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The original name of Vasai was Vesalé in Sanskrit. Under the Muslim sovereigns
it was renamed to Baxay; the Portuguese christened it Bancaim, and the Marathas
called it Bajipura. After it was under British rule, it was named Bassein. Finally,
after Indian independence it was renamed as Vasai.
Vasai was the seat of the Portuguese power from 1534 to 1739, after which it fell
to the Marathas. The Portuguese under Nuño da Cunha built a massive black basalt
fort in addition to churches as they found the site to be an apposite harbour. Vasai
boomed with the spice trade and the ship building industry. The salubrious climate
and the burgeoning profits saw many wealthy fidalgos — blue blooded Portuguese nobles
reside here in lavish villas. It later became the town where the Portuguese aristocracy
sent their illegitimate sons rather than exhibit their illegitimate offspring. The
floor of St Francis Church is paved with the graves of the Portuguese nobility along
with their royal insignia.
The Bassein parish is the largest contributor of priests to the Bombay Archdiocese.
The parish has also contributed India's only Catholic saint — St. Gonsalo Garcia.
History
Vasai (Bassein), on the mainland north-west of Bombay, was a large Portuguese enclave,
second only to Goa, until 1739. The northern holdings of the Portuguese, including
Daman and Diu, were governed from this centre. The fort and the hinterland around
it were lost to the Marathas in a campaign which lasted two years and ended in complete
Maratha supremacy.
The region remained primarily agricultural till the end of the '80s. The census
of 1981 found the total population of this area to be less than 250,000. Vasai had
a population of 34,900 and 23,303 people lived in Virar. Only one village, Agashe,
had more than 10,000 inhabitants. There had actually been a drop in population in
many towns and villages in the area over the previous ten years. The MMRDA was the
planning authority for this region since its formation.
In 1988 the state government de-reserved this region from agricultural use, contrary
to the recommendation of the MMRDA. Development began immediately with the entry
of private builders. By the time of the 1991 census a 150% increase in the population
of the area was observed. The towns of Vasai, Virar, Sopara and Sandor grew by 290%.
The growth was entirely due to residential usage by people commuting to work in
Mumbai. Many unauthorised buildings were constructed and sold, and later had to
be regularised by the state government.
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VASAI FORT
Vasai Fort, Mumbai is very large. There main gate of this fort
leads to a small courtyard from where one can climb the ramparts to take.......(Know more) |
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Tungareshwar
One of the highest mountain plateaus in Vasai Region.Tungareshwar Mountains
is one of the highest plateaus of the 6 Vasai region and a tourist attraction. The
best time to visit is during the monsoon.............. (Know
more) |
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