Fort (Mumbai precinct)

Fort is a business district in Mumbai, India. The area was the heart of the city during the 18th century. The area gets its name from the defensive fort, Fort George, built by the British East India Company around Bombay Castle. The area extends from the docks in the east, to Azad Maidan in the west; Victoria Terminus in the north to Kala Ghoda in the south. This area is the heart of the financial area of the city. Institutions such as the Bombay Stock Exchange, Reserve Bank of India and Tata Group headquarters are located in this area.HistoryThe Fort area was declared protected under regulations of the Maharashtra Government Urban Development Department. An advisory committee now oversees the development, repairs and renovations of structures in the precinct.The area todayDadabhai Naoroji Road (or D. N. Road) is an important road in Fort area. Siddharth College of Law, J. N. Petit Library, Dawoodi Bohra Administrative office, Khadi Bhandar are on this road. The sidewalks are filled with vendors selling books, music cassettes, clothes, imported items such as audio equipment's, digital cameras, musical instruments, calculators etc. The side streets from D. N. Road lead to schools, playgrounds, restaurants, cinemas and other important business houses. This street is famous for its software vendors. The area is famous for its street shopping and the book stalls sell myriad books at negligible prices.