Bombay Mix
Mumbai, India, November 2013
Mumbai reminds me of a bowl of Bombay Mix that they serve in Indian restaurants. It is made up of a handful of different ingredients that should not go together but do. It is the fourth largest city in the world with a population of 25 million but remarkably ancient trades have managed to survive. The architecture is a strong mix of well-preserved Colonial and shabby-chic Art Deco dotted with high-rise modern towers. It also has its own beach, several parks and cricket pitches. Add to it a frisson of tension and the spice of Bollywood and you have a seriously addictive city that will leave you licking your fingers and wanting more.
The peaceful scene is interrupted suddenly by a flock of pigeons disturbed from their resting place
I will never forget the mesmerising view from my bedroom window at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel on my first morning in Mumbai. Just below to the left sat the famous Gateway of India and immediately in front the calm Arabian Sea dotted with colourful ferry boats. The peaceful scene is interrupted suddenly by a flock of pigeons that have been disturbed from their resting place by a silent cannon and become silhouetted against the sun rising to mark a new day.
The hotel is one of the world's Grande Dames and was completed in 1903 and just oozes history although it's best to enter the hotel from the original entrance under the dome instead of through the modern revolving doors beneath the tower which was added in 1973. The dramatic staircase has to be seen to be believed as does the verandah where you can have afternoon tea overlooking the gardens and swimming pool, but that luxury is unfortunately only available to residents. With the new tower and lobby area the hotel is a perfect combination of old and new but I was so glad I was staying in one of the palace rooms where you get added treats like complimentary pre-dinner cocktails in the Palace Lounge.
Its neighbour, the Gateway of India, was built to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary when they visited India in 1911 but wasn't completed until 1924. Back then the city was under the control of the British Raj and was known as Bombay. Standing 25 metres high, it is a peculiar archway, as you can't walk or drive through it and it sits at an abstract angle to the hotel, just feet away from the water's edge. Half of the people surrounding it are tourists while the other half are heading to and from the ferries that dock at the stone steps on its far side.
The area in front of the Gateway is bustling with activity day and night. Street photographers take instant snaps of tourists, many of which are Indian Nationals, and print them out on portable printers that they have to continually fan to keep cool in the heat of the sun. Colourful horse-drawn carriages decorated in tacky plastic flowers and fairy lights canter up and down the street and in the evening look as if they have escaped from a fairground carousel.
A few minutes drive away is the old Fort district which was the heart of the city in the 18th century. Although the original fort walls were demolished the buildings in this part of the city resemble a miniature London. In particular the Victoria Terminus train station in its gothic revival style looks uncannily like the St Pancras and the University buildings resemble a miniature Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. The streets are wide with roundabouts decorated with fountains and statues and you can even watch a game of cricket being played.
Once beyond the Fort district the architecture becomes Art Deco. Mumbai is second only to Miami in the number of Art Deco buildings although it is sometimes hard to spot them as they are sadly run down and dirty with not a vibrant coat of paint in sight. From here Marine Drive sweeps around the bay leading towards Chowpatty Beach in the distance and although a popular place for exercising, walking and enjoying the sunset, it was very disappointing in the day light and in desperate need of some TLC.
By far the most fascinating part of the city tour is witnessing the ancient trades that still survive. From the side of the road you get a bird's-eye view looking down on an ancient open-air laundry, Dhobi Ghat. Only men are allowed to work here and you can watch them clean clothes in rows of concrete pens filled with cloudy water or smack wet laundry against flogging stones.
Despite the fact that it didn't seem a particularly hygenic environment to wash clothes - especially as it was next to a busy railway line - the clothes on the washing lines hanging above their heads were surprisingly clean. Rows of pristine white shirts, jeans in every shade of blue denim and vibrantly coloured bedding dry in the heat and amazingly, no pegs are used. It only costs £2 for 20 pieces of laundry which is picked up from each home and delivered back washed and ironed. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that this business has survived the passage of time.
vibrantly coloured bedding dry in the heat and amazingly, no pegs are used.
Mumbai is made up of seven islands that were once home to fishing colonies. The city's fish market is still thriving and an incredible place to visit although unfortunately you have to take in all the sights from the backseat of your tour guide's car. However, it would have been too dangerous to walk through with all the delivery vans and ice-making trucks crushing large blocks of ice into plastic crates to refrigerate the fish, not to mention the thousands of people who work here. The colourful fishing boats moored in the small harbour were packed so closely, stern to bow, that you could walk from one to the other all the way out to sea. Taking photos is also forbidden and it was torture keeping my camera on my knee.
However, the third ancient trade that has still survived is the most fascinating and started back in 1880. To this day 200,000 lunch boxes are collected from the homes of business men living in the suburbs and delivered to their offices around the city. They are then re-collected after lunch and delivered back to their homes. There are approximately 5000 delivery men, known as Dabbawalas or Tiffin Box men, who transport these lunch boxes by bicycle, train and bus.
They use four different abbreviated markings on each lunch box. The first states the collection point; the second is colour coded and states the train or bus station it has to go to; the third number is the destination station and the fourth is for the final Dabbawala in the chain so he knows which building and floor he has to deliver the lunchbox to. It has been estimated that they make only one mistake in every six million deliveries which is an amazing statistic given that many of the Tiffin Box men are illiterate.
Sadly, due to the Diwali festival the majority of the offices were closed and therefore we didn't see any Tiffin Box men despite driving around searching for them outside train and bus stations. The only evidence of their existence was their chained-up bicycles. There are numerous Western fast food chains all over the city but we were told they find it very hard to complete with the Tiffin Box men but then who wouldn't prefer a meal lovingly prepared by your wife or mother and delivered to your desk for only 480 rupees or £5 a month?
A city tour of Mumbai consists of a manic whirlwind drive around the city, avoiding all the black and yellow taxis that swarm around like wasps. Everything is done at speed and most of what we saw was witnessed from the back seat as it was just too difficult to stop.
In direct contrast some attractions take up far too much time, especially if you only have a few days in Mumbai. A visit to Elephanta Island, although fascinating and well worth a visit, uses up half a day as the ferry journey alone takes1 1/2 hours each way. On reaching the island a toy train will take you from the jetty to the base of the steep steps leading up to the caves although it went so slowly it would have been quicker walking.
Souvenier shops line the steps and provide you with a good excuse to stop and catch your breath, alternatively you can be carried up on a wooden chair tied to two poles. The caves were discovered by the Portuguese in the 17th century and the carvings date back to between the 6th and 8th centuries. They are a UNESCO world heritage site and the well preserved carvings depict stories about the Hindu gods so it definitely helps to have a guide to translate them for you.
They are a UNESCO world heritage site and the well preserved carvings depict stories about the Hindu gods
Another afternoon was taken up by a Bollywood Movie. The film we chose to see was Kirssh 3. Again the experience is highly recommended despite the film lasting 3 1/2 hours. The movies are so long that they even have an interval and everyone orders snacks, without having to leave their seat, from waiters working for the foyer vendors. Another unusual factor was standing for the national anthem at the beginning. I just wish that there had been more singing and dancing as it really was the best part of the film.
Also, the Gandhi museum, which is in the house where he used to stay with a friend, required a good hour to look at all the photographs and exhibits. I was slightly embarrassed not to know more about this famous man and didn't even know that he had been assassinated. I will definitely need to watch the movie on his life sometime soon.
Mumbai has an undercurrent of tension or frisson as if it is on high-security alert. Each time we got back to the hotel our tour guide's car was searched - bonnet and boot were opened and underneath inspected by telescopic mirrors. All our luggage was put through airport security scanners, handbags included and we had to walk through a metal detector. The same airport-like security and searches took place before entering the open space in front of the Gateway of India and my camera had to have its battery removed and kept by the security team at the cinema.
In addition, our tour guide and driver treated us like precious cargo constantly warning us not to look at the beggars or go out after dark, which made me feel slightly nervous about leaving the hotel on my own and, looking back, the one thing I regret is not being brave enough to walk around and explore the Fort district unescorted.
Mumbai is a fascinating city and I feel that all I got was a taste of what she had to offer. That is not a bad thing as it just means I will definitely need to go back and the next time I will make sure I take my time to savour all the different ingredients and not treat it like a quick snack.