Colaba days

There is a sense of nostalgia that surrounds Mumbai, especially places like Colaba and Kala Ghoda. You almost rewind back in time to a century back. The massive granite clad facades are imposing, they are monumental – and they give off a feeling of old world charm. These facades have weathered many a storm. They have stood as mute witnesses while the city changed around them. They are also a silent testimonial to an age when sincerity to one’s work reigned supreme. They are the evidence of that. Even after the passage of over a century, they still stand tall and wise.

It is a pleasure to walk through the colonnaded arcades at night, in the yellow light of the sodium vapour  lamps. Here, light & shadow play a game of cat and mouse with the facades and the cobblestones of the footpath. The colonnades are deserted after the activities of the day, leaving you to enjoy the beauty of the night. There are ladies’ walking around, which is absolutely great considering that most of the other cities are not so safe for women.

The vada pav stalls are bustling. The vada pav, our desi version of the burger, has attained a cult following in Mumbai. It is the common man’s food; something so simple yet so filling and satisfying to the taste buds. The salted green chillies add the required touch of spice and at 5 bucks a piece is simply irresistible. I must confess that one day I skipped lunch to just gorge on vada pavs...

The Kala Ghoda area is lined by some really beautiful examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture – the High court, the David Sassoon library, Elphistone college, the Church etc. This area is one good example of heritage restoration happening India. The road from Kala Ghoda to Colaba is lined with some beautiful old buildings; buildings with a sense of history to them. It is an enjoyable walk, as all the senses are stimulated – the vendors with their brightly coloured wares, the bustling Colaba market which is forever busy, the strong smell of fish and sea as you walk past the harbour entrance, the fried aromas emanating from the roadside sea food stall and finally ending up at the Colaba post office junction with a couple of beautiful churches.

Regal cinema is just a short walking distance from the Kala Ghoda area. This area is one of the hotspots for tourists coming to Mumbai. The Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal hotel are a stone’s throw away from the Regal. The salty smell of the sea hangs in the air.  You turn left and walk past the granite rusticated facade of the Taj, focussing on the grey sea in front and suddenly after you round the corner, the majestic Gateway of India comes into view. The avenue here is full of people – tourists, foreigners, families, kids, pop corn sellers, photographers etc, all milling about on the footpath and the plaza in front. Even though the Gateway is the undoubted focus here, the facade of the Taj forms a majestic backdrop. Memories of a dastardly gunfight come flooding to your mind as you gaze upon the ornate facade and windows of the Taj – a day when we as a nation were held to ransom by terrorists. Yet we have prevailed and so has the grand old building, which stands proudly today after the renovation works. There are numerous boats moored to the sea wall, bobbing about on the gentle waves. Small ones, bigger barge like ones heading out to Elephanta caves and also quite a few luxury yatches; reminding one that Mumbai is after all the commercial capital of India.

The arcade along the Regal cinema towards Colaba market is lined with stalls offering everything from antiques to the hippest bangles, to shawls n dresses for the fashionestas to bags n what not – its a pure pleasure walk for the shopaholics; and an equally stimulating one for the rest. The infamous Cafe Leopold is along this axis, with its patrons spilling onto the walkway in front while waiting for seats in this new landmark...Colaba is a place where one finds the most fashion conscious crowd hanging out. Its hip here, its cool here and its happening...Mumbai rocks.

Auroville

Auroville is a dream...or almost a dream....is it because it isn’t fully realised yet?...maybe. Or maybe it is because it still holds out the promise of what can be. An idea so beautiful, so simple in principle that it is an example of what humans can achieve...or what we ought to achieve...
Yet, 40 years on, Mother’s grand vision still remains unrealised in totality, although the basics are in place. The township is a magnet for people from various parts of the globe seeking different things, creating a microcosm of the universe. It is home to around 2000 Aurovillians; the permanent residents, and has a floating population of around 10000...there are people with varied interests – artists, writers, architects, travellers, musicians etc; people with different religious values and languages; all adding to the variety and diversity, creating a mutually harmonious existence called Auroville.



One of the first things that you notice when you reach the place is that...you seem to be lost in the middle of nowhere..Its trees all around – nothing but trees. The various shades of green being contrasted with the deep red of the earth. Yet, it is a far cry from the barren landscape the early pioneers of the township found when they started out. The passion, courage and faith of these people who believed, is something to be marvelled at, to be admired. Auroville is an amazing example of how nature can be rejuvenated and brought back to life through human intervention. Through a massive afforestation drive, the barren land was brought to life. Water harvesting techniques were used to save the rain water which normally would have run down to the sea barely 8km away. The process is still going on...there are dedicated areas where forests are cultivated, bunds are created to store the rain water, soil nourishment happens..
Auroville is a way of life....there are residents who practice farming – who literally grow their own food. Organic farming in the true sense is seen. It is interesting to see Europeans and other foreigners living here attend to basic things like milking their cow...People here don’t mind doing things with their hands....its an art that most of us seem to have forgotten...Bikes are the most common mode of transport here. Almost no cars...the ubiquitous Royal Enfield Bullet is found in many avatars...ridden by hairy tattooed guys, to the old milkman with his milk jars hanging on either sides and to even old ladies with white hair!! A few of us might remember the old ‘Moped’, which has all but disappeared from all our cities, towns and even villages. Yet, in Auroville, it is a preferred mode of transport. You can hire one of these for a single day or even a longer period from one of the various bike renting annas...



Image courtesy - Susan Rose George


The Matrimandir forms the nucleus of the township. This golden shaped dome is at the centre of the Aurovillian universe from which all things radiate out. The township is divided into various communities; each nestled in between the large forest of trees, connected by dirt roads. Architecture plays a major role in these communities, with each community having their own individuality – be it in form, material, technology etc. Yantra, Prayatna, Courage, Creativity, Acceptance etc are some of the communities...There are also guesthouses around where the visitors can rent for their stay.
There is an interesting concept of ‘house sitting’ followed here. The foreigners who have settled here often go back to their native countries for a period of time every year (also to earn some money there, which when converted into rupees increases in value). While they are away, they invite temporary residents (often students and youngsters who are in Auroville) to stay in their houses. They are allowed to use all the facilities including furnitures, computers, kitchen etc, in return for maintaining the house and often, caring for the pets...the concept is a mutually beneficial one, wherein the floating population gets to stay in real homes without paying rent and for the homeowner, the house and the pets are taken care off. What makes it ever so admiring is when you think of the amount of trust that is placed, most often in total strangers...

Auroville is a happening place as far as architecture is concerned. Since its initial inception, architecture has always been at the forefront of Aurovillian development – right from the shelters made by the pioneers to all the various research that is happening presently. A lot of interesting techniques are practised here, which are lost in mainstream commercial architecture practised elsewhere. Here; nature, materials, ecology, society, culture...all play a part in evolving a true appropriate architecture. There is a freedom to experiment, a freedom to ‘not conform’...which often gives rise to a lot of innovative design & research happening, especially with alternate materials and technology. Earth architecture, ferrocement, vaults, domes, filler slabs etc are some really interesting stuff. Energy, especially alternative energy forms a big part of Auroville. What the world is now realising in terms of climate change and global warming, people had realised here long ago and were practising a lifestyle in tune with those principles – the main difference being that here in Auroville, they really believe in what they preach and practise. There is even a ‘Solar Kitchen’, which is a large community kitchen, where all the cooking is done with the solar energy captured by a large solar disc. Waste segregation at source is a very simple concept practised here that has so much scope for implementation across all cities. Here, plastic wastes are segregated from organic wastes and are disposed off and recycled separately. Windmills; an image from our childhoods, are seen peeping out from the tree tops. They are mainly used for pumping water.


Image courtesy - Susan Rose George



Yet the sad truth is, these ideas have somewhat failed to spread to a larger audience, circulating and being practised by only a limited set of practitioners and followers – thereby being constrained within and around Auroville. They have yet not been able to achieve transformation on a larger scale, which is so crucial to maintaining the balance in a developing populous country like India, where resources are always in demand. Auroville is almost like a mirage...a vision which we always keep striving for. Yet, the simple truth is that, for something like Auroville to exist elsewhere, the people have to change...there has to be more dedicated action and faith, than mere hollow words and promises. Auroville is a way of life which has to be embraced by all involved........it is a promise for our future...

Winter in Delhi

You wake up in the morning wondering why its still dark outside even when the clock says its 7am?...you look out of the window and see....nothing...only a white smoky world. Delhi is enveloped in thick fog in the morning. Its almost like a huge fire was burning the entire night and by morning the flames have died down leaving behind smoky remains... Ofcourse, you cant feel anything remotely close to warmth. Its cold..and getting colder...

Its my first extended stay in Delhi during winter time. I am extremely curious about the fog. It seems to move on its own, swirling along with the wind. The locals tell me that these fogs are nothing. Later on it gets much worse, when you cant even see a meter in front of you....should be interesting..

Winter is the season of weddings in Delhi. The night air is filled with sounds of the 'Baraat'. There are innumerable weddings happening in the resorts and the party farms scattered around the city. One common feature of all these weddings is the 'lavishness' - truly epitomising the 'Great fat Indian wedding'!! The baraat is interesting. A hapless groom sits on top of a horse, all dressed up and I'm sure praying to God that the horse dosent bolt!! There is a band accompanying, with trumpets and drums belting out various filmy numbers...There are brilliant lights to light up the dancing family in front...The baraat finally culminates in the venue where I'm sure the relieved groom dismounts from the horse and goes forward to tackle his next great adventure called marriage.

In all this excitement and happiness, people somehow forget about the band. The bandwallahs are forced to huddle together in a corner to keep themselves warm from the biting cold as their colourful uniforms fail to offer any protection. The horses are also tied alongside with a piece of decorative cloth or if they are lucky, a blanket on their bodies to keep warm. I am sure they are paid for their troubles, but this is one face of India that is ignored. People, especially poor people, are acknowledged only when there is a need for them, otherwise slipping into oblivion as soon as their 'use' is over. This is an attitude that needs changing if we are to truly aspire to being a great country as we so often proclaim to be.

Rishikesh

The Ganges has always been held in a particularly high regard by most Indians. For me the fascination was mainly of the power of the great river flowing undiminished down to the plains of India from its high mountain origins. Rishikesh is the place where the Ganges descends down to the plains from its mountain abode, a place made all the more relevant as a holy place for the Hindus. Without any doubt the main attraction of Rishikesh is the Ganges. Here it is pure, unpolluted by all the wastes downstream.
Reaching Rishikesh in the early morning around 5, I was surprised to find the town asleep. I kinda expected the place to be abuzz with activity, being a temple town and all....but only encountered deserted roads and a few sadhus stirring awake. From the maps the place seemed small enough to explore on foot. So off I went wandering through the main road. The town was slowly awaking from the slumber...a few roadside shrines opened up with the priests cleaning in front, the tea stall person was setting up his stuff with a few saffron clad sadhus waiting impatiently for their morning chai...

New dawn at the Triveni Ghat

The Triveni Ghat along the bank gave me the first sight of the Ganges. Here, flights of steps extend down to the water running for a very long length along the bank. The water is still dark black, the sky hasn’t brightened yet. The flow is pretty fast here, made all the more conscious by the swift sound of flowing water. There are lots of people sleeping in the open plaza on the bank, in front of one of the dozen temples there...Bells are slowly reacquiring their voices after a night’s slumber...the place is coming to life. There are scores of sadhus here, most clad in their saffron robes, some in white. The air is cool, the sky still black and a full moon throws silver light down on the rippling water...

Pilgrims

Soon, there are people wandering down to the water’s edge for the morning dip in the holy river. Men, women and children of all ages brave the cool air and submerge themselves in the water washing their sins away, as the Hindu belief goes...You feel a very frightening shock when you first step into the water...it is as cold as ice!!!...and it hurts!

The fascinating thing here is that, there are sadhus or holy men of all sizes and shapes; in fact, scores of them. The only common thing that I could discern among them was their walking stick and begging bowls...most of the walking sticks are simple wooden ones, but there were some pretty amazing ones shaped like serpent heads, ones with ‘rudraksh’ inserted etc. Most of the sadhus are devoid of much worldly possession...their loin clothes, dhotis, stick and begging bowl constituted the universe for them...some of the better off ones had cloth bundles over their shoulders. All had ash or saffron markings on their foreheads, arms and chests. They throng the ghats, plazas and almost the entire town. A typical day for them starts with a dip in the Ganges...some meditate on the banks, while others head for the temples...
The sky gradually brightens as the sun slowly starts his daily journey from the east. The mountains form a mighty background of blue, partially hidden in the morning mists, while the river flows in between the slopes. With the daylight the ghats become abuzz with activity...there are sadhus, there are families splashing about the water, there are people meditating, there are even the morning joggers in their sneakers utilising the long flat stretches of the ghats...

The entire town actually arranges itself along the banks of the river. The Ram Jhoola offers the first sighting of the true beauty and power of the Ganges. It is fairly wide here. There are a couple of floating bridges across the river, just above the water level. You really appreciate the might of the Ganges standing on this floating walkway. The waters are unimaginably fast and furious. The sound created is almost like that of a constant roar of thunder. The walkways are a perfect spot...you feel like standing right in the middle of the flow, standing as it were merely a meter and half above the water - to feel the might, the force, the majesty that drives the water down from the mountains down to the vast plains below.
The Ganges is truly beautiful here. Pristine clear waters surrounded by the gentle slopes of mountains, with the odd eagle soaring above. But human greed is slowly taking hold here with the slopes gradually being raped for insensitive concrete jungles of resorts, ashrams and lodges.

The banks are littered with ashrams, temples and facilities for pilgrims. Narrow lanes with curio shops on either side, shops selling religious paraphernalia; creating axises of movement. It is crowded in these narrow lanes – pilgrims, tourists, sadhus, beggars, cows, dogs; all hustling and bustling along to create a truly vibrant ambience.
For the adventure junkies too there are lots on offer; right from white water rafting to mountain biking to trekking, camping etc.

Kala Ghoda arts festival, Mumbai

The Kala Ghoda arts festival was organised this year from February 6 onwards for over 9 fun filled days. The first thing that attracts you is the amazing transformation of the public space. There are countless stalls, street artists, exhibitions, fortune tellers, heritage walks, music shows, literary events, handicraft stalls etc, which transform the open air space into a vibrant bustling streetscape.

Displays

The street stalls

The photo exhibition

The exhibition of photographs organised by one of the local colleges was a big crowd puller. The pictures on display were of a very high quality and the display boards innovatively placed on the edge of the road so as to attract a constant stream of visitors.

There were plenty of street artists showing off their skills. There were portrait makers, caricaturists, landscape postcard artists, sculpture makers...adding amazing creativity to the place. The festival was a great opportunity for these guys to interact with the common people and to generate a lot of revenue. There were items on display to suit all ranges of pockets.
In addition to the street artists, there were displays of professional quality paintings. Also, there were photo exhibitions highlighting various issues like the vanishing tribes of the north-east...which were definitely an eye-opener for me.

More exhibitions...

Interesting masks!

There were rock shows in the evening, theatre performances, documentary viewings, movie screenings and a whole lot of literary events all through the 9 days. My only regret was that I couldn’t visit daily to really experience all the activities.

The evening crowd

Tatoo corner

A potter teaching a young kid

Elephanta Caves

Just off the coast of Mumbai lies the Elephanta island. This strategically located island has been used as a base by the different colonial powers who, at various time periods had ambitions over the Indian mainland. However, these days, the islands are a major attraction because of the caves in the mountains.
After an hour’s journey from the Gateway of India in one of the innumerable boats available, one reaches the little jetty on the island. There are lots of islands scattered around, barely visible through the morning mist...and lots of sea traffic – from the smaller boats and yatches to the larger container ships, of various sizes and shapes, some so weirdly shaped that one wonders whether they’ll stay afloat at all??...

View from the boat jetty

From the jetty, there is miniature toy train for taking the people till the base of the mountain. I preferred to walk the distance, as it was alongside the water edge and it was fun to walk on the small rail tracks...
The path to the caves is through a steep uphill climb lined on either side with stalls selling curios and handicrafts. There is plenty of shade here, which along with the brilliant colours of the products create a beautiful atmosphere. There are people who will carry those who are physically not fit for the climb, on seats carried on shoulder.

On the top, one can get magnificent views of the sea extending to the distant horizon. The first thing about the caves one notices is their monumental scale – huge gaping openings are carved out of the face of the mountains. Massive columns prop up the voluminous interiors creating beautiful perspectives...the scale is massive. The play of light & shadow is pretty amazing. There are a number of shrines inside dedicated to various deities, with beautiful sculptures and carvings adorning the walls. In the main cave, there is a huge stone sculpture of Lord Shiva with all his 5 faces shown, while actually only 3 faces are present...the fourth face behind is implied and the fifth is not carved as it transcends the sight of mortals.

Entrance to the caves

Interior of a cave

The right side face is that of Bhairava – the fierce & terrifying form of Shiva, with serpent locks. On one side is his feminine face and on the centre is the face symbolising absolute knowledge.

The statue of Shiva

There are various caves with different images and sculptures. What one must really appreciate is the thought process behind such marvellous works...and also the technological advancement required to create such massive caves and sculptures. Truly, some of the caves are real engineering feats, with massive openings carved out from the mountain face, with huge cantilevered spans without even columns for support.

Further up, right on the summit are the Portuguese outposts, manned by 3 massive cannons of solid metal, each around 10meters long. From here, one gets unobstructed views in all directions...one can easily imagine the invincibility the Portuguese would have felt....

The massive canon on the hill-top

Sunset with the Mumbai skyline in the distance

Wagah - Border closing ceremony

Thirty kilometres away from Amritsar is the border between India & Pakistan – the Wagah border. Here is one of the few transit points between the 2 neighbours, for people and goods. The Atari railway station, through which the Samjhauta Express between the two countries passes, is just a couple of kilometres from the border. The border is fiercely guarded on both sides. The gates are closed at sunset each day and over the years, the closing process has evolved into an elaborate ceremony.
Scores of people come from all over the country to witness this amazing event. There are galleries on either side of the road for the spectators to sit. We reached there around 5 in the evening. The stands were jam-packed with people and after a bit of acrobatics we managed to get into a spot which offered a good view.

A mounted BSF jawan

Thats the view of the gallery and the crowd

A young patriot!

There... just a few metres from us was Pakistan...the land with which we share so much in common, yet which over the years have been such a huge cause of concern. How different is it from our land...I wondered? What about the people?...surely, there wouldn’t be such a lot of variation from us, after all they were our brothers till half a century back...All these thoughts passed through my mind as I gazed across the ‘border’ into Pakistan... The song from the movie ‘Refugee’...’panchhi nadiyaan pawan ke jhonke.....’ aptly describes the conundrum... Personally I feel that if both the countries were to invest the same amount of effort into other areas, the common people will benefit hugely. The amount of money spend on this ‘enemity’ is mind boggling. If it were to be channelized elsewhere into say, education or healthcare, the aam admi will benefit hugely.
Well, the border closing ceremony is truly something to behold. The Border Security Force on our side and the Pakistani Rangers on theirs put up a spectacular display of aggression, passion and competence. The atmosphere is really charged with the crowd shouting slogans like ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.
The children in the crowd are allowed to come onto the road and run with the Indian flag till the gates...its really amazing to see the tiny tots full of enthusiasm proudly carry the flag...
The energy of the crowd is infectious. There are people from different parts of the country next to me...people of different colours, languages, religions, cultures...yet; the unifying factor is that we all are Indians!! The diversity is there for all to see, yet the passion that runs there is really something...
The one noticeable difference between the people on two sides were that while we were shouting, cheering and having a blast, the people on the Pakistani side were much more quieter.. probably because those were the rules for the closing ceremony on their side. Here, we had music blasting from the loudspeakers; of patriotic yet foot tapping bollywood songs like those from ‘Rang De Basanti’. There were girl students dancing on the roads and in the stands, both men and women were dancing...yet there was no such uninhibited joy on the Pakistani side. They were forced to adhere to a very formal code of behaviour...and thats when I realised how a few things were starkly different, things which we often take for granted like freedom of expression and also of the greater role enjoyed by the women....

The soldiers during the actual ceremony

Soon, the actual ceremony started. Two smartly dressed lady officers from the BSF marched out, swiftly marching to the gate with ‘goose-steps’ and saluting...One actually feels great pride on seeing the young woman officers, who symbolise such a lot of things – freedom, progress of woman...
This is matched by officers on the Pakistani side(male officers though, as there werent any lady soldiers in their side) replicating the actions step for step...Soon male officers follow, whose aggressive steps, actions and stares suggest-‘this is our land, our soil! Don’t ever think of harming it!!’ the actions are so exaggerated on either sides that its almost like a co-ordinated pageantry...the marching steps are such that the soldiers raise their feet so high that one wonders whether they don’t hurt their knees...of course, it looks like their boots will probably last for a little over a week only, what with all the stamping they do!
The ceremony lasts for almost an hour and in the end, the flags on either side are lowered and the border is closed for the day...we got down to the road and went upto the gate and the BSF officers to shake hands with them - to thank them for guarding us, for giving us the freedom to carry on with our lives....
Do travel to Wagah for a sheer patriotic experience...

There...thats Pakistan beyond the gate