[3] After Indian independence, it was named after Jijamata, the mother of Shivaji, the first Maratha emperor.

In 1835, British administration granted a large plot of land in Sewri to the Agro Horticultural Society of Western India for a botanical garden known as Victoria Gardens after Queen-Empress Victoria.

[4] In 1861, construction of a new garden was commenced on 33 acres in the Mount Estate, Mazgaon (now included in Byculla).

[3] The garden also houses the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, a staff building in Greco-Roman style erected in the memory of Lady Frere, and an equestrian statue of King Edward VII of England made of black marble (originally installed near the University of Mumbai) known as Kala Ghoda and the David Sassoon clock tower.

A viewing gallery of approximately 1,500 square feet size has been set up in the zoo, and from this platform visitors can observe the surface and underwater movements of the reptiles.