1. History

2. Geography
    Lake 

3. See also

4. References

The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, established in 1958 and currently the second oldest campus of the Indian Institutes of Technology as well as the National Institute of Industrial Engineering, established in 1963 are both located here,^[8][9] as is a campus of the Bombay Scottish School, Mumbai.^[10] Powai is also home to residential complexes of the Income Tax department, Customs and NTPC,^[11] as well as those of ex-servicemen.^[12]

Powai houses schools and colleges, some of which are S M Shetty school and college, Gopal Sharma school and Chandrabhan Sharma College. Chandivali has Sinhgad college of management.

Some of the Temples of Powai are Chinmaya Mission's Jagadeshwara Shiva Temple, Sri Ayyappa Vishnu Temple at Hiranandani, Devi Vageshwari Mata Temple at Chandivali. Powai also hosts community birthday havan.

Powai is also Mumbai's start-up hub, with young entrepreneurs starting off from incubation cells set up by institutes like IIT Bombay from the tech industry, and other sectors setting their bases there,^[13] causing the area to be referred to as India's Powai Valley.^[14]

Some of the start-ups in Powai Valley include JustRide, Housing, TinyOwl, Toppr, HolaChef, Bewakoof, Logic Roots, Care24, Flyrobe, Nearfox, Belita, CredR, Mirchi and Mime, and Crispy Games. As a result of the mixture of various communities living together, the suburb has one of the city's most cosmopolitan and modernized cultures.^[15] The place has a vibrant night-life,^[16][17] and shoots for several Bollywood as well as Hollywood movies, such as Kalyug, Ghajini, Slumdog Millionaire, Mardaani, and Haseena Maan Jaayegi have taken place there.^[18] The Hiranandani Gardens are also known for their neo classical architectural style, and the area has some of the tallest residential buildings in suburban Mumbai.^[19]

History

In 1943, four years before India's independence, the freedom fighter Chandrabhan Sharma arrived in Mumbai and happened to lease and subsequently buy Powai Estate from Sir Yusuf, the then owner, for a paltry sum. At that time, Powai comprised five villages: Saki, Kopri, Tirandaz, Powai and Paspauli. In the late 1950s, a portion of Powai was given to the government to set up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, personally visited the area and during a meeting, Chandrabhan Sharma motivated him to give the land free of cost for this purpose. Simultaneously, a young engineer from Denmark, Søren Kristian Toubro had obtained a major contract in Mumbai. As a result, vast tracts of land were leased to him by Mr. Sharma to set up what would become Larsen & Toubro.^[20]

Geography

Powai is a part of the Mumbai Suburban District, located in the north-eastern region of what is today considered to be the modern Mumbai metropolis. Administratively, it is a part of the Kurla tehsil^[21] and much of the area falls within the boundaries of the S-ward, the largest ward in Mumbai.^[22][23] Powai is situated on the banks of its namesake lake and boasts of a recently revamped, landscaped garden with viewing decks, a children’s play area and synchronized fountains.^[24] The privately run Dr. L. H. Hiranandani Hospital, located within the Hiranandani residential complex, is the first superspeciality hospital in the area.^[25]

As a result of prolific construction activity in the last two decades, the area has one of the highest residential population densities{{ref|1|note 1}} in suburban Mumbai. The development in the region has, however had an adverse impact on the environment, with the area facing the ill-effects of excessive concretization, resulting in a shrinking number of open spaces,^[22] green cover and rising pollution levels.^[26]

Lake

Perhaps the best-known landmark of Powai is the Powai Lake, a 120-year-old lake that was originally used to supply water to the city of Mumbai, and is today used as an industrial sewage outlet.^[24] Another prominent landmark that most outsiders associate Powai with is the IIT Bombay, located to the east of the lake. The campus of the NITIE is located near the north bank of the lake, as is the Renaissance Hotel and Convention centre, part of the Marriott group of hotels, with its distinctive facade visible across the Powai lake.^[27] In the past, fishing and bird-watching were popular recreational activities that took place along the shores of the lake. Rare migration birds were known to visit the lake each year and the lake boasted a variety of fish species. Crocodiles have also been spotted alongside the lake. And However, rapid and uncontrolled growth of the region in recent years has had an adverse effect on the flora and fauna found in and around the lake. In its day, the lake used to be an idyllic picnic spot for people wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.{{cn|date=June 2017}}

Meluha The Fern is a 5 star eco-friendly hotel located near the lake, the hotel has tastefully decorated restaurant and bar ^[28]

See also

• Hiranandani Gardens
• Mumbai metropolitan area
• Powai Lake

References

• Gabor Halmai (footballer)
• Gabor Herbert
• Gabor Heritesz
• Gabor Horvath (canoeist)
• Gabor Ivady
• Gabor Janvari
• Gabor Juhasz
• Gabor Kasa
• Gabor Kemeny (politician, 1830–1888)
• Gabor Kemeny (politician, 1910–1946)
• Gabor Klauzal
• Gabor Koncz
• Gabor Kornel Tolnai
• Gabor Kovacs
• Gabor Kovacs (financier)
• Gabor Kovacs (footballer born in 23 October 1987)
• Gabor Kovacs (footballer born October 1987)
• Gabor Kovacs (footballer born September 1987)
• Gabor Kubatov
• Gabor Laurenczy
• Gabor limit
• Gabor Lisznyai Szabo
• Gabor Madi Szabo
• Gabor Mathe (footballer)
• Gabor Mathe (lawyer)