Mumbai Mania

The Karigars of Dagina Bazaar

2012-10-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

One of the most populated areas in Mumbai, which is also reminiscent of the old town, Dagina Bazaar near Mumbadevi temple, is home to several jewellery shops existing for over four decades. Outside these shops are small sheds made for a person or two where they make stunning-looking strings with adjustable clasps for necklaces.

Ramprasad Chaurasia, 35-year old skilled artisan, has been working in his small shed for the past 20 years, taking care of what was left behind by his forefathers. Originally from UP, he has seen his father make such nicknacks and sell it shops on that road.

“I have been running this family business since 1968, it’s a laborious task,” Ramprasad happily informs, while coiling the golden thread around the beaded clasp. He is one of the many migrants who have settled in dilapidated areas of Mumbai to make a living. There are around 30 odd shops nestled on the pavement outside the numerous jewellery shops; making it difficult for passer-by’s to walk without being nudged.

At each shop you can see the same process, their eyes completely focused on their work.

Ramprasad takes anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour to make a single piece; doesn’t sound difficult, but when you see a big pile of different types of threaded clasps hanging on top of his shed, it leaves you stunned.

The cost varies depending on the style, material etc., the simplest one could be as low as Rs 5, and the most expensive one would range from Rs 40 to Rs 50. “We use silk and brocade, cotton threads, pearls all sourced from local markets.”

People from around the city visit these shops to buy in bulk or just few pieces for the traditional necklace or to even decorate Ganesh idols with it. This old part of the city maybe crammed up for space, but the diverse flavours of Mumbai still exists in these lanes.

Global Vipassana Pagoda, Mumbai's Spiritual Haven

2012-04-03T10:28:00.002-07:00

In a city riddled with chaos and confusion, one seldom finds the time or the space to stand still and reflect upon the lives we lead. Once a beautiful tropical island, Mumbai is now home to some of the most congested living spaces in the world. But that doesn’t mean the city hasn’t preserved its share of beautiful open spaces where life still moves at a simpler pace. And right in the heart of such a space, stands tall Mumbai’s contribution to world peace - the Global Vipassana Pagoda.

Located right next to Esselworld in the heart of Gorai, the 325 ft. tall Global Vipassana Pagoda soars into the empty sky around it, easily spotted from many rooftops across the city. The massive structure, that took 11 years to build, houses the world’s largest unsupported stone dome, 280 feet in diameter. This was accomplished using 2.5 million tons of stone from Rajasthan, each cut with horizontal and vertical grooves on the side, thereby enabling them to defy gravity by interlocking in all directions and holding each other up, an ingenious idea for an otherwise impossible task.
The very sight of this dome can humble even the mightiest of men. At the centre of the dome, above the Chakra, genuine relics of the Buddha have been enshrined. The dome shelters a giant meditation hall, with a capacity of 8000 people.

All the structures here are heavily influenced by Burmese designs, honouring the people of Myanmar for preserving the tradition of Vipassana. In fact, the Global Vipasana Pagoda is an exact replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda located in the city of Yangon in Myanmar.

A giant bell held by four Burmese statues adorns the front, resounding in all directions the arrival of another seeking soul. This bell weighs 14 tons and was donated by Myanmar, with the bell being cast there and then shipped to India.

The wooden doors of the Pagoda were hand-carved in Myanmar and then brought here, another generous donation from the Burmese.

The Pagoda has two more domes on top of the main one, the topmost one housing an umbrella-like structure with suspended bells.

A Buddha statue carved out of a single piece of marble stands next to the main entrance of the Pagoda, beautifully painted in a warm golden robe.

The Pagoda has been built as a centre for spreading the teachings of Vipassana, the Buddha’s path to self-realization and freedom from all suffering, as taught by Mr. S.N.Goenka. The centre offers 10-day free Vipassana courses, where one has to follow a strict regime throughout, you might have to book in advance. Visitors are allowed everyday between 9 am – 7 pm, but are required to maintain a healthy level of silence while on the premises.

Although construction of the main Pagoda is complete, a lot of smaller structures around it are still being built. But the sheer open space coupled with the awe-inspiring size of the Pagoda itself make the entire experience of being here one of solace and unadulterated peace. A refreshing change from the choked veins of the big city, the Global Vipassana Pagoda offers exactly what the people of Mumbai need; some peace, quiet, and a chance at a happier life.

How to Reach?

One can easily reach the Pagoda from Marve beach next to Malad. There are ferries operating to Esselworld till 5pm, from where it’s a short walk up to the Pagoda.
Alternately, bikers can take the ferry from Marve to Manori and ride straight to the Pagoda, about 20 minutes away.
People with cars must go the long way round and drive around from Mira Bhayandar and then south to Gorai.

Mirchi Galli, the Old Spice Market of Mumbai

2010-11-24T00:32:00.000-08:00

Making your way through old parts of Mumbai can be both exhilarating and chaotic; mainly because the narrow roads of the city have little space for walking without nudging the next person but at the same time it holds those ancient stories which have been missed in the age of modernity.

Located in the one of the crowded areas of South Mumbai - Crawford Market - is Mirchi Galli (also known as Marcha Galli) and as the name suggests its the place where you will find all kinds of spices (whole and ground) and dry fruits available in Mumbai. From variety of Kashmiri chillies to turmeric, cumin seeds, cinnamon, mustard seeds and much more, Mirchi Galli is the place that is lost in time.

Its a narrow alley close to Jumma Masjid and it is easy to miss due to the number of hawkers sitting outside it. As soon as you enter you would be convinced its the right place due to the variety of spices on display at the entrance of each shop.

I was really keen to know a bit of history of this spice land, so the person who willingly shed light on this was Mahesh Parekh, owner of Shamaldas Jivandas & Co. "There were 110-odd shops in Mirchi Gali at one point, selling dry fruits, spices etc., and now there are only about 11 shops left. This is mainly due to the fact that the younger generation aren't interested in carrying on with their father's business. My shop has been selling spices for 84 years, handed down through four generations," said Parekh.

Mirchi Gali has undergone transformation over the decades. Parekh informed that the shops use to be more like sheds with metal roofs and spices were stored in gunny sacks and sold by wrapping in paper. "By mid-seventies business began to develop, spices were stored in glass jars and sold in plastic bags. Gradually trade opened up with other countries and people from Saudi, Gulf etc., started purchasing spices from here."

So where do all these spices come from? Its from all over the country, to name a few - turmeric is sourced from Sangli, cardamom from Kerala, the popular chillies from a village in Karnataka, jeera and saunf from Gujarat. You will find the prices to be a bit higher for some spices like Kashmiri chillies or even dry fruits are a bit expensive, as compared to other stores, but its the quality that one can vouch on.

Another old shop that has been around for 80 years in Mirchi Gulli is Shah Gabharubhai Uttamchand, also known as Rainbow shop, and the owner refused to talk during business hours.

Also available here are namkeens, mouth fresheners, pan ingredients, sweets etc.

As I moved further ahead the shops changed and only one thing remained constant, the narrow size of the lane that makes it impossible for more than two people to walk side by side.

Mirchi Gulli is not only about spices, there are several other shops that deal in imitation jewelery, toys, household items and so on. This particular shop, whose name I can't recollect but its at the end of the lane, just at the turn, sells household items at discounted rates. The owner, who choose to remain anonymous, landed in Mumbai from Sindh after the partition, and opened this shop, which is around 60-odd years now and is run by the owner's son.

This was a short walk through the old, unknown alleys of Mumbai that took me back in time to showcase the actual essence of this city.

Heritage in Chaotic Bhuleshwar

2010-01-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

The old lanes of Mumbai conjure up an image of a city within a city; shops selling a wide range of wares from vegetables, flowers to fancy jewellery. Clusters of buildings housing thousands of people, ancient temples for the devout worshippers, commercial establishments dealing in garments and lots more.

Bhuleshwar in South Mumbai is a place where ancient customs fight for space with modernity. Its a crazy walk through the narrow streets and by-lanes of Bhuleshwar, where you have a different view with every step you take.

At the center of it is Kabutar Khana, one of the many that exists in Mumbai, where pigeons are fed all kinds of grains by the locals and bird lovers. Feeding pigeons is an old tradition in Mumbai and in fact they are also taken care of by doctors, who regularly visit Kabutar khana and vaccinate them to eradicate any infections or diseases. The places of worship probably give you some peace but on stepping outside, it is chaotic, especially during evening hours when each lane is buzzing with a different activity. The road leading to Madhav bagh has shops lined up on either side and hawkers outside the shops who sell household items, bags, bangles etc., at a reasonable rate. We made a trip to Bhuleshwar to purchase a turban from a shop that lies in one of the most constricted lanes we have ever seen. Named Bhagatwadi, the size of the lane is quite deceiving when you consider the number of shops it holds. There is a fruit seller just as you enter, followed by a beautiful earthenware shop that has myriad clay creations. Then there are a couple of shops that rent out various costumes, a good place to go if your kid has a fancy dress competition at school, theater and film costumes as well.

There was so much to see in Bhuleshwar, so we soon moved out of Bhagat wadi to experience more of this place. Rows of buildings on either side of the road, a common sight in this part of town stretching from Princess Street, Kalbadevi, Zaveri Bazaar to Bhuleshwar. Some of the buildings are in a dilapidated condition as well, with chawls dominating the housing scenario. The landscape of Mumbai is incomplete without hawkers selling vegetables and fruits placed in ethnic cane baskets. Opposite to the market area is the 130-year-old Laxmi Narayan temple. A famous temple in Bhuleshwar, it is believed that all wishes come true here. The scenes change rapidly as we crawled our way through the streets. So many commercial establishements there has to be a tea shop closeby providing shop owners with their daily dose of chai. Close to Laxmi Narayan temple is the popular Flower market or Phool Galli where variety of flowers are sold at wholesale rates. Of course morning is the right time to come as most of the shops were closed. One of the flower sellers happily posing. While some of them were sleeping in the available space. Move in the opposite direction and there were series of garland shops, used in the temples, marriages or any festive occasion. You can get customised garlands too! I bought a beautiful garland from here for my marriage. :) An old man weaving flowers to make these colorful garlands. Some more floral delights on display at the start of Bhoiwada. Not only flowers there were also some fancy, bright colorful ribbons and beads being sold at one of the shops. As the sun set in this neo-gothic vicinity that has so much to offer, we moved on from there, not without getting stuck in traffic, pondering over the myriad shades that makes Mumbai a highly vibrant city.

Enchanting Earthenware at Bhuleshwar

2009-12-08T00:33:00.000-08:00

In the narrow gullies of Bhuleshwar, in South Mumbai, lies a tiny little shop filled with earthen treasures. As luck may have it we were suppose to find a shop selling safas (wedding turbans) for our wedding.

Just outside this gully was a woman selling some interesting earthen ware, not captivating but enough to attract any one looking for some ethnic home decor or gift items. As we walked down this tiny by-lane, that could barely accommodate two people walking side by side, we reached a shop displaying a lovely range of assorted pottery , besides that were vast range of oil lamps, which was fascinating.

Outside the shop there were piles of the common earthen lamps or diyas used especially by Hindus for Diwali, Pujas or other festivals as oil lamps.

The entrance to the shop was tiny, so you might have to hunch a bit to avoid banging into the hangings at the door. Once in you have to avoid carrying any baggage cause every turn you make, there's a good chance to bring down some art work to the ground.

Assortment, variety, unique, beautiful, simple, it was all there in a shop that spanned not more than 6 by 10 feet. Every corner had a spot for something, every something had a spot of beauty, some had many.

There were flower pots, fruits and vegetables, lamps, lanterns, chandeliers, Gods, wind chimes, vessels, wall hangings, decorations, candle stands, jugs, piggy banks, everything made out of clay. Some of them were painted, while some were plain and they also take orders if you want a piece in a specific colour.
An attractive and yet simple oil lamp was priced at Rs 35 while a wind chime, which we picked up included 9 bells, parrots, leaves and beads, was priced at Rs 360. Yes it seemed very steep even to us, but there's a sign that said fixed price and the owner stuck to it.
Working with earthen ware to him was an expensive task, he had to recover the cost for the goods that broke during the manufacturing process. Plus he has to get his stuff transported from his kiln on the outskirts of Mumbai in Badlapur.
According to him 40% of his produce is worthless, a figure too high for us to believe, but we choose to take the wind chime any way. The sad part, its been 6 days since we have put it up and there hasn't been any breeze strong enough to make it chime!
If you perhaps have a fetish for earthenware we definitely suggest a visit to this place. Although we have no clue what the rates are elsewhere, but we assume this place is cheaper than most. The earthen ware shop can be found at Bhuleshwar, Bhagat Wadi, Shop No. 11, (its close to Kabutar Khana) have fun shopping there!

Painting Mumbai's Walls with Art

2009-09-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

A few months ago a couple of artists got together to paint a wall in an old East Indian village in Bandra, seeing this more artists joined in and painted a few more walls.

These bunch of artists started "The Wall Project" and they periodically group up to transform a boring space into a conversation piece, not just limited to the queen of suburbs but spots all over Mumbai seem to come to life with colors.

Today the wall project has grown big, comprising not only artists but anyone who is willing to take up the brush to freshen up the dull walls around the city and add a dash of colour to it. The wall project recently got permission from the BMC to add life to the wall stretching 2.7km long from Mahim to Matunga along Tulsi pipe ride.

The best part is the youth of the city get the freedom to express themselves as well as pass on positive messages to society through art. Lets take a look at some of the creatives at Tulsi Pipe Road.

Unfortunately some of the art has already been covered up by movie posters and advertisements. Its kind of sad to see hard work and meaningful messages going to waste like this.

But hopefully this can be tackled by more people joining the wall project and paint more walls across the city.

You can join the wall project facebook group and stay in touch to get details of their next painting project.

Khotachi Wadi, a Tryst with Time (खोताची वाडी)

2009-06-22T04:03:00.000-07:00

Mumbai with development at every nook and corner, it gets rare to come across places or objects to set you back in time. Bhavika recently decided to take a stroll through Kotachiwadi, a wadi (small cluster of houses like a village) that is a heritage spot in Girgaon after Chira Bazaar.

In the heart of the city Kotachi Wadi boasts of houses designed with the old-Portuguese style architecture. Founded in the 18th century, only 28 of these houses have survived out of 65, the rest have given way for new skyscrapers. Most of the houses are made of wood, they have large verandas in the front, a courtyard at the back and an external staircase to access the next floor.

It feels like you have entered an old Goan village with big houses and tiled roofs. It has a very calm atmosphere unlike the hustle and bustle of the city just a road away. When you are on the Girgaon main road and enter Kotachiwadi its like entering a time machine that takes you back in time from this modern era.

Kotachi Wadi was mostly inhibited by descendants of the original inhabitants of Bombay mostly Christians and Maharashtrians, but now its seems theres a mix between Gujaratis and Marwaris as well. The best time to visit Kotachi Wadi is during Ganpati or Christmas where the narrow streets and houses are decorated.

Don't forget to visit Anantashram, an eating house famous for its Malwani and Konkani seafood in Kotachiwadi. A brightly colored verandah of a house, embellished with figurines, ethnic wall pieces, bird cage etc.

The Vibrant Colours of Hanging Gardens

2009-05-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

I felt like a 6-year old on entering the lush green Hanging Gardens, on the slopes of Malabar Hill in South Mumbai (that's also the reason why its called Hanging Gardens). My mom use to get us here to play in the park and see the hedges shaped into animals. This time looking at the vast expanse of greenery (a rare sight in South Mumbai) my eyes lit up.

A lot has changed since then, Hanging Gardens or Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens Gardens is much more cleaner and well-maintained with variety of colorful flowers growing in the park. I was amazed looking at the vibrant colors, there were some plants which I had never seen before. Hanging Garden is quite huge, although Malad Mindspace Garden is bigger than this, and is a popular attraction among tourists and people from outside Mumbai.

The animals made from hedges greets you on entering the garden. One of my favorite plant sculpture was of the Hindu god, Hanuman holding the mace in his right hand and Dronagiri mountain in the other, and his tail had flowers growing on them.:) The beautiful red flower with multiple petals, it looked really pretty! There were rows of such flowers, unfortunately I don't know the name, but I was spellbound by its beauty. Next to these were yellow-coloured buttercups gleaming in the sunshine. Moving on from there were attractive bunch of Canna (Italian Group) called 'Yellow King Humbert' I din't realise the giraffe was eating grass until I saw this picture, wonder how long it took them to grow hedges and then shape them into different animals? I really envied those who stayed around here and had the privilege of taking a walk in such a lovely park. Evenings it does get crowded though as lot more people come, but am sure its possible to find a quiet spot. Pink and white daisies added to the visual treat. After seeing half the park in the hot sun, Clyde decided to rest under the bougainvillea tree. Someone else who was having a nice time hopping around in the garden was the squirrel. Caught you! One of them got into the giraffe through the hedges, he sure knew his way around. Another nice sculpture of a man seated on an elephant. Statue of political leader and activist Pherozeshah Mehta, after who the garden has been named, and a shield, which we thought was a map of the garden. Hanging gardens also has bit of history attached to it, it was laid out in 1881 over Bombay's main reservoir, which were extended to hold 30 million gallons in 1921. No wonder the foliage has grown so well here:)

Casuarina tree trimmed into layers. You will find sunflowers too here. What you about to see is unbelievably gorgeous, some rare plant that has such vibrant colours. I was speechless when I saw this, am sure you will be too! Red, orange, purple, yellow, green, an absolute floral delight.
A thick reddish maroon bush growing in the middle, under the blue sky this one looked like the flame of the garden.
A sundial that measures time by the position of the sun. This one was flat surface on which the sun casts a shadow to indicate the hours of the day. If you look closely at the picture, you can see it was 20 minutes past 11. Next to the sundial at the center of the garden was the clock tower. There was a message engraved at the bottom of the tower which said, "Experience confirms that friends who regularly meet and walk in the garden have remained healthy and fit for the day. Spread the message of good health through friendship for generations." This was by far the best of a man ploughing with two bulls, wonderful work. Here's another one of camel trying to sit, while the crow eats from a used tetrapack. There were lot of crows around, as they had built nests in bushes. A plant shaped into a mushroom growing in the middle of a trimmed path. A garden trellis to give some shelter in the scorching heat. It was a short walk which led to a dome-shaped structure with creepers on it. While walking towards the exit, on the periphery of the garden was the Jackfruit tree and Cannonball tree. In the image below you can see a giant-sized jackfruit waiting to be removed.
Pictures of animals plastered on the fence of the gardens, that's become a symbol now to recognise this place. Just opposite to Hanging Gardens is Kamala Nehru Park that has the famous Old Woman's Shoe, we plan to go there on our next visit. Since its on the slope, right outside Hanging gardens you can get a stunning view of Chowpatty beach and entire Marine Drive. You can come here either before noon or evening, you can get a good view of the sunset. We were extremely delighted with the outcome of our impromptu plan to visit Hanging Gardens, if you close by and haven't been there, you know how beautiful the place looks now.

How to reach Hanging gardens?

If you stay in the suburbs then get off at Charni road station, take a cab straight to the gardens from Walkeshwar road to Malabar Hill. There are many buses as well that operate in this route.

Of Reverence and Jainism

2009-04-21T00:57:00.001-07:00

It was one of those days when I thought of accompanying my mom to the Jain temple in Byculla, moreover with the intention to revisit this old temple which I use to go to as a kid with my parents.

Situated in Motisha Lane (formerly called Love Lane) near Byculla police station, Motisha Jain Derasar (temple) is more like a temple complex and beautiful too. On full moon day (Poonam) several devotees throng the place to pay respect to the replica of Palitana, the pilgrim place for Jains in Gujarat where the first Jain apostle (tirthankara) Lord Adishwar or Rushabh Deva attained nirvana.

It is believed that Lord Adishwar's chief follower and several devotees attained nirvana on Palitana, so ideally people visit the pilgrim place on that day. Those who can't go, would visit a temple which has the replica of Palitana. (the image on right is the small replica of the holy site)

This temple has always been crowded, but surprisingly, that evening not many people were present. In the image below you can see the replica of Palitana, which has cluster of temples located on the Shatrunjaya hills, built by generations of Jains over a period of 900 years, from the 11th century onwards. It reminded me of the days when I use to climb 3800-odd stone steps to reach the top of the hill, admiring the scenic landscape and feeling at peace with the tranquil surroundings. Each Jain temple has a main idol and this one was dedicated to Lord Adishwar. Svetambara Jains, a sect in Jains, decorate the idol with silver or gold foils, ornaments of gold or silver, costume jewellery, beads, gold or silver leaf, pearls, precious stones and flowers. The decoration is pretty elaborate particularly during festivals and religious occasions. These offerings are renewed daily as a gesture of devotion, sometimes by the priest or the followers. These are images of other Jain tirthankars, adorned with colorful turbans. It was also the last day of the nine-day festival called Navpad Oli (that's why the decoration), where the devout Jains follow a special type of fast where they eat only once a day. The food contains only cereals and pulses, not sprouted, without any spices, salt, oil, butter, milk, sugar, ghee or curd. Devotees making offerings to the lord as part of their worship and some are chanting prayers.
Jain temples are generally considered to be beautiful, with their intricate carvings and fine marble work, depecting a story or events from the holy scriptures. This is the nicely designed dome of the temple. A better look at the interiors of the Motisha temple, this was when I was asked to stop taking pictures, probably because lot more people started to come in. These are the sculptures on the temple walls on the outside. Another look at the architecture and structure of the temple. A short walk from the main temple was another temple dedicated to Jain scholar and monk called 'Acharya', unfortunately I don't remember his name. But the temple was exquisitely decorated that it glittered. From there we went towards the last temple which had idols of deities and footprints of tirthankaras. Deities or Yaksas (male) and Yaksinis (female) are considered to be the guardian deities and believed to have supernatural powers, looked after the well-being of Tirthankaras. This reflected their presence in Jain temples as well around the idols of Tirthankaras.

The image below is of Padmavati devi, the dedicated deity of Lord Parshvanath, the 23rd tirthankar (in Jainism there are 24 tirthankaras). Her color is golden and her vehicle is the snake with a cock's head, which is visible in the picture below. She has four arms and her two right hands hold a lotus and a rosary. The two left hands hold a fruit and a rein. There is a story that Padmavati devi along with Yaksha Dharanendra protected Parshvanath from the evil force when he was in deep meditation. Only Padmavati devi is revered more by the Jains. That's why you will find Lord Parshvanath always represented with the hood of a snake shading his head and the Yaksha Dharanendra and the Yakshi Padmavati are often shown flanking him.

This is the idol of Nakoda Bhairav, tutelary deity of Bhairav. He is worshipped before the beginning of journeys to avoid obstacles and to protect from evil powers. Some people believe in that, while some don't. That was the end of my visit to the temple, we left at the right time, just when more people started pouring in.

Bandra Worli Sealink: Mumbai's New Landmark

2009-04-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Destined to be the next landmark in Mumbai the Bandra Worli sea link is a massive 8 lane suspended bridge that will connect Bandra to Worli, this is a bright move in many ways for the city but with our raging monsoons and the sea level rising it does not provide a very comforting feeling.

But lets first take a look at the positives, anyone who has traveled to work by road would know the chaos you have to go in every day not only between Bandra and Mahim, but expect jams at Dadar, Tulsi Pipe and much more. The immediate benefits that come to mind is less jams, less fuel consumption, less pollution, less environmental damage by heat etc.

But since both the routes will then converge to the same old Pedder road, makes me wonder whats going to happen there.

Lets take a look at some of the details of the mumbai sea link that was expected to be completed in December 2008 and is still under construction to this day, but its getting there and is expected to be inaugurated on May 1st .

But the high toll of Rs.45 per journey makes it rather steep for a person who frequents up and down everyday, it works out to approximately Rs. 1,800 per month, it could be steep if it saves you only 25 minutes of your time as estimated.

Lets take a look at the Bandra Worli Sealink from another perspective,

So it seems the sea link has generated an interest not just across the country, but around the entire world, but this is development is at a much slower pace as compared our neighbour China. For the Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese created three four Metro lines connecting various parts of the city together in a span of two years. In Mumbai the Versova Ghatkopar metro plan was approved by the government in June 2004 and work started two years after that and is estimated to take another three years to get done.

Progress seems to be on the minds, but the speed at which its happening is questionable, but we do hope this helps Mumbai become a greener city to live in!

Enjoying Ice Gola at Chowpatty

2009-04-14T00:58:00.000-07:00

The soaring temperatures in Mumbai can get to you, especially if you are traveling during noon. The day we went for the vintage car rally, we were so dehydrated and I get really cranky in this heat. So the instant option to cool off was having a gola (ice slush) at Chowpatty beach.

Its one of Mumbai's speciality, I use to have a lot of those as a kid, so I relived those days when I slurrrped the kala khatta flavored gola and a Hershey-laden chocolate gola, one of the new flavor and more on that later. The gola wala (ice slush vendor) had so many different syrups lining his cart, it made a colorful picture.

The gola wala had many new flavors, cocktail, chocolate with milk maid, eec, so we thought of trying out the chocolate one. First he put the big block of ice in the machine to crush it, then he gathered the crushed ice with both his hands, made an oval shape and pushed a wooden stick through it. Then he slowly added milkmaid around it, my mouth was watering profusely at that time, then he placed the gola in a cup and added herscheys to it, whether its the real chocolate syrup I don't know as long as it tastes good, then he sprinkled chocolate pieces on it and I took the glass from his hand, before Clyde could. Then it was simply fantastic, I slurrped the chocolate flavored ice with milk, and I began to feel better and the smile was back on my face. Then the gola wala made the regular kala khatta for us, mixed with lime, salt and pepper. That was refreshing too, as you can see in the picture below. You need to keep sucking the syrup to get the complete taste of it, and you can feel your body cooling down. Having a gola is no fun without your fingers, mouth and tongue catching the colour of the syrup, you need to keep turning it so the ice doesn't break. If your syrup gets over, the gola vendor is generous enough to add some more syrup.

Its not too expensive either, Kala Khatta was for Rs 15, you can get it for less than Rs 10 in a small town or village and the chocolate gola cost Rs 30. So the gola slurping came to an end, we finished off all the chocolate syrup, but kala khatta was left. We happily started to walk away and forgot to pay the gola wala until he called us out.

If you go to a gola wala, make sure to try the chocolate flavor!

Mumbai's Super and Vintage Car Rally

2009-04-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

I generally ride to town on the weekend to pick Bhavika up, so when she told me about the vintage car rally at Kala Ghoda I was interested.

But on reaching Kala Ghoda we were not greeted by any vintage cars, but a line-up of modern Bentley's, Phantoms, Ferraris, Porsches, Rolls Royces and more, did I forget the crowd that seemed to be in a frenzy.

We couldn't see anything, but we got to see these street children who were sitting on this Harley - Busa and having a ball. :)

It was a pleasant sight, but the super car show highlighted the divide between the rich and the middle class, it was also interesting to see that most of these cars showcased here, did not have local number plates, possibly to avoid paying tax on these beauties.
The event was not organized as well as it should be, the person on the mike seemed frustrated as he repeatedly asked people to leave the main area as the cars needed to get out, we went for a walk and came across these two vintage beauties.
I think the red one seems like an old Porsche and this Chevy was so wide as if it had a sofa on the back seat, very well maintained and some classic interiors.
An onlooker who made conversation was saying that this was the first car Raj Kapoor bought and how well its maintained!

As the cars began to pull out of the enclosed area, thousands of people who had gathered there went berserk.

To get a view they panned across both sides of the path the cars would use, some of them climbed parked cars at the side, while some hung from a police van parked close by, pushing and fighting for place speaks loads about Mumbai's consumerism attitude.

We had a ball not only did we get a peek of the cars, but also watched people going absolutely crazy, that seemed to satisfy much more.

As the cars went by one by one, boredom sank in and I asked if we could leave, so we got on my bike and started off in the direction towards Nariman Point, but as we rode we realized a lot of vintage cars seemed to be on the move.

So we followed them Bhavika taking pictures as I was riding, and then we got to see the super cars display their horses as they decided to race against each other and set the road ablaze.

The Maserati ripped the road right open but, it wasn't fast enough for the Yamaha R1 that easily took the lead, the Maserati was chased by the others as they hit Marine Drive, we took a left and went along with the vintages that were parked at Nariman Point.

At Nariman Point we were time shifted by a couple of decades as the gleaming vintages welcomed us with their big round eyes and long faces! We were fascinated to see so many beauties from the past and when I came across the vintage motorcycles, the Henderson, BSAs, Nortons and Triumphs I was excited, not to miss the Lambretta and Vespa scooters.

It was enjoyable the latter half more than the start, thanks to the vintage beauties!

Dharavi the Industrial Slum in Mumbai

2009-03-26T04:23:00.000-07:00

Dharavi, known to most Mumbaikars or people living in Mumbai but just by face value as the largest slum in the city. Us like many who live here have only passed by Dharavi on our way to Sion, while exiting the city, or passing by it while your in a train.

We have never cared to know what happens in those slums, the only other reason Dharavi exists in our minds is due to the leather trade that takes place around the area.

Thanks to the shooting of Slumdog Millionaire that we have not yet watched the world opened its eyes to Dharavi and some recent surfing have brought out a massive insight into what happens in Dharavi that we would like to share with you.

Dharavi is just not a slum, its the recycling super-hub of Mumbai, believed to be host to at least 15,000 single room factories dealing with at least 80 percent of Mumbai's plastic recycling as well as other recyclables.

The approximate size of the entire slum is 530 Acres, making it the largest in Asia apart from that its also a massive economic zone that grossed over $600 million annually.

Apart from that, the government had planned a massive redevelopment program, but it has not been successful due to many reasons, namely the economic meltdown, and basically the government was trying to grab some of the land by treating the area as a residential redevelopment project leading to wide spread protests. Watch this video below to get a grasp of the situation,

Lets take a slight stroll into Dharavi's history from wiki, Dharavi was predominantly a mangrove swamp prior to the late 19th century that was inhabited by Koli's.

But as the swamps got filled in, how they still do nowadays in many parts of Mumbai, the fishing industry disappeared. A dam at Sion, that I never knew existed until know, adjacent to Dharavi, helped in speeding up the process of joining the separate islands into one long tapered mass.

And as Bombay was being formed, the creek dried up, Dharavi's fishing town was deprived of its traditional sustenance, but the newly drained marshes provided space for new communities to move in.

Migrants from Gujarat established a potters' colony, and Muslim tanners from Tamil Nadu migrated to Dharavi and set up the leather tanning industry. Other artisans, like the embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh, started the ready-made garments trade.

And today we still have a very diverse range of people from all around the country who still make their living there.

Ralli Jacob's Glass Art from Old Bottles

2009-03-09T08:10:00.001-07:00

We talk about recycling, some people take advantage of this recycling chain to make their living, in Mumbai we have the raddi wallas who we sell our old newspapers, bottles of beer etc.

The seller earns some money while the material is most likely going to end up at Dharavi that recycles 80% of Mumbais waste. But there are innovators in every field, would you pay Rs. 25,000 for a couple of used beer bottles, you may end up doing so if you appreciate art.

We visited Ralli Jacob's exhibition at the Ronak art gallery in Juhu, where he displayed his creation with used bottles.

Ralli uses his own Klin to heat bottles and then play with them by stretching and compressing parts to make his living selling these old bottles that are transformed into pieces of art that are colored to give them life.

We spent a good amount of time at this exhibition that was rather small but Ralli was quite interesting, not just talking about the process the bottles undergo but his thoughts on life and God.

Its surprising, even with the current market scenario, recession Ralli found a 10% increase in his sales as compared to his show held the previous year.

That's a good growth in the market, considering each glass sculpture starts from around Rs. 5000 and can go all the way beyond Rs. 25,000. Ralli din't want to give away all his secrets of his art, though he let us know that the bottles are stained with color before they are added to the fire.

His success rate is quite high as well, in a batch of 10 to 15 the bottles one bottle goes to waste. The artist usually has a concept that he has embedded in his thoughts prior to starting off with a bottle.

But one of his masterpieces that costs the most, is where he went with the flow of the bottle the shape it took rather than a preconceived design, this ended up being a very twisted sculpture.

Lets hear what the glass sculptor has to say,

Jacob finds it interesting to receive bottles from around the world that come with different base colours as it becomes fun to work with and you get some interesting finished products.

We hope to visit Ralli Jacob in Alibaug one day perhaps and record a video of him in action.

Kala Ghoda Festival, a Commercialised Spectacle

2009-02-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival was introduced to me by Bhavika perhaps two years ago, I still remember the performance by the lyrics last year as we sat on the steps on the road (amphitheatre at Kala Ghoda), the art lives, yes most of it is alive and fresh, the messages profound and the audience perhaps trickling and flowing at times.

But this year we got to see Kala Ghoda in a different and new perspective, we reached in the afternoon after an unsuccessful visit to see Flamingos in Sewri, if you go there remember to reach before 8 in the morning, will get back to that in another post but for now lets get back to the Kala Ghoda Festival 2009.

We reached there by mid noon, from the Naval dockyard road and the stalls were the same as last year, the NGOs, pottery, handicrafts and clothes, nothing unusual until you reach the stage where I saw some kids dancing to "I like to move it, move it" and a crowd that's filled up the area leaving only a little gap for people to walk by consciously makes me wonder, "wow is this an Art Festival?"

But just past the stage and its the usual time for some mind expansion, where we are greeted by creativity, green thoughts and recycled junk converted into thoughts to ponder.

Lets take a look at some of these fantastic pieces of art, during a pleasant afternoon, there weren't lot of people near the installations but some random people who were posing with the sculptures, while their friends took ages to get the perfect shot with multiple poses.
But that was alright as there was room for everyone and we had enough of our space to pause and ponder at everything that met our eyes. This one is called windows, it talks about how children or people like to look out of windows to see beyond, so by creating a wall from glass we allow transparency.
But if you were regular at Kala Ghoda you may have noticed so many repetitions as well, and sometimes you may also find similarities in the art and structure at the festival!

The object from the tree hanging down happens every year although I prefer last year's apples as compared to this one! A message for smokers at the Kala Ghoda festival, we inhale whatever we exhale.
This was one of my favorite installations at Kala Ghoda 2009, its called unprotected peace, a picture of what happens when moral force fails and brutal force takes its place.What happens to the future generation when we are playing with the entire worlds' resources. There were three installations in the top series with the sculptures spinning tops and toys that comprised earth, a way that transcends mans nature. The lotus pond made of plastic on the green grass reflects the pollution in the city, lotuses are beacons of clarity and peace, but at the moment the city is spinning out of balance. The artist urges people to become more environmentally conscious.
The one below has a very profound description, the sculpture is a mirror image of identity of individual and I am trying to reflect my own reflection. The artist is heavily influenced by the natural world surrounding him and considers the whole world same as his own created forms. Yet again a super installation that I enjoyed, every action has a reaction, likewise the events of corruption, terrorism, woman exploitation etc leaves a mark. Imagine if these reactions could prove their existence individually, they would just scream out! This sculpture had sounds of daily life emitting from around it. Fill your bladder, how long can you stand it? Was an experiment to show the daily lives of 50% of the slum dwellers in Bombay who have no toilets to use to relieve themselves, and nearly 65% of Mumbai's population lives in slums.

This creates 1000 to 1400 tonnes of excreta per day giving Mumbai a famous stench.
Collection of Objects from around the city. How the slums add color to the city.

The 8th Wonder of the World was a 40-feet high pyramid with 3 different kinds of water-related objects, its theme being water conservation. This is an interpretation to suggest that water is going to be scarce in future and this installation will be present every year at KGAF with different environmental themes. A reason to smile, a reason to think and a reason to be alive again. The artist is trying to provide an eye-opener to the viewer by commenting on growing commercialisation and globalisation and is trying to get the viewer out of the rat race and remember moments of his life that they have lost in this never-ending chase. You would not imagine that an umbrella with windows would mean something so profound. Here the artist is saying that these windows enable transaction between the personal sky and external sky, the same way the artist is asking to let your outer self communicate with your inner self.
Every year in Kala Ghoda there's something organized for children, last year it was painting this year clay sculptures and pottery as well.
Painted masks by children were exhibited on a board, quite nice and colorful aren't they!
A lot of people seem to be interested in pottery.
A vendor selling wind wheels, the background of this picture is very contrasting with the vendor dividing trees and concrete on either side!
Somebody has to ....

There was an installation of a massive garbage bag surrounded by smaller garbage bags, it had a small poem next to it that goes as,

Somebody has to polish the stars, they are looking a little dull
Somebody has to polish the stars, for the eagles, starlings and gulls
Have all been complaining they are tarnished and worn
They say they want new ones, we cannot afford
So please get your rags and polishing jars
Somebody has to go polish the stars

Basically we all need to do our bit to keep the city clean. A mother scorpion oozes a liquid that baby scorpions feed off her back, the same way our city Mumbai provides shelter to all of us and helps us survive. But right now we are not looking after her and destroying her beauty with pollution, chopping of trees, littering garbage etc. Its time to wake up and realise that we are killing our own mother.

I'm on a diet

Modern urban culture insists on being looks conscious and ultra thin, which affects a person's natural patterns of eating and enjoying taste. Urban men and women are more conscious of their physical appearances rather than insisting on natural looks, beauty and simplicity.

This installation is a cycle with a table attached to form a dining cycle, its asking people to stop worrying and start living life to the fullest.

The artquest section that features every here some new stuff and some old stuff here. I really liked the Ganesh Sitar, beautiful!

Wooden painted trucks Horn OK Please!

The Godrej cupboard a sign of India with a new cover.

Thats Bhavika and me :)

The carrom board below was first seen in Kalaghoda Art Festival 2007, so were the painted trunks and bars that were repeated this year as well.

Talented with wires, this man too seems very familiar and his work I think has been showcased before as well! After covering most of the art, we decided to get out for a while, we returned in an hour to find a transformation, there was no place to walk, people around us moved in slow motion all together like perfect bricks in a wall.

Voices fading in and out as they passed by us, Kala Ghoda had turned into an ant farm. People passing with equidistant footsteps, moving to and fro, on either side.

The roofless BEST bus that takes you on a tour around the city, a Kala Ghoda special here!
The art beckoned but many didn’t heed the call, has the artists thoughts and words failed to break the wall? But whose fault is it, when there is no space to walk or crawl, description placards on the floor as they don’t fit their holders.

A Visit to Mumbadevi Temple, the Oldest in Mumbai

2009-02-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

Mumbadevi temple, situated in the crowded area of Zaveri Bazaar in South Mumbai, is an iconic shrine and one of the oldest in the city. My visit to Mumbadevi temple has been long overdue, and I finally went there few days ago.

The city derived its name from Goddess Mumbadevi, the patron goddess of the Kolis (fishermen community), and literally speaking this temple has withstood test of time. Lets take a walk down the temple complex and winess few ancient customs that still exists within the holy confines.

Here's a bit of history about Mumbadevi Temple:

Originally Mumbadevi temple was built at the present CST station (Victoria Terminus) in Fort, in 1737 and soon brought down by the British government and shifted to its current location at Zaveri Bazaar. While certain Hindu sects believe that the temple came up even before that at Boribunder in 1675.

The road where the temple is located, known as Mumbadevi Road is blocked for vehicles, for security reasons, as several attempts have been made to bomb this place - in 1993 and in 2004. So there is police security 24x7 near the temple.

A common sight at any Hindu temple are small shops selling sweets, flowers, pictures of different Hindu Gods, and other items used for worship. The main temple, which is generally crowded on weekends, had few devotees offering their prayers. Goddess Mumbadevi is dressed in a robe with a silver crown, a nose stud and a golden necklace. To the left is a stone figure of Annapurna seated on a peacock while in front of the shrine is a tiger, the carrier of the Goddess. Cows are worshipped by the Hindus, so you will find lot of cows around Zaveri Bazaar and people pay a small amount to the owner to feed the cow with grass. Here's a better view of Mumbadevi temple. Unfortunately there are so many buildings in this area which are so close to each other, hardly at an arm's length, that the temple gets covered in this clutter. Within the complex are several pujaris, who reside there, perform rituals and customs for families who come for various purposes. They have small corners where they sit on their mats and sometimes they are chanting prayers, or just looking around at passerbys. This was coordinated effort to make chapatis and rotis, many temples have a communal kitchen where they serve food to the devotees, pujaris, sadhus etc. Caught in action, a goldsmith heating some metal. I liked this shop, there were lot of interesting items being sold here. Turbans embellished with ornaments, metal rings, bangles, and many items. Conches or shankhs in Hindi, I love the sound of it. They are considered as auspicious objects and often blown during ceremonies. Also available are metal lamps or diyas, bells and Shiva trishuls. I couldn't ask the price since I was getting lot of stares from the shopkeepers and pujaris. One pujari who I actually saw not sitting idle that day, performing puja for the family. Many kids get their mundan done here, where the child receives his or her first haircut. Idols of goddesses kept on a platform, outside Mumbadevi garden, which remains shut most of the time. Next to the garden is a municipal school as well. There are many small temples within the main complex, this one is Kamnath Mahadev temple, it was quite peaceful there. The entrance of the temple had statues of sadhus playing different musical instruments. This one was playing the tabla. I caught his attention while the temple pujari was giving his blesings to a devotee. If you like beads, then you will find lot of colorful ones on the road outside Mumbadevi temple, along with Rudraksha beads, considered to have spiritual and religious value. I was glad in the end that I finally visited Mumbadevi temple, and I found lot of changes from the last time I went inside. Its far more developed then what it use to be, but most temples in Mumbai are like that.

The pedas sold here are quite tasty, especially doodh pedas, made from milk and sugar. These are used to offer Goddess Mumba and after its blessed the pujari returns it back to you, and this is called 'Prasad'.

Pirate Cinema Bombay

2009-02-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

The concept of pirate cinema is something that can shatter the boundaries of this society; Indian society has the largest film industry and is possible the highest revenue churning market in the country. But two guys from Germany have come here with a very interesting initiative that they started off in Germany called Pirate Cinema.

Pirate Cinema in a nutshell is watching movies that are downloaded off the Internet, but of course it’s not going to be something like the dark knight or escape from Madagascar. The movies are something that can let you go back thinking about an underlined or subtle message that they hope you get.

A variety of filmmakers like Jose Benazeraf, James Benning, Guy Debord, Paula Delsol, Philippe Garrel, Jean-Luc Godard, Isidore Isou, Ken Jacobs, Joseph Marzano, Aleksandr Medvedkin, Jonas Mekas, Artavazd Peleshian, Nicholas Ray, Satyajit Ray, Jack Smith, Agnes Varda, Dziga Vertov, Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski and Andy Warhol were showcased during the sneak preview.

The films have been on for four Sundays and incidentally there will be two more screenings this weekend and the next weekend. We have participated in two screenings the first one, the sneak preview, that was the introduction to Pirate Cinema where the concept was unfolded to a small audience and yesterday a movie called Safe was greeted by a full audience on mats, sofas and a very composed atmosphere.

The essence of pirate cinema is sharing knowledge, people sharing movies, in many way helps enlighten a community, not only save on precious bandwidth that is a bottleneck in India. This is interesting for people to come together to watch movies, mingle and basically have something interesting and offbeat to do on their weekends, thanks to Pirate Cinema Bombay!

If you attend, don’t forget to take a blank DVD for the take away movies, for more details on Pirate Cinema Bombay take a look at the hosts of Pirate Cinema Bombay!

Sunset at Bandra Bandstand Promenade

2009-01-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

We went to Bandra Bandstand recently on a weekend after a long time. Bandstand is a regular hangout for couples, and like many seafronts in Mumbai it is crowded on a Sunday.

Bandstand, a kilometre long walkway along the sea, is normally associated with celebrities who reside in the area, the popular Shahrukh Khan's bungalow Mannat is facing the sea, and there are hordes of people waiting outside his bungalow, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

We took some pictures of Bandstand and watched the sunset.

There are few expensive flats belonging to Salman Khan, John Abraham etc. I am not sure who this one belongs to, but the building has fancy balconies. (This picture was taken by my friend Neeti Mehra) The promenade is revamped, which is always welcomed, we've (locals) had enough of those uneven paths. People enjoy taking a stroll, jogging or just sitting on chairs and looking at passer-bys. There were loads of people on the rocks, mostly couples, looking at the waves lashing against the shore, and looking at the beautiful sunset. While some were washing their clothes, there are also few slums on the shoreline.

Bandra Fort is located right at the end of road adjacent to Hotel Taj Land's End. We couldn't go there this time, but several music concerts take place in its open air theatre. Its a wonderful location to listen to music, look at the swaying palm trees and the Arabian sea as the backdrop.

Opposite that is Lover's Point, the name says it all. The cops make lot of money too by harrowing young couples.

In Mumbai sea fronts are generally cluttered with food stalls selling typical Mumbai delicacies, so to say. From pani puri to corn, sandwiches, ice-cream, etc., everything is available for families to enjoy their Sunday evening. My favorite wind wheels available for Rs 5. There is a small walkway from Bandstand which take you to the famous Mt Mary Church, which is on a hillock.

Is Slumdog Millionaire Overrated?

2009-01-15T11:05:00.001-08:00

Slumdog Millionaire, the movie that is causing ripples around the world, has not gone too well among certain audiences. Well, most of my friends thought that the movie has been overrated and over-hyped, there is nothing extraordinary about it.

Recently, Amitabh Bachchan criticised the 'portrayal of India' in the movie, he said, "If SM projects India as a third-world, dirty, underbelly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky underbelly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations."

Obviously when an actor of his stature, makes a comment like that, it would get lot of media attention. Its a different story that he later backtracked saying it was a collation of comments from his readers.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, its about rags to riches story. An orphan staying in Mumbai slums who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be A Millionaire, he appears on the show to connect with his lost love.

The boy is just one question away from winning Rs 20 million, when the show breaks for the night, and he is arrested by the cops who think he is cheating. Then the boy narrates the story of his life.

When I heard about the movie, and read the reviews it did feel this movie is stereotyping Indians to the world. Like a friend, Neeti Mehra said, "That's what foreigners think of India, poverty, call centers and Mother Teresa. The script of Slumdog showed the 'cliched' India, staying in Mumbai we have seen all of that."

The movie has appealed to the world, and it has been directed by Danny Boyle, known for Trainspotting. Many filmmakers have disagreedwith Bachchan's comment, saying that the audience judge a film based on how its made, and not on the basis of its maker.

But if an Indian director had made a western film, it probably wouldn't have been so hyped up. What do you think about Slumdog Millionaire and its plot?

Aarey's Energee: A Drink for All Seasons

2008-12-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

Sipping Aarey's Energee drink conjures up memories of school days when my dad use to buy me that instead of any cola. Colas are bad for you, he would say, and I would happily rejoice the flavoured milk.

It still is my favorite drink, and am sure many of you'll like it too. Energee doesn't harm your body since its milk-based, and it has nutritional value too. My personal favorites are Pineapple and Strawberry flavours, and also available are Coffee, Cardamom and Orange flavours.

Energee is available only in special Aarey dairy booths in Mumbai and not any retail outlets or departmental stores, and it still is the hottest selling soft drink.

I went recently to one of the booths near Churchgate and the guy served me some flavoured milk of another brand. I asked him in a surprised tone, has Energee stopped, the guy replied that its all sold off. That was the case at all the booths, it sells like hot cakes.

Most of these milk booths are found outside colleges, offices, and outside the station. During lunch hours it generally gets crowded, because people come to take a sip of this tasty flavored milk.

You might have noticed these booths become a hangout place for many, because you have to return the bottle back, so you are sipping and talking about what your boss told you or how frustrated you get at work.

Many times one Energee gets you feeling better. But the prices have gone up from Rs 9 to Rs 11, still cheap though. Somehow one bottle is never enough, it leaves you craving for more. Then other options available are Masala Milk, which is flavored milk with nuts in it, and Lassi.

After Effects of Mumbai Terror Attacks

2008-12-15T04:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas is round the corner and the city, which is always lit up during this time, is subdued. There is an uneasy feel in the air, post the terror strikes on 26/11.

I walked along Colaba Causeway last week in the evening, and was surprised to see the shopping hub usually bustling with tourists and bargain hunters, less crowded.

I could walk adjacent to my friend on the pavement without having to nudge anyone, if you are a regular there, you would know exactly what I mean.

There were just handful of foreign tourists around, the brave ones who choose to stay back. The roads get empty early than usual. There has been a major drop in the number of tourists visiting Mumbai, hotels are running empty, some operate with only four guests. The situation looks grim.

No New Year's Hungama

Things have changed quite a bit this time around. Five-star hotels, which host New Year's bash, have cancelled their party, owing to security concern. For instance - The ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton at Sahar and the Grand Central Sheraton at Lower Parel have cancelled their New Year celebrations.

The JW Marriott at Juhu and the Renaissance hotel have also called off their parties as a mark of solidarity. Besides, on New Year's its difficult to man the city, because everyone is out on the road, so this might help the cops do their job better. However, hotels like Leela Kempinski and Sahar Star are planning to go ahead.

Even Christmas dances held on December 24th on grounds and gymkhanas have been cancelled. Clearly, people aren't in the mood to celebrate, such was the impact.

Here's a thought-provoking article by Arundhati Roy on Mumbai's terrorist attacks.

Where's our Tax Money Going?

2008-12-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

Living in Bombay we have to deal with certain aspects in our day to day life no matter what we are doing. For four years of my life I traveled from Andheri to South Mumbai, Nariman Point and Kemps Corner, by rail and by road.

Not only have I had other people's sweat drip on me but also had to endure smelling armpits and oily hair rubbed on my face. The overcrowded trains is a well known issue in Mumbai, what we are even more famous for is our potholed roads, you literally have to dodge potholes if you are going to drive even a kilometer in the city.

We have garbage and dirt everywhere, everywhere we walk there are either pan stains plastic bags, leftover vegetables, the possibilities are endless. In my locality Seven Bungalows the beach faces a unique problem, every time the beach gets a set of new dust bins, they are robbed. So the beach is littered even more by the few people who would use these dustbins.

A solution comes to mind is that if the dustbins are placed at frequent intervals and there are so many of them, the value automatically hits an all time low, the Government should invest in a massive amount of dustbins so the thief finds his time more valuable than the actual cost of dustbin.

What about the air levels and water pollution, the pollution control website does not have the test results updated since 2003. On Google Earth we can actually see the entire sea pumped with our black sewage from the city untreated! Apart from that there's a new hazard raising its head in urban Mumbai, cell phone radiation towers that emit more than 50 times the safety limit and no ones doing anything about it.

Apart from that the 16 CCTV's at CST station didn't record any footage of the terrorist attacks because the recording device was not functioning. It's absolutely crazy, a system that is so corrupt that the people who are suppose to protect you rob you at every opportunity, where fear is the game they play, to keep us at bay!

I think its time we wake up and make things happen to protect the lives of the future generations that will need a safe and healthy environment to live. We need to wake up Mumbai, its time to be the change we want to see!

Impactful Ads on Mumbai Terror Attacks

2008-12-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

The dark memories of 26/11 attacks will remain for a while, as the people of Mumbai gather piece by piece and begin to lead a normal life.

The advertising world expressed their anger and angst against the terror strike through a series of hard-hitting ads.

The messages are pretty clear, that Mumbai needs to strike back. These ads were made at the request of a daily newspaper.

Have a look at the ads, everyone one of us can relate to the feelings expressed in them.

Don't let the fervour and agitation showed during the Mumbai protest rally fade away. Violence, hatred, anger, revenge, it is a vicious cycle. We need cut the hate, stop the cycle. Time has come to write an open letter to the Prime Mnister, express our angst, frustration and tell him that enough is enough. Another hard-hitting ad, poinitng out the real picture.
A perfect ad that highlights how incompetent our security guards and cops are. Snooze, thats what they do most of the time on duty. Last but not the least, this ad salutes the fighting spirit of Mumbai.

Image Source:

Angst and Anger on ad avenue

Anti Political Activism by Mumbai Citizens

2008-12-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

There has been a splurge of chain mails doing the rounds after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. We decided to merge and put a couple of them up to give you a clear picture of what is actually happening to and by the people of Mumbai who are fed up of being take for a ride by the politicians.

The pictures are from the protest rally, the first email is an open letter to the Prime Minister of India.

Dear Mr. Prime minister,

I am a typical mouse from Mumbai. In the local train compartment which has a capacity of 100 persons, I travel with 500 more mouse. A mouse can at least squeak but we can't even do that.

Today I heard your speech. In which you said 'NO BODY WOULD BE SPARED'. I would like to remind you that fifteen years have passed since the serial bomb blast in Mumbai took place. Dawood Ibrahim was the main conspirator. Till today he is not caught.

All our bollywood actors, our builders, our Gutka kings meet him but your Government can not catch him. Reason is simple; all your ministers are hand in glove with him. If any attempt is made to catch him everybody will be exposed. Your statement 'NOBODY WOULD BE SPARED' is nothing but a cruel joke on this unfortunate people of India.

Enough is enough. As such after seeing terrorist attacks carried out by about a dozen young boys I realize that if same thing continues, days are
not away when terrorists will attack by air, destroy our nuclear reactors and there will be one more Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

We the people are left with only one mantra. Womb to Bomb to Tomb. You promised Mumbaikars-a Shanghai and what you have given us is a Jalianwala Bagh.

Only today, your home minister resigned. What took you so long to kick out this joker? Only reason was that he was loyal to the Gandhi family. Loyalty to Gandhi family is more important than blood of innocent people, isn't it?

I am born and brought up in Mumbai for the last fifty eight years. Believe me corruption in Maharashtra is worse than that in Bihar. Look at all the politicians- Sharad Pawar, Chagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, Bal Thackray, Gopinath Munde, Raj Thackray, Vilasrao Deshmukh all are rolling in money. Vilasrao Deshmukh is one of the worst Chief ministers I have ever seen. His only business is to increase the FSI every other day, make money and send it to Delhi so that Congress can fight next election.

Now the clown has found a new way and will increase FSI for fishermen so that they can build concrete houses right in front of sea shore. Next time terrorists can comfortably live in those houses, enjoy the beauty of sea and then attack Mumbai at their will.

Recently I had to purchase a house in Mumbai. I met about two dozen builders. Everybody wanted about 30% in black. A common person like me knows this and with all your intelligence agencies & CBI, you and your finance ministers are not aware of it. Where does all the black money go? To the underworld isn't it?

Our politicians take help of these goondas to vacate people by force. I myself was a victim of it. If you have time, please do come to me, I will tell you everything.

If this has been a land of fools, idiots, then I would not have ever cared to write you this letter. Just see the tragedy, on one side, we are reaching the moon, people are so intelligent and on the other side you politicians have converted nectar into deadly poison.

I am everything Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Schedule caste, OBC, Muslim OBC, Christian Schedule caste, Creamy Schedule caste, only what I am not is INDIAN. You politicians have raped every part of mother India by your policies of divide and rule.

Take an example of our former president APJ Abdul Kalam. Such a intelligent person, such a fine human being. You politicians didn't even spare him. Your party along with opposition joined the hands, because politicians feel they are supreme and there is no place for a good person like him.

Dear Mr Prime minister-you are one of the most intelligent persons, most learned person. Just wake up, be a real SARDAR. First and foremost expose all selfish politicians. Ask Swiss bank to give name of all Indian account holders. Give reins of CBI to independent agency. Let them find wolf among us. There will be political upheaval but that will be better than dance of death which we are witnessing every day.Just give us ambience where we can work honestly and without fear. Let there be rule of law. Everything else will be taken care of.

Choice is yours Mr. Prime Minister. Do you want to be lead by one person or you want to lead the nation of a 100 Crore people?

Politicians and Pakistan Slammed at Protest Rally

2008-12-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

We are still recovering from last week's terrorist attacks, and the angst, frustration and anger that was building up inside had to be let out. Living in Mumbai is no more safe, and we had to take things in our own hands. All the roads led to Gateway of India today, against the backdrop of the destroyed Hotel Taj Mahal, as thousands of Mumbai residents gathered to send a strong message to politicians and the neighbouring country, Pakistan, and mourn the deaths of innocent people.
The protest was organised through SMS and social networking site and people gathered in humongous numbers. I have never seen something like this before, everyone speaking the same language, in unison, demanding justice and security.

The roads were crowded right from Flora Fountain, many people including me choose to walk from there to Gateway of India, instead of waiting for the traffic to move ahead.

As I moved closer to Regal theatre, I could feel the energy building up. The attacks had pushed people to the edge of taking action. People were screaming slogans of "Vande Mataram", "Bharat Mata ki Jai", "Pakistan Murdabad" etc. They were carrying placards, banners bashing politicians and terrorists. The atmosphere was electrifying, as people moved slowly towards Gateway. People of all age groups turned up. I was so glad to see college kids, students, working crowd, elderly citizens, even small kids who came with their parents to show that people of Mumbai are united. The patriotic fervour was evident among each one of us. Watch the video below to witness the huge crowd and emotional outpour post the terrorist attacks. Sorry about the quality, it was really dark and no streetlights were on.

Small pockets of crowd were waving the Indian flag, cheering for the country and its deceased heroes, and shouting out that they care about their country, not the money-seeking politicians. Another video I managed to take of the rally, this was while walking ahead with the crowd.

At every step there was a level of warmth among people, no pushing or rushing forward. In fact there was no nudging or groping, like how it generally happens when women walk in a overcrowded place. People lit candles and paid tribute to the deceased, it was an emotional moment. As I reached closer to Gateway of India, I stared at the Taj, thinking of the gruesome attacks and the long siege that took place last week on November 26th. It was one of the worst nightmares of Mumbai. The entire area was cordoned off, with only few cops guarding the place, and the entrance to the hotel was fully sealed.

Group of people screaming out anti-Pakistan slogans.

Rapid Action Force, who did a remarkable job, was also guarding the area. I saw many people actually go up to them and congratulating them for doing a good job, and uttering few encouraging words like, "Well Done," "Acha Kaam Kiya". There was a signature campaign on, and the picture below, shows their strong call for action. This time the cops didn't create any havoc either, things went by smoothly, there was no stampede, as I initially thought. On my way back, a very kind man made a separate way for the ladies and families to walk on, it was easier to get out. On moving forward, I saw a couple of Sardarjis giving away water and tea for free. It was a very nice gesture, especially when you are so dehydrated and tired, symbolisng that we all were part of one community, religion was no bar. Its only the politicians who create communal fights among people, instigate them for their own vested interest, I truly salute the spirit of Mumbai.