On 16th November 2008, I got time and luck to roam about my favorite place in Bombay-The South Bombay. I had three full hours with me starting from KC College, Dinshaw-Wachha Road, Churchgate at 1030AM that Sunday.
I have couple of options to spend these three hours. One, I thought to take a journey through Mumbai Local. I have planned to take a return ticket to Virar from Churchgate to enjoy the local train on Sunday morning, which is the only time one can find local ‘enjoyable’. But the other option was more enticing. I thought of roaming around the real Bombay all alone, all by myself, without knowing, without asking for direction from anyone.
So the journey begins. There was a book shop – Oxford bookstore, just next to KC College. Being a book lover I couldn’t resist the temptation and the air conditioned shop welcomed me. I recognized couple of faces who came to the shop to ‘kill’ these three hours. After relaxing for 10-15 minutes, enjoying the smell of the books and AC, I realized that am not here to waste time. Why to waste time here at bookstore when there is so much to explore today.
I rushed out of the store and straightaway went to oval maidan. It’s a huge rectangular ground. Very interesting to see there were more than 38 cricket matches played by local boys. Some wickets were so close, I wonder what an amazing concentration needed by the batsman to trace his bowler come out of hundreds of fielders of different match and fielder to identify his green colored tennis ball amongst dozens of balls flying in all direction. But amazingly this is the Bombay which gave great cricketers like Sachin. Just opposite to the ground there was a line of sugar cane juice stalls all of them busy making juice for the budding cricketers. Sugarcane juice is very refreshing. Especially during Indian summer and October heat of Bombay freshly prepared cane juice adds best to energy.
Ahead of this, I walked through the streets that has so many banks; Standard Chartered, UCO Bank, Dena Bank. These streets which see hundreds and thousands of faces in week days is completely empty now. These broad empty roads become the best place to play cricket by the teams who dint get place at the oval maidan. For once, I was surprised to see these roads barren, is this due to current financial market condition or is it because of the weekend. I enjoyed watching ‘gully cricket’ after a long time and that too in Bombay!
Just at the side of the street was a cute, small, old park holding an exhibition from Prithvi theatre in memory of ‘Satyadev Dubey’. I just strolled in the park for some time. As it was the last day of the exhibition, everything was wrapping up there. I read few pamphlets and exited in hope of exploring more. And very soon I reached in front of Bombay Stock Exchange. A smile came on my face on seeing the bull outside the stock exchange. Carrying smile on my face, I proceeded.
After few minutes walk, there were many buses lined up with so many wondering eyes. People were staring at each and every building around. This place is ‘Jehangir Arts Gallery’, the famous art gallery and a dream of budding painters to host a gallery of their masterpieces some day. And hence this is one of the favorite spot, along with Bachchans home at Juhu and Mannat at Bandra, for Bombay Darshan. Visitors were properly dressed for the Bombay trip. And why not, Bombay is dream city for millions and millions. Small distance from the art gallery is famous, historic Gateway of India opposite to legendry Taj Hotel. When I was kid I used to think this is Amitabh Bachchan’s hotel, till now I don’t know if this is true. Gateway of India was built in 1911 and it is said that last British troop to leave India passed through Gateway in 1948. Today, everyday more number of people comes to visit Gateway than those might have came to bid adieu to British troop.
I got too tired walking all the way without eating, drinking anything. So I decided to walk back. On my way back was Mantralay, BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India). The site of ally with hawkers makes the walk enjoying and makes easy to cover the distance.
After the day, I began to love Bombay more. More than ever!!
Note that I knowingly used Bombay instead of Mumbai because that’s what I feel describes South Bombay as it is. It is Bombay, famous, historic, lovely, dreamy city of Bombay.
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