Sunday, December 27, 2009

Mumbai!

The impossibility of a city's existence strikes you. You step off a train onto a railway platform overflowing with people. They are men and women in formal wear, college students, casual laborers, newspaper vendors and beggars. Rushing through life. A city skyline beckons in the distance. You sit on the rocks, to take in the night sky, the jewels. You give your heart away to the place.

The world wakes up to a new dawn. Not Mumbai, the city never sleeps. There are always buses and trains to catch, offices and schools to run to, work to be done in shops and homes. Life does not stand still, never, not for anything.

Old tin roofs, large white clocks, tobacco stained walls, millions of lives breathe past you. You stand in relativity, in hushed surprise. The young ones cross the railway tracks to feel the adrenaline rush. Trains know better than to run late. Every 2 minutes, they arrive to whisk you off to wherever you have to spend the rest of your day.

Colors are everywhere. In streetlights, neon shop lights, sparkling glass buildings. The night smells of lashing waves, freshly caught fish, vada pav and kesar kulfi. Crabs bask in the evening light, cars flash by signals, the sun sets behind mountains or horizons. The millions of people suddenly materialize from nowhere, with no respect for those poor drivers the roads should belong to. And yet, they would willingly stop anytime to help give directions or watch roadside fights.

God casts his shadows over tall buildings, dark narrow roads, and the jewels come to life. The necklace of a Queen it is rumored to be. Nostalgia catches up as we remember the countless evenings spent strolling along Marine Drive. Sitting on the rocks and talking about life. Later we slept under the stars, ruffled by a gentle breeze. For all its noisy crowds, nothing could disturb the tranquility of the place.

There is a little place in our hearts for everyone coming here. We wait, we help, we touch, and we make a little space for you too. We do not need broad tree lined streets to make it a place worthy of being lived in. It is, and will be great for everything it is made of. Beauty lives in every wall and stone. Museums, churches and history amaze all. Mumbai has lived past that. The station is old, Victoria Terminus is astounding in its loveliness.

Terrorists those are, that walk in and try to burn holes in the city. Fear haunts us for a while, but we get back to our usual lives. A day or two, and it moves on. Life is full of hope and positive things. The city grows, against fear, against everything trying to drag it down. It was never crowned as the king. It grew into the financial capital of India.

For all of us who love Chinese dosas and every other experimental thing to eat, Dalal Street holds special meaning. Walk by and you see stargazers beguiled by the sight of the flashing screen. It would be sacrilege not to mention the kababs that can make a connoisseur faint from pleasure. No fancy Urdu names about generous leaders, the place is called Bade Miyan.

Child of the rain gods, Mumbai's people revel in its insanity. Stand near Worli Seaface and you can taste the salty drops as sheets of water spray you all over. A walk on a causeway over the sea brings you to the beautiful Haji Ali Dargah. Exquisitely constructed in the style of Indian Islamic architecture, the shrine is replete with legends about doomed lovers.

Bandra at the heart of Mumbai is enticing in its beauty. Old world bungalows on sloping roads, trees bending down to curtained windows, fishermen, rocks and sea. There is plenty for food lovers and no dearth of places to hang out - Biona, Lucky, China Gate, Pot Pourri, Hawaiian Shack, CCD, Bagel Place, Toto's, Poison.

MunnaBhai breaking bones, chasing girls and getting drunk. That is Dhobi Ghat.

The beach is just a few minutes away. If ever you feel like taking a walk, being by yourself, sitting down with the warmth of the sand grains beneath your feet. Sinking in the sand watching the sun go down. A sliver of red, a seductive glow bathing the sea in a silver sheen. Reflections..

Aksa, Madh and Marwe beaches are the perfect holiday spots with their many resorts, peaceful spots in a mad world. Juhu beach was the place we went to on Sunday evenings with our parents. Splashing about in the water, building sand castles and digging tunnels was followed by rides on the giant wheel and visits to the food stalls! The sev puri, pani puri and pav bhaji are beyond delicious, they are among the best you can find anywhere. And these Northerners think they know how to make chaat. The sight of colored Gola bottles always makes me long for my favorite - orange, kalakhatta and lemon.

You could be an auto driver or cruising in a fancy car, and yet you could not resist taking your eyes off the road to stare in wonder at the dark mysterious expanses of sea, the towers of diamonds built over you. They fly over the water, on the Bandra Worli Sea Link.

Earrings, sandals, hand bags, food stalls and coffee shops outside National's; you are lost in a maze of colors and girls bargaining with shopkeepers to bring down prices from 350 to 100. Linking Road in Bandra.

An old world mystique stuns you. World of sepia, of quaint little bungalows that have lived past the years. Quiet family homes framed in wooden arches, black iron gates creak open. From the sights and sounds of rushing madness to the smell of steaming chai and pakodas.

The mountains, lakes, the sea and mangroves have laid claim to these lands. Just as rich as the physical diversity is that of the communities, cultures and regions its people belong to. The imam calls for prayer while the young men dance to loud drums. Carols are sung while they hold burning candles. They cover their heads and are merciful in prayer. Life, in more than one way, is a celebration. A Jewish Synagogue stands tall in its uniqueness and beauty.

The slumdogs of Mumbai, chasing real planes. Listening to the rush of planes taking off and betting on which airline it would be. Running to the balcony with my brother, to check, to watch the dazzling firecrackers in the distance, spraying the skies with their glittering colors.

The green of the forests is a trick by magic. Silver waterfalls twinkle in your ears wherever you go. The roads to Kanheri and Lonavla charm you with their raw, wild beauty.

The summers are not really hot, the winters are not really cold, and often you cannot tell the difference between the two. At least you do not need a winter mist to hide those unlikable faces. Meeting the same people everyday; the same time, in the same compartments; making a journey together in local trains, the lifeline of Mumbai. Nothing beats the feeling of standing near the door of a fast train compartment and hanging out of it to feel the wind rush up to you. Escaping from the TC.

But it rains all right! That is an understatement. The downpours are crazy, wrath like; flooding streets, stranding people outside their homes, bringing life in a normally unstoppable city to an almost complete halt. And in this madness, you would find a couple of naughty urchins dancing in the rain and splashing in the puddles like they have never enjoyed life more! Makes you think about those little things that suddenly make you feel beautiful.

Spending a day at The Gateway and taking a launch ride to Elephanta Caves. Walking in the by lanes behind the Taj, all the way to the Prince of Wales Museum. Lying down in the grass at Azad Maidan. Heavens above you, counting diamonds.

The best part about the city is its people. They may be busy, but they would genuinely help you. No 'Sorry', 'Please', 'Thank You' needed. No worrying about courteousness and manners, no having to think twice before you speak. Everyone bothers only with their own work, not that of neighbors and acquaintances.

You can do anything you like here, Mumbai provides you with it all. They are equals, be they beggars or the rich, they live, eat and travel together. They are comfortable with themselves and happy with their lives. You have your own space, no one and nothing can threaten you anywhere, any time. There is a warm feeling, a feeling of returning home. No matter where you come from, you grow to love the place and its people.

Disclaimer: All photos are taken from the Internet.

6 comments:

Akshay said...

Love the second photo (the clock at the platform). Reminds me of the days when I got down at Charni Road station to go to Lamington Road to buy random electronics (of course Nehru Place is better :-P).

The Linking Road pic is really nice and surprisingly the place looks as nice and colorful in reality as well.

Siddharth Chaudhari said...

Love it!

harshit said...

The train photo is awesome...it reminds me of the four years spent travelling...

Dwiti R said...

Its true.. the city never seems to sleep..
Amazing photos..

Payel said...

Are all these photos taken by you as well ? Amazing photography and even better capturing of the sights and sounds of what makes Bombay. There never will be a city ever like Bombay ! Ever ! :)

Serpentine said...

Oh no! the photographs aren't mine, but they r truly mesmerizing!

 

Free Blog Counter