A short history of Mumbra
How a settlement below Parsik hill became a railway town in Thane.
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Mumbra sits in Thane district, between Parsik hill and the creek. Its name is linked to Mumbra Devi, the goddess whose temple stands on the hill, and the railway station takes its name from the temple too.
Before the railway
The goddess is closely tied to the Koli and Agri communities, who are described as the area’s earlier fishing and farming residents. Local accounts remember Mumbra as a small village by the water.
The railway arrives
The line from Bombay reached Thane in 1853 and Kalyan in 1854. Mumbra station is listed as opening in 1865, on what is now the Central line.
The Parsik Tunnel, about 1.3 km long, opened in 1916. It runs through the hill between Kalwa and Mumbra, and fast trains still use it to bypass both stations.
Mumbra today
Today Mumbra is a busy part of the Mumbai region, known locally for its food streets and markets.