Trip down memory lane - Bombay

Memories from Dec 2019

I visited Bombay again last year, for a few days in December, and spent most of my time catching up with old friends and reliving old memories. I stayed in Bandra and met friends in the nothern suburbs. And I saw a side of Bombay I hadn't experienced much when I had lived there for 2 years. It was interesting, rediscovering a side of the city I thought I knew. Am penning down a few scattered thoughts from those days

Bandra villages

I stayed in Bandra with my friends over the 5 days and explored it like I have never done before, on foot 😊. Bandra feels like a small island in the sea called Bombay. It has always been different and has still retained its uniqueness and charm till now. With its catholic history and population, small villages and large churches in between the modern markets, the old bungalows and lack of high rises, lot of narrow winding roads and the slow pace of life it somehow has still managed to retain. Bandra also has a huge Christian population which was all too visible in December with the Christmas decorations and shopping going on all around.Its very difficult to explain how it is different from the rest of the city, only a Bandra-ite can feel it.

Jesus statues on corners

When meeting friends within Bandra, I generally walked to those places and enjoyed the views all around while walking. I once went through a village around Chapel Road which still felt like a village. With its narrow single lane roads and the old bungalows with English names, in need of repair but still standing as proud remnants from a different age. Those bungalows are so pretty, with their huge glass windows, green surroundings and an old colonial feel. I was also surprised to see that each turn of the road had a statue of Jesus Christ, wearing a flower 'mala'. Clearly, Jesus had been indianised here 😊. I also saw a lot of bungalows while walking from Carter road to Band stand, on the side and easily missed. Their beauty never fails to surprise me.

Bandra bungalows

Bandra also has awesome restaurants. With specialty dessert shops and international cuisines. And I loved spending time at Carter Road and Band Stand as usual. The houses on these roads have grown in height now, with the rich building up and up all the time. These sea side roads were quite popular haunts of mine during my time there. And walking there in the sea breeze is something I will always remember Bombay for. And this time I relived that feeling again, for old times sake 😊.

And on this walk, I saw the reality of Bombay again. As I walked back, I saw handicapped people on the streets at night, begging. And the clash between the rich and the poor of Bombay is something I never got used to when there. And till today, I can't deal with it. So I took an auto and came home rather than see this on the streets and feel helpless.

I made the one obligatory trip to Sobo one day, how can I leave Bombay without going to Nariman Point 😊? We went from Bandra to Sobo late at night so the traffic was bearable. And I loved the charm of old Bombay at night, driving in speed on the sea link, watching the newly developed skyline of Worli and Lower Parel and the beautiful new bungalows on Worli sea face, the old money of Pedder Road and of course, the cool breeze while speeding on Marine Drive. How many times have I driven here, with the windows open and friends around. The feeling I get when being here is of a simpler and younger time, when the world felt within reach. And it still feels the same!

I loved all the buildings of old and the vibe of Bombay, even at midnight. We then went to Gateway of India and walked around that lane. The Taj was twinkling and the road was lined with small old hotels from an old era. At the end was the fisherman village and their boats flapping in the sea. I think visiting Sobo is a must do for me always, for nostalgia sake. And it never fails to deliver. Being here, next to the sea always makes me feel alive and fresh.

On this trip, I also visited areas like Powai and Kanjurmarg where I had never been before. These places don't feel the same as Worli or South Bombay or Bandra, areas I spent all my time in and around. The two Bombays feel a world apart, as if they are from two different planets. One is from the old times, with grand buildings, the sea, lot of space and greenery and a poshness to it. The other is modern, filled with high rises, no space, lot of people and a hurriedness to it. Though Powai felt different. The drive was on Eastern Highway which was quite green. And Powai was also very green, with its modern high rises and green spaces.

Each of these suburban areas have become self-sufficient now with lots of restaurants and other activities, to keep people busy, so that they don't feel the need to step out (given how bad traffic still is). And restaurants have become a big part of people's lives. Even BKC has become a happening place now, with tons of eating places. I remember when I had once gone to BKC in the 2010s, we had to walk around a lot to ultimately only find a cafe to sit in. Restaurants have really bloomed now. There are awesome places everywhere, each chain has a restaurant in every area now it seems. I ate at a lot of restaurants and loved the ambiance there. My north Indian palate missed the north indian tinge to the food though!

View from Madh

One of the days, I wanted to get out of the city and we all managed to go to Madh Island. It is kindoff within Bombay but feels a long way off given all the driving you have to do to get there. But once there, you feel you have left the chaos of the city behind. We spent a full day in a hotel on the beach and it was lovely. Quiet, relaxed and not a lot of people around. The beach had yellow sand, some waves and lot of palm trees, to give it a real holiday feel. I would recommend anyone in Bombay to go to Madh when looking for a quick break. Its not out of the world, but definitely a convenient oasis within chaos.

And just like that, my trip was over. When I left, I had the same bitter sweet feeling I get every time I visit the city 😊. I don't like it but I still love so many things about it. The vibe of the city, its people and its sea. Its safety. It has so many layers, its sometimes difficult to understand how it all stays together. There is a positivity and earnestness all around. And perseverance and enterpreneurship, which is tough to find at a lot of other places. But the infrastructure and inequality always puts me off. And that feeling hasn't changed over the years. With the rich and the poor living in contrast together. Its tough to live with all this. And nothing is changing. In fact it may be getting worse.

But I do look at the city fondly now, always reliving the amazing memories it gave me over the awesome two years I spent there...


Memories from Dec 2014

I don't like Bombay!

Its a truth that I have said out loud many times before, but in some corner of my heart I always wanted to re-confirm my views. And they are confirmed again..

I visited Bombay this winter for a couple of days - a place I spent an amazing two years of my life, filled with friends and parties and restaurants and horse races and and rains and the lights at night and the sea faces and late night drives and mountain drives and ghats and the sea and the beaches and travels and so on... Every time I remember those two years of my life, I remember the great moments.. But all of them are not enough to pull me back!

The city

As my flight landed, and I spent the next three days in the city, I realised that nothing has changed at all, for the better or worse! The highrises were going higher and higher, still co-existing with the slums, the well to-do were still living their lives oblivious to the poverty around, Mumbaikars are still as helpful as before, the city still as safe to walk around, the buildings still look as dirty as before, its still hot in winters 😊, people still are running for their daily lives, women still walk around without worrying about their safety, slums havent reduced and the traffic remains as frustrating!!!!

As I said, nothing has changed at all. I don't know why I was expecting it to change either as its just been 4 years but I was...

The city

It did feel nice to be back, remembering the names of places we used to hangout at, the sea face, Phoenix Mills, Atria mall, CCD at Carter Road, Marine Drive, Bachelors, Lower Parel.. Trying to remember again the best ways to beat the traffic.. Getting frustrated with the traffic and going to Mahalaxmi Race Course for a lunch at Gallops - still makes you feel you are in a different world, away from Bombay, away from the madness.. Bandra with its beautiful bungalows and tree-lined roads from a colonial era... Looking at Colaba and Marine Drive, wondering what a pretty city it must have been at some time..

The good parts of Bombay remain, you just come to the city and then you feel as if you always belonged here. Nobody questions where you are from.. Nobody cares.. All these good things are still there.. But then there is the infrastructure which just kills it all for me. You waste more time in traffic than anything else. Its just these things which make me feel happy to not be back. Someday when that changes, I may want to go back to Bombay, but for now, I don't...