HISTORY OF KANDIVALI Artifacts found near Kandivali indicate that the area was inhabited in the Stone Age.
The Kandivali railway station was built more than 100 years ago in 1907, then known as Khandolee. The station derived its name from the East Indian village of Condolim. Earth and stones from Paran, a hillock east of the Kandivali railway station were quarried to reclaim the Bombay Backbay . On this account a railway line was opened, a workshop erected and a number of dwelling houses were constructed for officers and workmen numbering hundreds. The area around Western Urban road between Malad and had numerous stone quarries and was once famous for Malad Stone. Many heritage buildings in Mumbai were constructed with Malad stone between 1860 and 1930, notable among them are David Sassoon library, Bombay House and the Western Railway building at Churchgate. During the plagues of 1900s, the Fonseca's from Bandra migrated to Kandivali, they initially settled down to the east of Kandivali at Akurli and then moved to the west at Poisar. This is where the East Indians thrived and a few families still reside to this day. All the three major communities have their shrines in Poisar. Poisar also had a notable person and social worker named Kalidas Bhai Satwara, who worked for the betterment and upliftment of the people of this village Landmarks & Localities. The oldest locality in Kandivali is Kandivali village which had 5 families, mostly Pachkalshi (such as Patil and Mhatre) in the 1800s. Kandivali village is one of the Old East Indian villages of Mumbai. It originally consisted of the East Indian Catholic. Another old locality in Kandivali is Poisar village that surrounds Our Lady of Remedy Church (Padroado Church built 1550). Poisar was home to many of the farmer classes of Kulbis who owned land on both the East and the West parts of Kandivali. Poisar village originally consisted of the East Indian Catholic families. The Fonsecas were also the 'Patils' of the village till the mid 1950s. There is a respectable population of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims in Kandivali West who settled here about 60 years ago from different places in search of a proper home. Our Lady of Remedy High School is one of the oldest schools in Kandivali West and was established in 1926. The land for the school was donated to the Our Lady of Remedy Church by Doctor Anthony Rebello on the birth of his grand daughter Catherine Fonseca(née Rebello). Our Lady of Remedy Church was a Padroado East Indian Church built by Portuguese missionaries and the East Indians in 1550. It is still a well visited church in Mumbai. The Church of Our Lady of Assumption, located off M.G. Road, was built in 1630 and was one of the oldest churches of Mumbai. The said church was demolished and a new church was built. The pond located at Shankar Mandir, Kandivali village is used for immersions during Ganesh Chaturthi (The pond is now known as Young Star Krida Mandal Visarjan Talao). Also located on M.G. Road is the famous Kala Hanuman temple, which is visited by hundreds of devotees every day. The 56 year old Shreeji Temple located on Mathurdas Road attracts a large number of devotees. A 150-year-old shrine to Shri Karsangli Akurli Mata, Varahi Mata Temple is at Shankar Lane. The Mahindra & Mahindra plant occupies a 63-acre built-up area and employs over 3,000. Industrial complexes such as Akurli Industrial Estate, Kandivali(Charkop) Industrial estate, Gundecha Industrial Estate, Balaji Industrial Estate and Jai Bonanza Industrial Estate are home to small and medium-sized industries. Kandivali is also home to The Times of India printing press. The Sports Authority of India has a huge training ground for the popular football team Mahindra United . Football Teams like FC Greens, F United also practice here regularly. Athletics, a very famous handball team and also an American football team are also located in Kandivali. Close to Mahindra and Mahindra is Thakur Village. This locality has developed at a fast pace and houses some of the tallest towers in Kandivali besides cinemas, restaurants and parks. Mineralz - the Wellness Shop, an exclusive outlet of Naturo Healthplus is located in Viceroy Court in Thakur Village. It is a pioneer in bringing the benefits of Himalayan rocksalt in the form of rocksalt lamps, bath salts, pain relief-crystals, etc. to India. Thakur Village also has a lot of good schools, a marriage hall and branded retail outlets. Kandivali railway station is a busy station on the Western Line of the Mumbai suburban railway . Poisar Bus Depot, one of the oldest BEST bus depot is located on S.V. Road in the western part of the neighborhood. Road connectivity is provided by means of Western urban road on the east, S.V. Road and Link Road on the west. The BEST bus depot is close to the railway station on the eastern side of the neighbourhood and is the point of origin for localities in Kandivali (East) like Ashok Nagar, Hanuman Nagar, Damu Nagar, Samata Nagar, Thakur Village and Thakur Complex. Two lines of Mumbai Metro (Line 2 and Line 7) will pass through the neighborhood once operational. Line 2 will pass through Link Road on the western part and Line 7 will pass through the main arterial Western Urban road on the eastern side of the neighborhood.Line 7 once operational will be fully elevated and will run from Dahisar(East) to Andheri(East). Bandongri and Mahindra & Mahindra will be the two halts in Kandivali for the metro. The Kandivali (West) post office is the oldest post office in Kandivali. (Thanks again to Prakash Shroff). Roland. Toronto.
