Bombay of my Childhood.

by Tsering Wangmu (India)

Making a local connection India

I am a Doctor by profession, traveller at heart and Microbiologist in making. For the last 10 years I didn't travel as much as I wanted to as I was caught up in being wife, mother and Healer. I will not say I regret it because being mother is a blessing in itself, seeing your child grow is another kind of time travel. This year I travelled to Mumbai. Mumbai is nothing new to us as it is the city of dreams, the glam world of Bollywood is there and everyone aspiring to be someone wants to be in Mumbai. When I travelled to Mumbai, I didn't want to do normal touristy things. As I always say, I'm a traveller not tourist. I wanted to see the Bombay of my childhood movies. Bombay I read in book by Rohinton Mistry. So I decided to see Chor bazaar since it's the heart of the Mumbai. The buildings are all crumbling and streets can get bit confusing but I didn't feel overwhelming. I felt that I belonged in that scene, that street. Walking through all that crowded street I had deja vu. Probably too much of Bollywood influence. First I ended up at electronics sections. Didn't buy anything though since I'm not into gadgets but more into Jewellery and artifacts. Whole morning I spend walking and window shopping from one street to another and unlike in other places I didn't feel conscious even though I was starred at. In my mind I was transported to my childhood in that chaotic streets. It's said that within this few years that market might will disappear, replaced by concrete jungle. I saw the construction works for skyscrapers are already in process. Then I decided to visit Hazi ali Dargah. Located at islet at worli. Landmark of Mumbai and one of the oldest Mosque, it's monument of Pir Haji Ali Shah and Mumbaikers believe that prayers said out there is always answered. I felt a serene calm looking out at sea from the dargah and had the feeling that my prayers will be answered too. Visit to Dargah can't be complete unless you have a taste of Various fresh fruit salad dipped in cream and juice at Hazi Ali Juice centre. My favourite is fresh cream and kiwi and dry fruits. Watching sunset in Arabian sea, sitting on sea wall. Seeing the sky grow from purple to violet, yellow to amber and dark is sight to behold. It's a magical and I felt that my day couldn't have been any better. It's the time when most of mumbaikers come out to walk, jog, catch up with friends, sit with their lovers gazing and holding hands or just relax and enjoy the view and cool sea breez. In that milling crowd, someone like me who deamth of that moment since childhood, i felt like a star for whom God has painted the sky with all those magical colours and put up a pictoral show only for me in that vast sky. And I realised that if I were given a choice, surely Mumbai will be one city I would love to visit again, to belong and be Mumbaiker.