Nerve Endings Firing Away

Ash and I spent a wonderful day roaming around Mumbai’s ‘townside’ area, popularly known as Fort area. This is the place of the famed Victoria Terminus (now known as CST), Art Deco district, and the largely unsung D.N. Road with Kala Ghoda Art District somewhere between Regal Cinema and Flora Fountain. Initially we had decided to head toward town so we could roam around a little, spend time with each other, and also meet few bloggers who might be around. Finally none of the bloggers could make it but we have a lovely but tiring walk all around Fort.

We started off at Regal Cinema and headed toward Westside and Fab India opposite Jehangir Art Gallery for Ash’s shopping. Ultimately, I also ended up buying a shirt at Fab India although my India trip shopping was officially over a week back. I resisted the dull orange shirt and went in to the striped green one because Ash observed that I had enough orange to head up Raj Thackeray’s brand new shakhas. Since we started out late, we decided to get done with our lunch at Churchills’ and since I had never been there, Ash led me on a wild goose chase in search of the elusive restaurant and I was getting increasingly cranky (note to anyone and everyone: don’t keep me hungry or else you might not like me). Bata ke aage jao, said a florist and we finally landed up at the place only to be told that there is a 20 minute wait. I nearly popped a nerve but somehow managed to retain my sanity in promise that we go to our favorite Chinese place this side of town — Ling’s Pavilion. I remember being floored the first and the last time I visited this place and now, the place seemed ordinary but thankfully the clean restroom and of course, the food wasn’t.

Armed with a bottle of mineral water (oh yeah! The NRI accessory), we set out for a long walk. We walked past the Gateway of India, site of the last departing British soldier ending years of foreign rule to the more recent and horrific stabbing of Manipuri girls; sadly the monument stands forlorn amidst countless photographer touts who are more likely to fleece you than capture your memories. Most of them stayed away from us; probably my camera or our relative ease in being at home put them off. Ash remarked on the muddy brown color of the sea as compared to the calm blue sea in Bahrain where we saw dolphins prancing around. Flotsam in form of decomposed flowers and empty plastic bottles dotted the inner recesses of the sea but then such is the cost of human settlement along the coast. I pointed out the horridly-designed public toilet in form of the nearby monument. Why would you have a public toilet designed like the grandiose monument next door? You might just risk dashing a village simpleton’s grand imagery of the Gateway if he sees this toilet first. Thankfully, a large peepal tree is growing
close to its plinth blocking most of the view.

We headed back toward the Kala Ghoda Art District. Ash remarked on a large familiar looking domed building with a longish and complicated name; I clarified that it was the Prince of Wales Museum renamed after the favorite Maratha warrior with a Marathi-zed translation for museum
(vastu sanghralaya; quite a mouthful, eh?) I wondered what was more disturbing; renaming everything and wiping out every remembrance of our past dominated by foreign rule or the Maharashtrians finding only one hero in their past after whom they could rename everything under the sun (and shade). Of course, we couldn’t miss the pavement book sellers. I was glad to see them back after I had heard they have been evicted by the corporation. It is almost impossible to move them as they have over time become part of Mumbai’s culture. I bought two books but later felt guilty as they were clearly pirated copies.

It was ages since I had entered the halls of Jehangir Art Gallery and I was glad to see paintings with an urban development theme. Except for couple of paintings, the rest weren’t that impressive. Ash wasn’t impressed either. Just besides the Samovar café, I noticed a staircase
pointing toward terrace gallery. I had never seen this before. So both Ash and I decided to check it out and I was quite impressive with the potential of a terrace gallery space. Unfortunately, the gallery was a dingy shed and most of the terrace was underutilized. It has a great view of the Kala Ghoda precinct and I seriously don’t know why this hasn’t been developed yet, commercially or aesthetically.

Later on, we took a long walk passing Flora Fountain all the way to VT, past Sterling Cinema and across Cross Maidan to Fashion Street and moving onward to Churchgate. I wanted to see the redeveloped Marine Drive, so after a quick stopover at Rustom & Co. for lichi juice. It
was a perfect day at the Queen’s Necklace drive and we sat there for a long time, walked all the way to the NCPA end and back. We did see many couples dotting the coastline snuggling close to each other and I wondered if all the talk of moral policing had any truth to it at all
or just some paranoid bloggers running scared. But I guess, even few incidents and continuous reporting of rape cases and attempts to control morality are enough to make a case. We walked backed to Mocha opposite Gaylords but were sorely disappointed. Apart from the attraction of the hookah bar, the ambience didn’t do anything for me. I rather prefer our College Station’s Sweet Eugenes. Finding no place, we had coffee and sandwiches at the local rambaroose café.

It was a long tiring day but I loved every moment and thankfully, not much had changed at this end of town compared to the burgeoning malls elsewhere in the suburbs. This part of town has a different sense of charm altogether. Nowhere else do you get a sense of place that is Mumbai than right here in town.