Bombay Time

In the year 1906 the Indian Standard Time was introduced but in Bombay uptill the year 1955 IST was not followed and what was followed came to be known as Bombay Time. It was in the year 1884 that India was divided into two time zones, one known as Calcutta Time and the other as Bombay Time. From 1880s onwards till the early twentieth century there were debates and arguments around the idea of which time zone should be followed in the city. Until 1955, Bombay had its own time and was located in its own time zone, distinct from the standard time that applied to the rest of India. In effect, this meant Bombay was behind Indian Standard Time by 38 minutes and 50 seconds precisely.

From 1906 onwards when the IST was introduced the city of Bombay followed the two times concurrently. The government offices, railways and telegraph, and some major business houses followed the Indian Standard Time, whereas the Bombay Municipal Corporation, the mills, smaller businesses, and most of the city’s inhabitants followed the Bombay time. The divergence between the two caused confusion. Municipal Corporation clocks showed Bombay time, while the Victoria Terminus Station just across the road featured Indian Standard Time with a difference of 38 minutes between the two clocks.