Overview
Khar is a suburb of Mumbai, situated to the north of Bandra and south of Santa Cruz. It lies on the Western Highway and is divided into Khar West and Khar East areas. The place derives its name from the Marathi word khara which means salty; earlier, this area was merely a marshland of salty sea water. While Khar East is not very developed, Khar West on the other hand is one of the toniest areas of the city. This area is also home to several industrialists and Bollywood celebrities. Previously a village of fishermen, Khar is now a rapidly developing locality.
Connectivity
Khar is immensely well-connected to key areas of the city such as Pali Hill, Juhu, and Santa Cruz. Andheri is at a distance of only 6 kilometres from here. Khar is also served widely by Khar Road railway station of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network on its western line. The International Airport is 10 kilometres from this area. Khar is also well-linked to other prominent suburbs like Bandra, Juhu, Ville Parle, Goregaon, Kandivali, Malad, Dahisar, and Borivali by means of the Western Highway, a major 8-10 arterial road, almost 25-33 kilometres in length. It further links with NH 8 that facilitates the connectivity between Mumbai and Delhi and plays an important role in lessening the congestion on SV Road.
Real estate
It has emerged to be one of the plushest areas of the city. In comparison to Andheri and Bandra, Khar is most peaceful, less crowded, and greener, which has further made this a desirable realty destination. Backed by the development of Andheri, BKC, and Goregaon as new corporate centres has also paced up the growth of real estate market here. Excellent connectivity and close proximity to business, IT, entertainment, and retail hubs are other major factors in boosting the demand for property here. Proximity to Bandra is the biggest benefit for Khar as buyers who cannot afford properties in Bandra choose Khar as their next best alternative. High-income buyers are getting increasingly attracted to the Bandra-Khar belt for luxurious homes close to their work places. The real estate prices have also considerably appreciated in the recent times, owing to the improved connectivity through the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, proposed metro service, and upcoming Santacruz-Chembur Link Road. Many well-known developers have launched several lavish residential projects here. According to analyses, five years down the line, Khar as a western suburb will witness large-scale development of high-profile residential houses, thus becoming a more expensive destination than Bandra.
Social infrastructure
Beacon High School, B.P.M. High School, Saint Elias High School, G.A. Kulkarni High School, Bloomingdales, B.M.C. School, Laxmi Narayan Marathi High School, are some of the major educational institutions in the vicinity.
The area also boasts of some well-known health care centres like Ramakrishna Mission Hospital, Hinduja Healthcare Surgical, RG Stone Urology & Laparoscopy Hospital, Beams Hospital for Women, Zen Eye Centre, and others.
State Bank of Mysore, Canara Bank, Axis Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, City Union Bank, United Bank of India, Kotak Mahindra Bank, UCO Bank, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, Dena Bank, and a few other banks are operational in this locality.
There are also sufficient numbers of ATMs, petrol pumps, bus stops, and other basic social amenities.