Mutton Street: Named after mutton market in British era, now associated with antiques, ‘stolen’ goods

The street is home to the ‘chor bazaar’, where one can buy everything from nuts and bolts to gramophones and rare movie posters. (Mohamed Thaver)

Among names of politicians, industrialists, social reformers and those who contributed in shaping the city of Mumbai, a street named after a non-vegetarian favourite is bound to stand out. Mutton Street near Mohammad Ali Road in south Mumbai bears testimony to the city’s love for goat meat. However, the unusual name does not ring a bell with Mumbaikars who would be familiar with the road that is home to the ‘chor bazaar’, where one can buy everything from nuts and bolts to gramophones to rare movie posters. Shopkeepers say the who’s who of Bollywood often visit this place looking for rare artifacts for their homes or movie sets.

City historian Deepak Rao said: “Even in the Bombay Municipality diary of the 1900’s, the lane has been identified as Mutton Street by the British.” In his book ‘Bombay Place-names and Street-names’, author Samuel T Sheppard, writing about the Mutton Street, says, “(It is) named after the old mutton and fish market, part of the Null Bazaar near Erskine and Duncan roads. This and the neighbouring vegetable market “were unpaved and consisted merely of a few ranges of low narrow sheds surrounded by a rough wooden palisade”. (Michael. History of the Municipal Corporation, p. 479.) This street is generally known as Chor Bazaar Street from chor meaning ‘thief’, as stolen goods are supposed to be brought there for sale.”

Mutton Street houses the most popular section of the chor bazaar — it stretches onto the lanes parallel to the Mutton Street that deals with hardware, antiques and furniture. The mutton and fish market — part of Null Bazaar — that Sheppard talks about, operates to this date and is located right opposite the street. Mohiuddin Shaikh, who has been operating at the Mirza Ghalib market, as it is now called, said mutton market is so popular that the sellers operate only from 5 am to 1 pm. “Majority of the restaurants purchase mutton from this market in addition to regular consumers. The stock does not last beyond 1 pm. Next to this is the fish and paya (trotters) market. On the other side is the vegetable and date market,” says Shaikh.

One can buy everything from nuts and bolts to gramophones to rare movie posters. (Mohamed Thaver)

The only time the market does bad business is during Bakra Eid. “Since people purchase their own goats and they have plenty of leftovers for the week after Bakra Eid, this market wears a deserted look,” adds Shaikh. While the business is good, Shaikh says he heard the market will be razed as part of redevelopment. He says he was worried about his future.

In the chor bazaar, most shopkeepers will deny that the name has anything to do with stolen goods. The counter-narrative is unanimous. “During the British time, there was a lot of noise in the market and hence was called ‘shor bazaar’. However, since they could not pronounce the name, they started calling it chor bazaar and the name stuck,” says Hussain Kanchwala, the owner of a hardware store on Mutton Street.

Altaf Shaikh, owner of ‘Objects of Desire’, who sells everything from bone china vases to antique furniture says, “You get things here that will not be available anywhere else in the city,” he claims. He drops names of famous Bollywood starlets and directors, who often come to the market looking for artefacts for their homes. “No one will mob them or ask for photos. They are given their space,” he says. He then gives the example of a leading politician from the state, who once arrived at the market with his security guards.

“After that he realised the place was safe and would drive down himself with his friend,” says Shaikh. Here too, however, the fear of redevelopment is looming large. Haneef Abdullah, another antique shop owner says, “A lot of buildings here are dilapidated and they are planning to demolish our shops too. For generations, my family has been running this shop. If they move us anywhere else, will it attract the same crowd as the name ‘chor bazaar’ does?”