| Search |
Order |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
PLUS...BE ONE OF THE FIRST 10 SUBSCRIBERS TO RECEIVE A "DUOBRIGHT TREATMENT" VOUCHER FOR BRIGHTER FACIAL SKIN AT LOLLANA CLINIC, BANGKOK,VALUED AT THB 6,000 (USD 200) PLUS ... BE THE FIRST SUBSCRIBER TO RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY ONE-NIGHT STAY IN PREMIER ROOM WITH CLUB BENEFITS AND THAI SET DINNER ON APSARA DINING CRUISE FOR 2 PERSONS FROM BANNYAN TREE BANGKOK
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Nattakit Udomsrirat
If you step back and observe, it almost sounds like a conversation between the automobiles. One honk means, hey, start moving. Two honks mean, get out of the way please. Three or more consecutive honks mean, I know you are in front of me, but let me go first. One long honk means greetings, nice to see you. Besides, the crazy excessive honking is the excessive driving. They say that if you can drive in Mumbai, you can drive anywhere. On the other hand, if you drive like you drive in Mumbai, you probably won’t be allowed to drive anywhere else. Crossing the street is also tricky business. Always look both ways and keep in mind that a red light doesn’t necessarily mean that the car will stop. Best advice is to just go with the flow. And if you go with the flow while you are travelling in this fast-paced city, you will surely have a great time. With centuries of foreign influences, Mumbai has raced to distinguish itself, transforming into the movie and fashion hub of India. The glitz and glamour of Bollywood fuel dreams of fame and fortune. The rise of exceptional fashion designers breathes new energy and life to the brash, bold and beautiful. Fresh restaurants, art galleries and night clubs are mushrooming all over the city. Great business opportunities attract people from all over the country, adding vibrant colours to the city’s cultural diversity. A place is only as nice as the people living there. Admittedly, much of Mumbai is still quite neglected and impoverished, but generally the people are rather friendly. Approximately 60 per cent of the population lives in slums, but it is in those particular areas that the strong sense of community, social acceptance and religious harmony is felt. Hindu temples, Muslim mosques and Christian churches coexist cordially side by side. People huddle closely in confined spaces to work, share meals, and watch TV. Just as the citizens of this city are challenged to find their place, visitors to this dynamic city will also be challenged by its vitality. Mumbai is highly-charged and energetic city. There’s just so much to see and do, so work out an itinerary beforehand and get ready for the experience of a lifetime. Mumbai’s most iconic landmark, Gateway of India, was constructed in 1924 to commemorate a one-off state visit by King George V. The arch was a monument to celebrate the rule of the British Empire, but 24 years later British soldiers passed through the gates as they boarded ships heading home as India celebrated her independence. Inspired by 16th-century Gujarati architecture, the arch stands imposingly against an ocean backdrop. The Gateway is situated on the end of Apollo Bunder next to the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower; it is a famed tourist attraction drawing large crowds daily. Hawkers line the roads leading to the gate selling snacks, drinks, ice cream, peacock fans, large balloons and cheap drums. Minor annoyances are the photographers with portable printers in their rucksacks attempting to take your picture and sell it to you. Seasoned travellers to Mumbai will agree that when visiting South Mumbai’s Bhuleshwar Market, it is best to go with a local guide. Mumbai Moments tour (www.mumbaimoments.com) is highly recommended by numerous sources. Amish Sheth, the director of Mumbai Moments and the self-proclaimed superstar Tom Clooney of Mumbai (a combination of Tom Cruise and George Clooney), can be your tour guide and your first good friend in the city. Keep in mind that the monolithic Bhuleshwar Market place is a maze of wide streets and tight alleyways, ancient temples and mosques, and endless rows of shops and street stalls. Forget the map because the street names are constantly changing. Thousands of people make their way along the avenues accompanied by motorbikes, cars and cows, so forget about trying to find your bearings. Thankfully the market is loosely organised into zones of specific, specialised goods, so you can get somewhat of an idea where you are at. The 200-year-old market is lively, vibrant with a boundless heap of merchandise. It is the place to go to buy anything and everything. Here is where most of Mumbai’s middle class come to shop for purses, accessories, clothes, fake goods, from medical supplies to gold and electronics. The tour starts at Crawford Market, and like many of the structures in South Mumbai, Crawford Market is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. Inside the market, fresh fruits and vegetables are sold as well as imported goods, pets and exotic animals. Across the street are a spice market and the Mangaldas Market famous for fine textiles and fabrics. The cluster of two-storey shop-houses are under one big canopy. The bottom floor is utilised as the counter and display, while the top floor is used for storage. The shops have no seats or tables. The floors are elevated and covered with cushions to sit on and to display the garments. Jamnagri Farsan is a local favourite snack stand where you can find Chhavanu (spicy cornflakes with raw papaya and mango slices) and Mohan Thaal (sweet cake made from gram flour). Refreshment stands like these can be found throughout the market. Expect a tea shop somewhere nearby. Try Chai, the thick, milky, sweet tea served in shot glasses that will give you the boost you need in the morning. Very low-priced (about 9 rupees) and safe to drink, these roadside shops have no names in order to evade income tax. The best are tucked away in small alleys. If you can’t find them, ask a local to take you to one. Masalachai, or spice tea, is also an acquired taste. The hot and spicy drink is supposed to make you sweat in order to cool you down from the tropical heat. The tea is mixed with ginger, cardamom and lemongrass. There is a nice roadside stall near the Bombay Stock Exchange building. On Sheikh Street can be found the 150-year-old gold market. Opened in 1864, Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri is one of the most trusted gold shops in Mumbai. The streets here are wide and dense with venders and hawkers. Beyond the gold market is the Flower Galli, or the Bhuleshwar Flower Market. This market recently moved to North Mumbai due to the increase in business, but some small shops still exist along Maruti Lane. You can purchase Nargis, or flower offerings, to place in front of images and shrines of Hindu gods. They also boast garlands made of hundreds of flowers woven into intricate designs used for auspicious occasions such as weddings and house warming ceremonies. The last stop is Bombay Panjrapole, the city’s oldest shelter for cows. Built in 1834, the beautiful blue building has an entryway that leads through to a wide patio, home to 400 cows. Hindus revere cows and consider them holy. It is good karma to donate money to the shelter and feed the cows. Experiencing Mumbai with the aid of a great guide really makes you feel like part of the city. There is so much left to explore, but once you start your journey, you truly begin to feel the “pulse and vibration of Mumbai moments.” Dhobhi Ghat, located conveniently next to Mahalaxmi Train Station, is another place worth a visit. It means ‘laundry area,’ which is selfexplanatory. Photos are strictly prohibited inside the laundry slum, but you can snap a few shots from the causeway overlooking the area. Linen and clothes from all over Mumbai are sent to this giant Laundromat where they are hand washed and sun dried. Endless lines clothes and rows of sheets drying in the sun make a brilliant panoramic photo opportunity. If you want to experience ‘the real Mumbai,’ visit Dharavi, which is considered the largest slum in Asia, but surprisingly its industries generate an annual turnover of about USD 665 million. The slum is divided into two main areas: a residential zone and a commercial zone that consists of recycling, pottery making, embroidery, bakeries and many other businesses. Sign up for Reality Mumbai Slum Tour (www.realitytours. com) to get a unique glimpse into life in Dharavi. Bringing a camera to the slum is prohibited and you should try booking a trip on Sundays to avoid being squished in the trains. Don’t copy the locals and climb on the roofs to find a seat because that’s where most accidents happen. There are about one million people living in the 1.75-square-kilometre space that makes up Dharavi. The road leading to the commercial zone is lined with tightly packed tea shops, magazine stalls, shoe stores, clothes stores and old temples. Rickshaws, cars, motorbikes and wooden carts occupy the streets. Every year, thousands of migrant workers come to work here for 10 months and return home for two months. The recycling method begins with sorting, crushing, washing and drying of plastics. The plastics are then melted and made into pellets. Most of the process is done by manual labour — the employees are paid 120 to 150 rupees a day, while renting in the slum can run up to 3,000 rupees per month. The buildings belong to the people, but the land belongs to the government. Fifty-five per cent of the citizens in Mumbai live in slums and most are avid voters resulting in awkward situations when the government wants to implement relocation projects. The rooftops of recycling plants are utilised for drying and storing plastics. Two sets of train tracks (the Mahem line and the Sai line), split, encircle the slum, curve around, and meet again to form the shape of a heart making Dharavi the ‘heart of Mumbai.’ Making the way to the residential zone will take you through the bakery. Much of Mumbai’s tea biscuits are made here. Along the streets are women using wooden baskets to bake Popaddom, an Indian appetiser. The residential area is an exciting maze of alleyways that are so narrow that in some passages only one person can pass through at a time. Dodging hanging wires and low pipes can be difficult in the dark, but that’s the appeal. There are many children scampering around, playing games, always smiling and saying hello. Most of the doors to homes are open so you can risk a quick peek to see what people are doing inside. Constrained to live in such close proximity teaches you the importance of building strong social relationships regardless of ethnicity, creed or religion. Another bonus to living in the slum is that 40 per cent of the police force lives here, so the crime rate is low. Hailed as one of the most beautiful temples in the city, the Jain Temple is a popular destination. Jainism is one of the oldest religions that originated in India. Followers of Jainism are called Jains and the gods are known as ‘Jinas.’ Jains believe that every soul is divine and has the potential to achieve God-consciousness. Throughout Mumbai you can spot little Jain pigeon feeding stations called Kabatur Khanas. Mumbai city was named after Mumbadevi Temple, a remarkable Hindu temple. The name Mumba derives from the Sanskrit term for ‘Great Mother.’ Hindu sects devoted to the goddess Mumbadevi date back to the 15th century. Located in South Mumbai Bhuleshwar market, the temple is visited daily by hundreds of worshipers. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), also known as Victoria Terminus, is Mumbai’s busiest railway station and also a World Heritage Site.
|
Current Issue Hot Topics
THE BUZZ - GASTRONOMY TOUR
Undeniably, a way to really savour one’s travelling experience to the utmost is with good food. Hence, on a recent… Read More
|
DASADA: A PARADISE OF FLOWERS
Embraced by nature and surrounded by flowers of varying hues, Dasada the Flower Es’ Senses Resort and Dasada Gallery in… Read More
|
COME SPA WITH ME
Baan Thai Spa, the latest addition to the InterContinental Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort, beautifully wraps up a peaceful vacation with… Read More
|
|
|
|
Issue 54: Mar / Apr 2013
