Mumbai- a dream for many, a reality for few. Mumbai had always been on my bucket list. Little did I knew that my visit to Mumbai will be an academic visit. I got the opportunity to present my research paper at a conference in Tata Institute of Social Sciences. I utilized this opportunity to explore the city and it turned out to be an amazing 3-day trip in February. My flight landed in Mumbai at 5:00 a.m. the moment I stepped out of the airport, I could hear the birds chirping. I could feel the fresh breeze of air that swept away my tiredness. I booked the KaliPeeli taxi to Juhu Beach to see the sunrise. The driver played old Hindi songs while I sliding down the mirror of the car window enjoyed way to the beach. I could spot the boats with the lights on in the sea and their reflection in the water added to the beauty of the moment. I captured those moments in my camera and made few videos. The Bandra-Worli Sea link looked beautiful with the street lights playing their best role and adding to the beauty. Finally the taxi dropped me at Juhu beach. I could see many people doing different things. It was their way of starting morning routine. Some people were playing volleyball, some were doing yoga, and some were jogging while some were walking. The dogs were enjoying too. They were playing with each other and running here and there. I reached to the sea shore and felt the sand in my feet. The color of the sky was changing, and the creatures like birds, crows etc. were chirping and signaling that it’s the sunrise time. I just stood there watching the clouds making beautiful patterns while feeling the sea water under my feet. The first sunrise in Mumbai was truly mesmerizing. And I felt lucky to witness it just after being landed in the city. I planned the itinerary for the next three days and started exploring the city.
The food:
Mumbai, famous for its street food, has surely got variety of food options for everyone. And vada pav is the must have food item that no one would like to miss. The shop outside the famous Siddhi Vinayak temple serves the best masala khichdi. There are several varieties of vada pav that one must try like missal pav, masala vada pav etc. you can’t get over the Dabeli and masala papad which are mouthwatering dishes. The local people are very sweet and humble. They are always smiling and ready to help the people. The city is home to number of cats too.
The market:
It’s a perfect destination for shopaholics. The markets are famous for accessories, clothes, fancy items, decorative, artifacts, wooden items and handicrafts. An individual, while being on the shopping spree are seen enjoying the delicious street food. Crawford market, founded in 1871 is the oldest and most famous market of Mumbai. Spread over a vast area of 72,000 sq. yards, this market is famous for its architecture. On some parts of the buildings, tourists will be able to view Gothic styles of architecture. The stone fountain in the Center of the market are also worth a visit. The exteriors of the market are adorned with wall paintings, murals and pictures of Indian farmers working in the field. Located just a few minutes’ walk from CST, tourists head to this market for its extremely beautiful architecture and to buy household items. A whole array of dazzling fruits and vegetables can be found here. The mix of fragrance vegetables, combined with the aromas of the fresh cheese and homemade chocolate, makes it an interesting visit for tourists. One can spot cat every 50 meters in the city, maybe lying on the benches staring you as you click them.
Transport:
Mumbai is famous for its local transport. Thousands of daily passengers commute through various modes of transportation such as auto, cabs, kaalipeeli taxis, and locals. The locals are the lifeline of the city. The chaos of taking the tickets, struggling to enter into the local and managing to stand properly without the push making you fall is the one thing that makes the journey more memorable and gives the insights to the local culture of the people in Mumbai. The kaali peeli taxi is indigenous to the city. These taxis constitute a major segment of Mumbai’s life. The red coloured double decker buses is also one of the main attraction of tourist. Every tourist travels in this bus for once at least. The sound of the horn is soft and unique. It’s the signal that bus is going to arrive and people be ready at the bus stop. The local drivers are sweet and helpful. Local transport makes it more efficient and easy to explore the city in the minimum time.
The Architecture:
Mumbai being the most urbanized city in the country, is a perfect blend of modern and old architecture. Some of the buildings in the city looks straight out of a film setting. All the commercial complex are designed in the same style with huge windows. The educational institutions are designed by the Britishers in Gothic style. The huge entrances leading to the classes and buildings looks more beautiful. Everything looks more beautiful during night.
Marine drive:
No Mumbai trip is complete without visiting Marine drive. City located along the drive, makes it more mesmerizing. In the morning. People head to it for a morning walk and can be seen chit chatting with their friends. The sunset looks beautiful from the drive. The noise of the waves reaching to your ear makes you numb at the moment and you just stand there still. The silence and peace can be experienced at the drive.
With the sand beneath my feet and waves making my feet wet, all I can say is “Mumbai, see you soon again.”
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