some of the few boutiques worth visiting:

• Curio Cottage: Situated behind Regal Cinema, this small store houses beautiful costume jewelry. While there is ready made jewelry pieces available, one can also get their jewelry piece custom made according to their taste which are available in all types of metal.
• Le Mill: This store is a heaven for the designer wear paramour and is housed in Pheroze Building. The articles here range from international brands like Valentino to Saint Laurent to Louis Vuitton to some Indian contemporaries like Bodice to DeMuro Das to Design Temple.
• Parvati Villa: Suggested by the name, the store has all the things Goddess Parvati. You can get both designer jewelry pieces which are mostly fusion pieces put together thoughtfully in gold, silver, and bronze, and Indian ethnic wear. The accessories are mostly designed taking into consideration ‘trishula’, ‘devi’, ‘shakti’ and dominate the jewelry designs.

Apart from going on a shopping spree, taking a quick break to give in to your hunger pangs is never a bad idea. Colaba Causeway has several food courts and restaurants where you can relax and devour the city’s multicultural food. Apart from the regular McDonalds and Café Coffee Day, Colaba Causeway has a few other iconic hangout places worth trying.

• Cafe Mondegar: A must-visit café at Colaba Causeway, this iconic place is popular for not only its delicious food, but for the fascinating mural depiction designed by the well-known cartoonist and painter, Late Mario Miranda. The cartoonist had depicted the everyday life of Mumbai through colorful murals. It was first incepted in 1932 as an Iranian Cafe which was the reception area of the former Apollo Hotel.
• Leopold Cafe and Bar: This place needs no introduction and has been around since 1871. Started by Irani immigrants, the cafe was already famous among the foreign tourists and expats and became even more popular after the 2008 Mumbai attack.
• Bademiyan: Founded in 1946 by the 13-year-old butcher Mohammad Yaseen, who went to be known as Bade Miyan when he started his late-night snack business near Bombay Naval Port. Then a night food counter, now has several branches around the city and is loved by people.
• Olympia Coffee House: For a no-fuss and easy typical Mumbai breakfast, head to the century old Olympia Coffee House for the delectable and spicy Keema Pav and Egg Bhurji along with the iconic Bheja Fry dish.
• Le15: A heaven for the ones with a sweet tooth, Le15 has all kinds of cookies, sweets, and pastries, especially the French sweets.

Colaba causeway market is located between Colaba and the Old Woman’s Island, and connects these two famous places in the city of Mumbai.

The market is not too far from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus – the major Railway Station in the city, (just around 3 km or 1.86 miles away) which can be covered in under 15 minutes. It can also be reached easily from any point in the city through public or private road transport.