Author: Adarkar Neera
Place: Mumbai
Publisher: Mumbai Metropolitan Region Heritage Conservation Society
Year: 2020
Pages: 395
ISBN: 978-93-5396-478-8
Source: Received from Anuj Bhagwati
Subject: Bombay/ Mumbai
Sub-Subject: History
Keyword: Urban Culture, MMR, Urban Heritage, Historic Urban Centres
Shelf: C6R5
Accession No: B1111
Contents: President’s Note, Foreword, Acknowledgements, Introduction, Chapter1: Beginning of Urbanisation in North Konkan, Chapter2: Buddhist and Shaiva Centres, Chapter3: Shaping of the Medieval City, Chapter4: Negotiating Contestations, Chapter5: Consolidating the Islands, Chapter6: Trading Communities, Flourishing Markets, Chapter7: Colonial City, Textile City, Chapter8: Modernist Bombay to Metropolis Mumbai, Bibliography
Abstract: The foreword to Multiplicities: Urban Cultures of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, authored by Neera Adarkar and published by the MMR-Heritage Conservation Society, underscores the significance of documenting the region’s rich urban heritage. Spanning over 4,300 sq km, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is home to diverse natural, built, and cultural landscapes shaped by centuries of migration, maritime trade, and urban growth. The book highlights historic towns such as Sopara, Thane, Mahim, and others that predate colonial Mumbai, arguing that the roots of urbanism in the region lie in its hinterland settlements. The volume is an outcome of efforts by MMR-HCS, which since 2004 has identified over 2,700 heritage sites, following initial listings by Mumbai’s municipal corporation in 1996. This work complements earlier studies, notably M.K. Dhavalikar’s Cultural History of Mumbai, by offering a broader historical account from prehistoric times to 1990. It contributes to disciplines such as archaeology, architecture, and history, and urges further research using landscape archaeology, epigraphy, and socio-cultural analysis. The book serves as a vital resource for scholars and citizens alike, celebrating the plural and evolving identity of the MMR.