Bandra Bandstand, Mumbai

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The most popular walkway in the posh Mumbai suburb of Bandra is easily recognized as the Bandstand. Measuring 1.2 kilometres, Bandra Bandstand has been immortalized in a number of Bollywood movies, television soaps, reality shows, YouTube videos and even advertisements.

Also known as Bandstand Promenade, this famous walkway has plenty of stardust on it. It is a well-known fact that some of the most glamorous film stars have their apartments or bungalows around Bandra Bandstand.

Bandra Bandstand Timings and Entry Fee

Luckily, Bandra Bandstand is a public walkway. Therefore, it is open at all times of the day and on all days of the week. There is no entry fee since there are no designated check posts to the Bandstand Promenade. The place is a great equalizer since you can find people from all walks of society enjoying the open space – from high-profile celebrities and wealthy businessmen to daily-wage earners and broke college-goers.

History Behind the Bandra Bandstand

Back when the city of Mumbai was still known by its old name ‘Bombay’ (which was given by the Portuguese), the Bandra Bandstand was constructed by Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy. Sir Jeejeebhoy was a Parsi philanthropist who lent his name to this famous walkway. Till date, the Bandstand Promenade is officially known as Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Road.

Sometime in the nineteenth century, the walkway was extensively used for performances by the European military to entertain the foreign expat traders who lived here. There was a dedicated bandstand with a canopy purposed for this sort of musical entertainment. The name bandstand stuck through despite there being no such band performance anymore, and is the only recognizable name by which the famous promenade is known.

Layout of Bandra Bandstand

Enjoying a prominent view of the Arabian Sea, Bandra Bandstand is largely a walking and jogging avenue with a paved promenade, a jogging track and even a parallel ledge that allows people to sit and take in the sunset and the sea breeze. There is a uniform lining of trees on the other edge of the walkway, shielding it from the main street and the bustle of the city’s traffic.

At one end of Bandra Bandstand is an amphitheatre, built mainly for the biennial culture fest of this suburb – Celebrate Bandra. Other music and dance performances are also held at the amphitheatre. Another spot for live performances is the Artist’s Corner. On Sundays, when Bandra Bandstand is particularly crowded, one can witness public jam sessions here.

Image Gallery of Bandra Bandstand Mumbai

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Things to do at the Bandra Bandstand

One of the favourite hangouts of college students and couples, the Bandra Bandstand has multiple activities one can look forward to:

1. Keep fit with a light jog or long walk along the bandstand promenade. The well paved stretch ensures that you won’t need very high cushioning in your shoes to shield your feet from the regular pain you might feel while running on tarred road.

2. Practise your photography skills by capturing various objects through different perspectives, whether it is portrait shots of the people walking about the promenade or the sunset or the Bandra Worli Sea Link.

3. Snack on rolls, juices or ice cream from the numerous shops that line the road across the bandstand.

4. Park your car and sit on the ledge just to enjoy the sunset, before the sun begins to go down until it becomes all dark.

5. Drive past Mannat, the bungalow of the Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan. You won’t be allowed to enter this gated area, and guards always patrol outside. Nevertheless, the movie star often humours his fans with a wave from his balcony on certain occasions such as his birthday or the release date of his movies when lots of fans crowd up outside his home.

6. Movie buffs and Bollywood fans can look forward to seeing another star at the Bandra Bandstand, Salman Khan. His house is in a building named Galaxy Apartments. You can almost never see anyone from his house on the windows ever, even after standing for hours. But you can get lucky when Salman goes on his morning walks sometimes.

7. Apart from meeting Shahrukh and Salman, the two Khans who seem to rule Bollywood, you also stand a chance to come across other actors and celebrities, both from the silver screen and the big screen. Some top stars prefer fresh air over gyms, and you would find yourself running along the bandstand on your lucky days!

8. Bandra Bandstand is a preferred site for pre wedding photoshoot, since it offers a clear view of the Bandra Worli Sea Link and the calm sea. You can get photographed by professional cameramen who will arrange the logistics for you, including props and effects.

Places to Visit Near Bandra Bandstand

The entire stretch of Bandra Bandstand is lined by important and famous buildings, some of those being the residence of celebrities. Apart from that, a short walk or drive can take you to other popular sites of tourist significance. Take a look at the tours you can do around Bandstand Promenade:

1. Bandra Fort: Also known as Castella de Aguada, Bandra Fort stands on the Land’s End of Mumbai. The Portuguese built this watchtower in 1640 at an altitude of 79 feet above the sea level. The fort is open to visitors on all the days of the week from 6 AM until 6:30 PM. Parking is available at a cost of INR 60 if you visit after 8 AM. Entry is free of cost earlier in the morning. This fort is a great place for watching sunsets. One can also see the Bandra Worli Sea Link from here. Bandra Fort happens to be a nice choice for photography.

2. Mount Mary Church: Formally named Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, Bandra’s Mount Mary Church is one of the most famous Roman Catholic churches in all of Mumbai. Situated atop a hillock, the basilica is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mount Mary Church becomes particularly crowded on Christmas, Good Friday, Easter and during the week-long Bandra Fair. There are plenty of makeshift stalls on the street below the church which sell candles and other artefacts.

3. Lands End Garden: Located along the Bandra Fort Trail, Lands End Garden is open on all days of the week except Sundays. The timings are 6 AM to 6:30 PM throughout. The garden has an amphitheatre for performances and a lot of green cover which includes more than 600 trees and over 60 types of shrubs. Lands End Garden offers a nice place to gaze at the Mahim Bay and the Bandra Worli Sea Link.

4. Bandra Worli Sea Link: A few minutes of drive from the Bandstand Promenade will bring you to the marvellous Bandra Worli Sea Link. This is the most iconic bridge in Mumbai which connects the Western suburb of Bandra to South Bombay’s Worli neighbourhood. The world-class bridge is not open to pedestrians, the only exception being on the day of the Mumbai Marathon when runners get the rare chance to jog through it. The sea link supports 4 traffic lanes on either side. Officially called the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, the bridge was built in 2010 after taking a total of 10 years for its construction.

5. Worli Sea Face: Once you cross the Bandra Worli Sea Link towards Worli, you reach the Worli Sea Face in some distance. The is one of the most popular places for locals to chill in the evenings. There is a wide promenade with seating arrangement along the entire stretch. The sea face is palm-fringed, and tall buildings line the other side of the road. One can get an unhindered view of the Sea Link from the Worli Sea Face. Often, you will run across balloon sellers, ice-cream vendors and even snack stalls along the way.

6. Worli Fort: This 17th century British fort is conveniently located just off the Bandra Worli Sea Link. Built in 1675, Worli Fort is open from Monday to Sunday from 5 AM until 7 PM. The aim for constructing this fort was to keep an eye on pirates and enemy ships that would try to trespass or attack. The best time to be here is just before sunset when you can watch the sky turn from light blue to pink to blazing orange to finally, a deep hue suggesting dusk. Morning scenes here are quite different, with the Koliwadas of Worli catching fish in the sea.

7. Bandra Reclamation: Hardly a couple of kilometres from the Bandstand Promenade, Bandra Reclamation is another promenade with a view of the Arabian sea and the Bandra Worli Sea Link. The stretch is lined by landscaped gardens and is also known as the Bandra Worli Sea Link Promenade or BWSL Promenade. A tall flag pole bearing the Indian national flag is seen at the southern end of the reclamation, while the Love Mumbai selfie point graces the northern end. The Western Express Highway services the Bandra Reclamation.

How to Reach Bandra Bandstand

Bandra Bandstand, located by the Arabian Sea, can be reached via multiple modes of transportation. Choose from the below options depending upon the time and money you can afford and the level of comfort you desire:

Local Trains: The local train station closest to Bandstand Promenade is the Bandra station on the Western Line. If you are arriving from the Central Line, you will have to change trains at the Dadar Junction. However, if you take the Harbour Line, you will either directly be able to reach Bandra station (if coming from South Bombay) or will have to change two trains, one at Kurla (Harbour to Central) and the other at Dadar (Central to Western) if arriving from Navi Mumbai. From Bandra station, the Bandstand is about 7 km by car, taking about 20 minutes. If you’d rather walk, there is a shortcut via Hill Road which takes about 35 minutes to scale the 2.5 odd kilometres.

City Buses: State run buses are plied by Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) across Mumbai. If the bus is not too crowded, this can be one of the most comfortable and convenient ways to get to the Bandstand Promenade, that too at a very low rate. This is because there are a couple of bus stops right along Bandra Bandstand! One is Prarthanalaya Bus Stop and the other is Sisters Bungalow. However, buses tend to take a long, circuitous route, and they can get stuck in traffic jams, causing delays. Multiple stops also add to the delay.

Private Transport: The mode preferred by most of the people in this area is a private car or a hired one. The roads are a delight to drive on, especially when there is less traffic. Besides, getting your own car can afford you priceless opportunities to hop by different parts of Bandra and its myriad attractions. Parking can be a bit of a hassle though. If you are able to find narrow residential lanes which are not major thoroughfares, you can park there (after ensuring there are no “no parking” signs). Otherwise, hire a cab from top car rental companies in Mumbai to reach Bandra Bandstand conveniently.

Metro Rail: Mumbai’s ambitious metro project is currently underway. When the works are complete and the new metro lines are up and running, it will be possible to reach Bandra on the comfortable air-conditioned metro coaches. The proposed lines are along Colaba – Bandra – SEEPZ and Dahisar – D.N. Nagar – Bandra – Mandale. The metro will be more expensive than taking the local train or BEST bus, but definitely cheaper than hailing a cab or driving down.

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Location Map for Bandra Bandstand Mumbai