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.