Bombay & the Freedom Struggle: A Heritage Walk through the Making of a Nation

Bombay was more than a commercial capital during India's freedom struggle. Its streets, institutions and public spaces became important sites of political mobilization, protest and resistance.

Join Silsila on a heritage walk through three historic locations — Sheth Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Mani Bhavan and August Kranti Maidan — to explore Bombay's role in the movement for independence.

We begin inside Sheth Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, associated with the early history of the Indian National Congress, before moving into Mani Bhavan, where Mahatma Gandhi's political activities in Bombay helped shape the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience movements.

The walk concludes in August Kranti Maidan, the site of the historic meeting on 8 August 1942, when the Quit India Movement was launched.

Along the way, we'll look beyond well-known leaders to explore the role of students, women and underground activists such as Usha Mehta, as well as the public meetings, processions and demonstrations that turned Bombay's streets into spaces of political resistance.

Through these places and the stories associated with them, we'll examine how the city contributed to the wider struggle for India's independence.