In April earlier this year, after partaking in an amazing night of Bollywood dance lessons with my clients and then delivering an energizing innovation workshop the next morning, I was free to enjoy the delights India had to offer.
We had stayed at the very funky Soho House Mumbai (a hotel and members club like the one in London) with unobstructed vast sea views. A hangout for the artsy, creative types, including Bollywood celebrities, it meant that there were sometimes paparazzi stalking outside and that they had a no photo policy in the lobby and public areas.
The trip was an unexpected one, having been invited to host a workshop for my Dubai clients in Mumbai on a fairly last minute basis and I seized the opportunity to add on a few days to explore India afterwards with Mike joining me although we did move onto more cost-effective and less glamorous digs.
Exploring the Harbour City
With its glittering views of the Arabian Sea, Mumbai is a culturally diverse melting pot of temples, bazaars, mosques, churches and historical buildings. It is the most populated city in India with over 20 million people. That’s more than half of the entire population of Canada in one city!
The buzzingly vibrant capital city of Maharashtra state, Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay under the British rule) is also the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India, one that paints the extremes of the wealthy glamorous lives of Bollywood celebrities to the poorest of the poor who live in the slums.
Bandra West, the Queen of the Suburbs
Dropping off our bags to check in at our hotel in Bandra, which is known as the Queen of the Suburbs, we were not very impressed with our surroundings since there were dilapidated shed-like stores across the street.
We soon discovered that even Bollywood celebrities, in their huge mansions, lived amongst less glamorous neighbours, something quite surprising to us.
We drove by the sea-facing houses of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan as well as the glass-covered house that Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in India, gifted his daughter Isha for her wedding gift. Yes, that is the same daughter who was a bridesmaid at Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ wedding, who also had Hillary Clinton as her wedding guest, and Beyonce as a performer at her wedding.
We took the Bandra–Worli Sea Link (officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link is a bridge connecting Bandra in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai with Worli in South Mumbai.
Visiting Ghandhi’s home Mani Bhawan
Located in a tree-lined residential area, we visited Mahatma Gandhi’s Mumbai home. A two-story building, which is now a museum and library, it showcases photos of The Great Soul’s (which is the meaning of his name “Mahatma”, an honorific title) journey advocating for freedom and peace.
There were even letters that he had written to Franklin Roosevelt and to Hitler appealing to him to end the war.
Gandhi’s letters to Roosevelt and to Hitler
We stood outside on the balcony on which he had once spoken to crowds and imagined what it might have been like to hear him speak.
A fan of dollhouses and miniatures, I especially liked the shadow box figurine scenes that featured certain key events in Gandhi’s life such as incidences of his civil disobedience to protest against human rights violations, his return from South Africa, meeting the King at Buckingham Palace, his trial etc.
Cruising along Marine Drive
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is one of my favourite books, which is based on the real-life exploits of the author — an escaped convict from Australia who begins a new life in Mumbai, operating a slum clinic and living in the slum, who eventually works with the mafia.
As the main character often rides his motorbike along the Marine Drive, or the “Queen’s Necklace” as some call it, I was able to conjure up scenes from the book including clandestine meetings at the Chowpatty Beach as we drove along Marine Drive.
Colaba, the Tourist District
Given our short time in Mumbai and my not feeling very well, most of our sightseeing was of the drive-by variety. After visiting Mani Bhavan, we headed to Colaba, a bustling tourist area and one of the seven islands that made up Bombay.
Its main road, the Colaba Causeway, was constructed by the British East India Company in 1838, and the hub of activity.
The Gateway of India, a large arch with pinkish hues and little mini towers, was erected to commemorate the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary in Mumbai. Surrounded by flocks of tourists, locals, and enterprising vendors calling out to passerbys, we gravitated towards the waterfront to look at the boats and the frolicking waves of the sea, the hot sun beaming all of its 42 degree sunrays on us.
Housing the very glamorous Taj Palace Hotel, which was the target ofaterrorist attack in November 2008, the Gateway of India, fish markets, colonial and art deco architecture, and hipster hangouts and boutiques, Colaba has an old world vibe about it.
Unfortunately, the Leopold Café, a prime hangoutin Shantaram, was closed in the afternoon while we were in Colaba, but I did managed a photo grab of the famous sign. It is an old institution, established in 1871, and favoured by expats and tourists. We have one here at our neighbourhood beach as well although I had somehow failed to make that connection until months later.
Colaba’s vibrant vibe was punctuated with the cacophony of honks that not just signaled rush hour, but was a hallmark of the road culture throughout India.
Our driver expertly navigated the aggressive drivers around us while we sat safely snuggled in and smug in the knowledge that in a minivan, we were one of the largest vehicles on the road. India has very quaint tuk tuks (motorbike taxis) and little trucks that were barely larger than these tuk tuks.
We passed by beautiful old buildings such as the Prince of Wales Museum, High Courts, University of Mumbai (situated next to the Clock Tower), and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus). A beautiful structure with an underground metro, the Terminus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, incorporating Victorian Gothic Revival architecture uniquely blending with Indian traditional architecture. Built over 10 years starting in 1878, it became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’.
Haji Ali, the Little Mosque by the Arabian Sea
Perched atop a jetty on the sea, the little white mosque is incredibly picturesque. Another iconic landmark in Shantaram, I was thrilled to see it from various vantage points – from the Gateway of India and from a couple of drive-bys.
Both a mosque and a tomb, Haji Ali was constructed in 1431 by wealthy Muslim merchant and Sufi saint Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari who is buried there. Located on a little island, the mosque is only accessible on foot during low tide from a narrow walkway.
Pretending to be Bollywood Stars
Due to my illness, we skipped our tour of India’s second largest slum called Dharavi, which was used as a backdrop for the movie Slumdog Millionaire. As there are some potential ethical concerns about such tours, I was hesitant about it, but I had selected a tour company that reinvests 80% of the proceeds into the community and does not allow tourists to take photos.
What is incredible is that the slum, home to more than half a million people generates an industry of millions of USD per year through recycling, pottery, poppadum making, etc.
We made a donation instead of going on a tour and decided to visit SJ Studios, a Bollywood studio where soap opera and t.v. shows were filmed although since we were there in the morning (we had to catch a flight to Delhi in the afternoon), there were no filmings that day.
We did get to explore some of the sets including homes of the soap opera, a jail, hospital, and courtroom. We also dressed up in Mogul and Maharashja outfits for photos and learned a bit about the movie industry including sound recordings. It was quite a bit of pre-airport Bollywood glamour and fun!
