Discovering Mumbai
By Joanne Lane
Mumbai may be the home to Bollywood and some of India`s cultural elite but the closest I got were a few run down cinemas and the only stars I saw were in tacky film posters plastered on walls around town. I knew it was not possible to visit the Bollywood studios, unless you could sweet talk the guards, but I was still disappointed. It was a bit like going to the Cannes Film Festival and not getting to see a Nicole Kidman or Tom Hanks. But as I found out Mumbai doesn`t disappoint. There`s something almost regal about the atmosphere that seems more 19th century England than India. It might be the London-style red double decker buses that ply the city routes for as little as a handful of rupees, the gothic edifices of the Victoria Terminal or the cricket played on the maidans (open grassed areas) in true English style. Whatever it is, something seems to take it far from its slums, red light districts and industrial hub. And yet these parts of the city also help give it a pull that few other Indian cities do. Sixteen million people live in Mumbai and most of them seem to be out and about all at once. The result can be terrific traffic jams, wall to wall pedestrians, huge shanty towns and storey high decaying apartment blocks. In the markets the intensity of people is even higher - smelly fish markets with brightly clothed women, Muslim streets where shopkeepers adjust their skull caps as they haggle over prices with potential buyers. There are streets where the saleable produce consists entirely of bags or watches. In other areas groups of men sell leather belts from car bonnets. But for all the people and fast pace of life Mumbai remains a friendly place. It`s also truly cosmopolitan where people have come to live from all over India. It is also India`s finance centre and produces everything from textiles to petrochemicals. Many countries maintain diplomatic representation here rather than in Delhi. Mumbai changed its name officially from Bombay in 1996 to reclaim the city`s heritage and emergence from a colonial past. Others feel it reclaims the Maratha identity of the city as it uses a Maratha name. While others believe the name derives from the goddess Mumbai. The name Bombay probably comes from the Anglicisation of the word Bombaim which the Portuguese used to describe the harbour when they first arrived. Bombaim may have stemmed from "buan bahia" meaning "good bay" in Portuguese. Speaking of bays, Mumbai is an island connected by bridges to the mainland. Most of the city concentrates at the southern end of the island at Colaba. This vibrant and fashionable suburb also tends to attract travellers. Activity in Colaba starts early in the mornings when Koli fisherwomen gather at the causeway to sort the catch from fishing boats. Two colonial monuments including Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel are also located here, offering a majestic look at India`s British past. There are also busy markets in the backstreets of Colaba. Just to the north is a commercial area known as the Fort, where the old British fort once stood. To get there from Colaba you pass through Kala Ghoda where Mumbai`s main galleries and museums stand including the National Gallery of Modern Art, the Prince of Wales Museum and Jehangir Art Gallery. On the northern and western edges of Fort are most of the city`s colonial buildings including the Victoria Terminus (now called Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus or CST) and the main post office. These stately buildings are rather lavishly decorated particularly the Bombay University, located on the edge of Oval Maidan. A Maidan is a grassy area and they are always popular areas in Mumbai where people come to picnic, play cricket, read books and relax. Beyond Oval Maidan is Churchgate train station and the modern high rise business centre of Nariman Point. Starting from Nariman Point and running past Chowpatty Beach to the foot of Malabar Hill is Marine Drive, Mumbai`s popular promenade. The road follows the shoreline and is popular at sunset and for locals wanting to swim or learn to windsurf. There`s the usual hawker stalls and rubbish and you`ll hardly feel tempted to swim or eat any seafood when you see the state of the water - although it obviously doesn`t stop the locals. However Chowpatty Beach is still a prime place to pass some time and watch courting couples, families, political rallies, eat some bhelpuri (spicy sweet) or get a head massage. Juhu Beach is the other beach with some reputation although its charms have faded and it is 25km north of the city centre. Crowds come here on weekends, and as with Chowpatty you`ll hardly feel like swimming, but you will enjoy the atmosphere, crowds, games and rides. For serious market experiences, you`ll need to head to Crawford Market or Kalbadevi Bazaar or Bhuleshwar bazaar and lose yourself in the warren of streets, animal and fish markets. There`s also horseracing, cricket and football to enjoy or any of Bollywood`s annual 120 feature films to enjoy in over 100 cinemas. GETTING AROUND
No rickshaws are allowed inside the city which does help cut down traffic congestion and pollution but it does make travel more expensive as taxi is often the only option unless you know the bus route to follow and where to get off. These are crowded but only cost Rs 3-6 depending on the distance of your route. WHERE TO STAY
Most travellers head straight for the guest houses of Colaba where there are a number of budget options and other foreign faces. Unfortunately Mumbai is one of the more expensive places to stay in India. Christmas is particularly busy and expensive.
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