Twenty- five Seven

Personally speaking

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  • New Wine in Old Bottles

    New Wine in Old Bottles

    Ballard Estate has always been one of my favourite neighbourhoods to walk around in. Especially on a Sunday when the streets are ghostly quiet. Occasionally, you might find a cricket match in progress or a photo shoot because this place is ideal to replicate a European locale. Developed by the Bombay Port Trust, specifically as a Business District, with its well laid roads, majestic looking buildings in the neoclassical Edwardian style of the early 20th century, it bears a marked resemblance to London of that time. Being near the docks and the heart of the maritime trade, it once housed shipping companies and headquartered large industrial houses. However, ever since the port shifted to the new JNPT across the harbour, many of the old businesses have gone, making way for high end retail.

    While the Port Trust Offices, Seamen’s Club, Foreign Post Office , and L & T still remain, quite a few buildings now house revamped restaurants and luxury good retailers.

    This monument was built to honour the efforts of its employees by the Port Trust around 1920–1921 and also serves as a memorial to those who died in the war.
    Hamilton House now has Pundole Art Gallery
    Restored details of facade
    A photoshoot of the iconic Mumbai Dabbawalla
    Resting after the photo shoot

    A Tourist in my City

    My school friend N, who had worked in a travel house in the area soon after college, and I, who had visited that area often as a school kid, wanted to go down memory lane and decided to find out what was new in the area.

    We had missed the unique Pier Pop Up in July (offering Mumbaikars a unique experience at the Ballard Pier DownTown Experience Centre). The month-long festival was arranged by a Real Estate company (the House of Hiranandani) , a digital magazine featuring culture and lifestyle events (the Lab Mag) and the Ballard Pier – India’s first world class International Cruise terminal. July was the month the rain was heaviest and as always, I found it difficult to make time to visit it while it was on, so I thought I’d go along now and scope it out. Alas ! It turned out to be literally a pop up and the promised entertainment, food etc was only for that one month.

    The Magic of Benaras – TILFI

    Slightly disappointed learning that the Downtown Experience Centre was not a permanent fixture, we were a bit thrown and we carried on with our expedition rather aimlessly. Passing by a photo shoot, we came upon a showroom that shouted sheer beauty. It dim lighting and draped fabrics made it hard for us to pass it by. The shop wasn’t open for business but charming young salesperson welcomed us in .

    And what a treat we were in for ! Patiently she showed us the different fabrics and products on display. Tilfi is the flagship of a Benares based textile company which specialises in combining traditional craftsmanship with a modern aesthetic. This strategy helps keep alive a handicraft while creating a market that doesn’t want the traditional Mughal inspired floral motifs that Benares fabric is noted for. Deviating from the traditional silk, Tilfi weaves masterpeices in georgette, cotton and linen! There were the traditional brocades and Tanchoi , Phekwa and Sanjhi.

    Exquisite repousse artefacts in brass
    A fine cotton sari in Sanjhi inspired by the Paper cut work art
    Jamdani work
    Saris in Katan
    Delicate creeper border on silk sari

    Coffee Time

    We continued with our quest for the Grand Hotel, an iconic hotel that I wanted to check out. We came upon Bombay Coffee House that we hadn’t remembered seeing in the past. Apparently it was an Irani cafe called Cafe Model and in its 7 year new avatar was now an all-day breakfast place. And what a popular place it was! We were expecting to be the only customers but were shocked that we had to look for an empty table. The place was buzzing with young people, who it turned out were enthusiastic bikers who found Sunday the only day they could zip around the city. They had stopped by for coffee and conversation and perhaps a bite of the hearty breakfasts available. Apparently, this is a popular hang out for bikers and vintage car enthusiasts who come here Sunday mornings. I must bring Wow Dinga, Little Po and Ms Papaya after a Saturday night stayover.

    Who would imagine this place to be FULL on a Sunday
    Even the Mezanine was full
    One of the best coffees I’ve had
    A pile of colourful helmets
    A few of the bikes parked outside
    An pretty decent Breakfast Menu

    A Grand Hotel

    The hotel was just next door In the same Edwardian style buildings that are reminiscent of London, is the Grand Hotel. Built way back in the early 20th century. It captures the genteel beauty of the neighbourhood despite being cheek by jowl with the docks. We just saw the newly furbished lobby though the manager offered to show us the two meeting rooms and a restaurant that served a buffet breakfast for resident guests and regular meals for others.

    img_0966

    Would you like to model for us ?

    We continued walking and spotted some activity at a Petrol Pump that reminded me of the Lego one I had as a kid. I just couldn’t get over the 1960’s feel and kept staring at it in fascination. Just then we spotted some activity: there was a photo shoot going on and N was attracted by the folding reflector.

    Obviously, we weren’t too subtle about our presence and one of the kids came up to ask and asked us if we would like to model.

    A charming petrol pump
    Separate workshops for different jobs

    This was the weirdest proposition we’d ever had. And I must say I was flattered. I’ve never been particularly photogenic and always come across as stiff and awkward. But personally speaking, I think every young girl needs to model professionally to get that complete polished finishing school look. At least my friends who did a spot of modelling as teenagers have now turned out to be elegant head turning old ‘ladies’.

    In any case, modelling, like acting was total taboo in my middle-class home with ears of ‘casting couch’ of getting into ‘wrong company’ being the predominant deterrent. However, now that I’m a grandmother, those fears don’t matter. The only couch I’d need now would be to catnap between takes. And as for the company that’s not going to happen.

    Walking into a Furniture Store

    N actually was looking for Hamilton Studios, a well know photography studio that was famous for photographing celebrities and royalty. She had once had a photo taken there by her mum.

    Actually the studio is pretty easy to spot but since we had entered the precinct from the back, I was completely disoriented. We found ourselves walking into Tianu, a luxury furniture store. It had some beautifully hand crafted furniture and artefacts on display. It also doubled up as an Art Gallery keeping artists’ work for sale.

    Huge comfy sofas
    Dining table with chairs
    Art works for sale

    Finally

    By this time we were getting quite restless to get back home. So we had a quick bite at Burma Burma, and made our way back to our respective homes.

    But, it was a delightful way to catch up with an old friend – walk and talk while re-discovering our city. I look forward to sharing some more parts of my city especially now that the sun is out.

    Ciao,

    5–8 minutes
  • The ONE AND ONLY CHINESE TEMPLE IN MUMBAI

    The ONE AND ONLY CHINESE TEMPLE IN MUMBAI

    Once upon a time when Mumbai was Bombay, the city truly had an eclectic mix of people. It was a city that rose from the swamps, the paddy fields and the seven islands that gradually became one big land mass that spread into the mainland and became the Mumbai of today.

    It began with settlements and villages and grew into neighbourhoods and suburbs and finally into one great big metropolitan area.

    People came from all over to make their fortunes . From far off places in India and overseas like Iraq and China. The Chinese who came to Bombay in the 18th and 19th century were largely sailors, traders and merchants. Some even came to work in the docks. A large number migrated from Calcutta. And most of them lived in Mazagon.

    They worked as dentists, hair dressers, shoe makers, tailors and skilled craftsmen. They also introduced us to their cuisine which became so popular that in the days of yore, when eating at home, was the norm, eating in a Chinese restaurant became synonymous with celebrations.

    The only remaining house of a Chinaman on the street.

    Chinese food in India became a genre of its own and so entrenched in our collective memories that even overseas Indians seek restaurants serving Indian-Chinese food!

    Luckily, though most of this once thriving community has dwindled to a few families, the chinese restaurants still remain. As do a few chinese parlors and the solitary Chinese Temple.

    THE TEMPLE OF KWAN KUNG

    Thanks to my tour guide, I managed to see this last vestige of a once thriving Chinese community in Mumbai.

    In a quiet street near the dockyard is a red three storey structure looking distinctly Chinese and quite incongruous in a Mumbai street. The Chinese temple is well kept and radiates a sense of calm.

    Chinese Temple with batwing doors

    Making our way through the red batwing doors we found ourselves facing a dimly lit shrine of Guan Yin, Chinese goddess of Mercy. From the few slippers left outside, we could make out that there were just a few of us visitng.

    The shrine of Guan Yin

    Unfortunately, there was no one around to ask so we had to figure out things for ourelves. From what we could make out, a large painting of the goddess flanked by two other garlanded figurines dominated the shrine. I assume the larger figurine of a beautiful woman was Miso Shar, a princess in her early life, before she became the goddess.

    In front of the main painting was a smaller picture garlanded with prayer flags, some figurines, tall vases and some lit lamps.

    History of Gen. Kwan and Population of Bombay in 1872

    On one wall was the history of General Kwan and a notice of the population of the city in 1872!

    On the other wall was a hand written story of Kwan Yin or Miso Shar

    Following a sign, pointing to the main shrine, we went upstairs to see the shrine of Kwan Kung, the warrior God.

    On the landing of the first floor we saw a mural depicting the three gods FUK ( Good fortune) LUK( Prosperity), SAU ( Longevity).

    SAU ( Old man holding peach) FUK ( holding scroll) LUK( holding a sceptre)
    On the second floor landing a picture of Confucious
    Overlooking the street
    Entering the shrine

    Compared to the deserted ground floor, the second floor was a hive of activity. There were a bunch of people before us. Some were offering prayers and some seated in front of a fortune teller.

    None of the visitors were Chinese.

    A PRAYER AND A FORTUNE READING

    People don’t visit the temple to pray, but also to find out if their prayers will be answered.

    Main altar of Kwan Kung

    I wasn’t particularly interested in praying or finding out my future, but decided to give it a try. I approached one of the Chinese ladies at the temple who told me to offer some money to the God before giving me two candles, five incence sticks and two bits of paper representing money.

    After lighting the candles, I lit the incence sticks, rotated them three times and simultaneously made three wishes. I placed three sticks before the painting on the main altar, one before a figurine below and the fifth in another smaller ‘shrine’ in the verandah. I had to burn the bits of paper placing the embers in a tub .

    FORTUNE Telling.

    Then, I was directed to the minor altar at the entrance. and ring the bell three times and gong the gong three times. Kneeling on one of the cushions on the floor, i had to recall my main prayer and bow three times. After this, I was given a shaker filled with bamboo sticks. I had to gently shake the sticks till one fell out. Each of these sticks is numbered and I to find the corresponding chit from the chits pinned on the Wall of Fortune.

    Though the fortune is written in English, it was cryptic and difficult to make out so I asked one of the Chinese ladies to interpret it for me.

    I was a bit disappointed because I don’t think the reading applied to me.

    And so we left the Chinese temple.

    Ciao,

    Disclaimer: I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this information as there were no references I could cross check with.

    Just visit it with with an open mind and experience a little bit of China in Mumbai.

  • Sunday afternoon in a Mumbai Village

    Visitors to the city of Mumbai are amazed by its beautiful skyline all along the coast. But all of Mumbai is not glass and steel. There are some parts that still retain the buildings of the past. Yes, strange as it may sound, there are a few pockets where old villas and buildings still exist, hidden behind the concrete towers that have sprung up.

    I had always known about these villages but for one reason or the other, didn’t bother to find out more. But this Sunday, a message on a WhatsApp group mentioned a walking tour of Mazgaon conducted by a young student. Most tours are conducted during the week but this one was specifically on Sunday afternoons only, so I was hooked.

    Two magnificent lions flank the entrance of Lions’ Den, an iconic bungalow from where we began our tour.

    The sky was overcast as I left for Nesbit Road, where we’d agreed to meet, and just as soon as I stepped out of the cab, it began to rain. I made a dash for the nearest shelter and hoped the people whose entrance I stood at wouldn’t object to my presence. Many residents resent the curious stares of strangers and are also wary of potential land sharks posing as tourists.

    Tourist in my city

    Luckily the rain stopped as my guide came and we began our tour. Since we were going to walk up to Mazagon HIll and see the John Baptista park, the water works and the Chinese Temple, we didn’t spend too much time in the village which turned out to be Matharpacady and not Mazgaon Village as announced by the gateway erected by the local MP.

    The houses were single storied with wooden balconies, side staircases and typically Portuguese in architecture.

    Originally built in an Oart( or garden) it was famous for mango trees that fruited twice in a year, there are no traces of any greenery with its narrow lanes and quaint houses.

    Lion’s Den
    Holy Cross Oratory erected after the Great Plague of 1875 celebrated its 151st year this year.

    Many of the original inhabitants of the village were scared away by the bubonic plague that decimated the population of Mumbai and those that survived raised the Holy Cross Oratory in gratitude.

    One of the residents who was up and about was happy to share some of the history of the village but by and large, the residents do not look kindly on outsiders and we should respect their privacy.

    So while it is worth a visit, I would suggest going with an experienced tour operator like Khaki Tours , who has taken prior permission from the residents of the village for a more thorough and rewarding trip.

    Ciao,



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