Comical Danger on the Open Road

After The Jolly Runner had completed the Mumbai Marathon, we took a week off to visit the Taj Mahal (the third time for me!) and Kerala. It was on the road between Gwalior Airport and Agra, that we had a few hair-raising experiences. 

I once mentioned in my Ambassador Rally write up, that driving on Indian roads is like an adrenalin sport.  But since then I have become very used to the national ways of driving (and dodging death).  It was only when travelling along the road between Gwalior and Agra at night-time, that my fear of driving on Indian roads was re-ignited – with the inexperienced Jolly Runner sitting on the backseat alongside me trying not to open her eyes for most of the journey!

Gwalior is the nearest airport to the Taj Mahal (on Mumbai air routes) and with a car and driver to take you from there to Agra, it is not much of a toil.  However, arriving at 4pm in the afternoon, by the time you get a good way along the highway, it is already starting to get dark.  This is when the fun begins.

But before that, there is plenty to keep you amused.  You will all have seen the ridiculous images on Indian travel programmes of people piling high on the roofs of buses, 20 bodies cramming into 6 person tuk-tuks and men on motorbikes with their wives and many children hanging off the back?  Well it’s all true, you see it all!  It may be hilarious, but these people - mostly rural folk trying to get home from their jobs in the fields - are taking their lives into their own hands because they cannot afford to travel differently, or do not have time to wait for the next mode of transport to come along.  

As dusk falls, there are at least 20 persons clinging on to the top and sides of this coach!

I tried to capture some of these sights rather shakily through the windows of our Ambassador hire car.  Some of the passengers caught me trying to photograph them and would then make their situations worse by hanging on with one hand so that they could wave at us.

As night begins to fall you begin to realize that street lighting is not a priority in India.  There aren’t even any cats-eyes.  But it makes no difference to our driver!  He weaves in and out of the traffic, undertaking and overtaking.  He overtakes the bus overtaking the lorry, narrowly missing a tuk tuk coming the other way – the tank-like Ambassador just managing to accelerate quickly enough to pull back in.  He’s not the only one doing this.  They’re all doing it!  All the while, pedestrians jump in front of the car - running the gauntlet - and cars pull out straight in front of you at junctions without a glance to see what’s coming.

We get to the point where we need to turn off on to a dual carriageway.  Unfortunately the side we need to go on is shut - cordoned off.  No matter!  We won’t try to find the diversion…no, we’ll just drive the wrong way up the other side instead…in the dark!  And there are no streetlights! At this point the Jolly Runner and I are grabbing on to each other whilst peering out through clenched eyes.  As we turn on to the road, we see the bright headlights of a freight truck coming steaming towards us. There is a van parked on the other side but the truck narrowly manages to avoid us by swerving through the gap at speed.  As we inch further up the road, another truck comes towards us, then another, beeping loudly all the while - but miraculously nothing hits us.

Eventually, after a few miles of this and more than a few narrow escapes, the other side of the dual carriageway opens up so that we can get back to the correct side of the road.  We are screaming and laughing at the same time.  We’re still alive!  At this point our rather pudgy mustachioed driver turns around to us and calmly says “what are you worried about?”...”I am not worried, so you should not be worried mam!”.  All in a day’s work for him.

After a couple more miles, we see lots of trucks lined up on the hard shoulder (more like a ditch) where there are some chai stands and snack stalls.  Our driver tells us: “you know mam, most of the truck drivers are taking opium, that is why they stop here…for a smoke”.  “WHAT??” we exclaim.. “Oh yes mam, it is true, and if it is not opium they are taking, then they take the line of white powder (what’s it called?) or the hash mam. Yes mam…or they are drinking wery wery much alcohol”.  Oh great!  So not only were we driving up the wrong side of a dual carriageway in the dark, but most of the truck drivers coming towards us were probably high on drink and drugs?  OH MY GOD!!  The driver assures us that he is telling the truth as he was a truck driver for many years before becoming a driver for tourists. So he should know.  And we didn’t bother to ask him if being an ex-lorry driver meant he was also a drug addict or alcoholic.  That, we definitely do not want to know!

For the rest of the journey to Agra, the Jolly Runner and I are in between laughter or tears of disbelief and fear.  What a rollercoaster. We are very grateful when we finally arrive at the hotel in one piece.

Wife travelling side saddle on the back, boy crammed in up front...they have no helmets

Exactly how much stuff can you carry on that motorbike?!

This is a mini bus rickshaw - it should probably carry six to eight people max.  This one is crammed full with at least 15-18 people!  These lot are hanging on for dear life at the back.

Even the driver can't have his seat to himself!

Love it!

This guy is either trying to hang on to the door or hang off the door!

My First Indian Wedding

A couple of Fridays ago, The Jolly Runner and I were very honoured to be invited to a colleague's wedding in Juhu, Mumbai.

Not only was this a visually beautiful occasion - but with the many rituals and traditions associated with an Indian wedding, it was also fascinating.

Indian nuptials usually go on for several days and involve - at a minimum - several hundred guests.  The biggest weddings have several thousand guests (and we complained about having to entertain a 100 people at ours!) and from what I can tell from driving past the many wedding venues in Mumbai - can involve a limitless budget.  The ceremonies and receptions require huge amounts of space (a cricket pitch will just about suffice), furniture, lighting, food, music and drum bands, flowers, fireworks and special platforms for the bride and groom.  When I think about the headache of organising a rather sober English wedding, I can not imagine what Indian families must go through to get theirs sorted out.  All I can say is I bet there must be some very profitable wedding planning businesses in this city! 

Without a doubt, Indian brides are some of the most beautiful in the world.  The richly embroidered red lehenga cholis (bridal dress), the detailed makeup, the intricate mehndi (henna tattooing on feet and hands) and the heavy gold and diamond head, neck and arm jewellery is like nothing any westerner has ever seen.  We were able to meet the bride in her wedding finery before the ceremony and it left us speechless and totally in awe:

The bride reflecting.  Note the amazing embroidery work on her lehenga and headpiece

These gold hanging ornaments dangling from the bride's wrists are known as Kalira. Kalira symbolise warm wishes and blessings and she will wear them until the ceremony is concluded.  Once the kaliras are tied, the bride shakes them on the heads of the unmarried friends or girls of the family.  According to an old adage, if part of a kalira falls on one of the girls, she will be next in line to be married.  Just like the throwing of flowers by the bride in a western ceremony!

Above and below: traditional Mehndi (henna tattoos) on hands and feet.

Mehndi ceremonies can take place a the bride's home before the wedding - sort of like a hen do!

Such finery!

The attention that is paid to the groom at an Indian Wedding would leave English guys breathless.  Instead of being holed up downing a pint at the bar just before an ordinary English wedding ceremony, the men (usually if they hail from a North Indian state) will arrive on a decorated horse wearing equally elaborate clothing and headwear - whilst his friends and family dance to drums and music around him all the way down to the street leading to the wedding venue.  This is called a Baarat and signifies the bonding together of the two families.  Whilst the Baarat is happening, the bride must quietly await his pending arrival. Unfortunately we missed this ritual as we were too busy staring at the bride!

After the groom has arrived from his Baarat, the close female friends and relatives of the bride accompany her to the wedding dais under a canopy.  Everyone is wearing such gorgeous colourful clothing.  I myself wore a long anarkhali with churidar (style similar to the dark blue dress to the left of this picture). Other friends wore pretty saris.

The wedding ceremony itself is very detailed and will differ according to state and family traditions. The wedding we attended followed mostly Punjabi traditions. The most important element is probably the Saptapadi, which is the taking of seven circuits around the Holy Fire whilst exchanging vows with every step - the fire being witness to the vows being made by the bride and groom. If they take the seven steps together they are sure to remain lifelong friends.  How nice is that!

Jai Mala is another step in the ceremony where the bride and groom place garlands over each other's heads. This indicates the desire and acceptance to be united in matrimony.

Jai Mala - placing garlands over each other's heads

There were many more parts to the lengthy wedding ceremony which proceeded whilst the rest of us were digging into the lovely buffet and chatting amongst ourselves in the background.  At the end of the ceremony, everyone went up for group photographs with the bride and groom and this is when we handed over our presents.

The bride and groom with relatives

As guests we were treated with great kindness by the parents of both the bride and groom and made to feel very comfortable - truly an honour to witness the joining together of two very beautiful people.  May you have many happy years together Neha and Dishank!

The beautiful couple

Some other photos:

The wedding dais prior to the ceremony.

A glimpse of the outdoor set up.  Dressed tables and chairs and lights in the trees....stunning!

Greeting the newlyweds after the ceremony

One of the many food stations at the venue.  Delicious!

The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

We went down to the arty Kala Ghoda district on Saturday to catch a glimpse of the annual festival.

Despite the fact it was supposed to be in full swing from 2nd February, many artists seemed to be still setting up their pieces.  Some of the stuff was arriving in blue plastic bags and some of it was lying around on the ground.  Typical disrespect for things of supposed beauty!  Actually, between you and me, I didn't have particularly high regard for the art being shown around Rampart Street.  It looked more like a load of kids had gone crazy with used washing up bottles, some glitter and a stick of glue.  I do think that Indians excel at the traditional arts, and not at this modern interpretive nonsense.  But that's just my opinion. 

And I was delighted to see that 'Festival' was actually a euphemism for 'market' - for there was a whole avenue of stalls set up on Rampart Street selling Indian handicrafts!  Oh Joy!  Of course I couldn't resist a handstitched Kantha bedspread in a pretty floral/bird design that Mr Jules allowed me to buy (although he thinks it too 'girly' for the spare room).

We followed our morning of culture and shopping with a magnificent lunch at Khyber with MaximumCityMadam and her family.  The Chicken Mughlai was to die for!

Some images:

Hand-stitched bedspreads...yay!

Some NGOs, such as Akanksha have stalls at the Festival

Hungry Bum

We couldn't work out if these bins were part of the exhibition...or if they were still trying to clean up before the show

This 'sculpture' has glitter ball eyes that swivel and smoke that comes out of its nose.  

Pieces of 'art' arriving in blue plastic bags

I quite liked this Ambassador car with rupee mosaic

More bits of art lying on the floor waiting to be strung up

Art...or child's play?

The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is on until 10th February.  There are many more exhibitions to see than the above displays in Rampart Street - other locations include Horniman Circle and the David Sassoon Library opposite the Jehangir Gallery.  A full listing is here. There are also heritage walks and things for kids to do.  Of course the best bit is the shopping.....

Photo Essay : Groups No 3.

Following on from posts 'Groups No. 1' and 'Groups No. 2', my obsession for photographing groups of people has not abated.  Here is my latest collection:

One for the girls...half naked men advertising a magazine at the Mumbai Marathon

I was attracted by the colourful turbans and the white beards

Teenage cricketers from Northern India on a college trip to Elephanta Island - they were very shy

A group of friends at Mattupetty Dam, Kerala

A family at Idukku Lake, Kerala

BMC road workers in a street in Bandra.  The guy in the hole refused to pose...

Pilgrims all dressed in red on Pondicherry Beach

Government drivers outside Chennai Fort

Cleaners at a temple in Chennai - the fourth one ran away after being told off by their boss

Schoolboys outside the Dutch Museum in Cochin

Thanks for looking!

 

How to Spend 48 Hours in Mumbai

Mumbai is not really what I would describe as a ‘holiday’ destination where people stick around for very long.  48 hours is usually just enough time to get a taste of the city before moving on to the tourist trail of the Golden Triangle, ‘God’s Own Country’ Kerala, beachy Goa or the crisp, fresh air of the Himalayas.  If you are stopping off in Mumbai before a 'grand tour', or if indeed you live here as I do and are entertaining guests in the city for a couple of days, the following is a compact guide on what to do and where to go.

 

I will show you how to see the beautiful and not so beautiful sights of the city, where to go for an introduction to Indian street food and where to go shopping for good souvenirs. My guide assumes that you have access to a car and driver.  If you don't have your own driver, it is possible to hire one quite cheaply and will mean you can pack an awful lot more in than if you got the train or bus.  (I am also not ‘at one’ with the Mumbai public transport system!) It also assumes that you will do a bit of pre-planning with a street map.

 

(This is all tried and tested by BombayJules by the way!)

 

Day 1

 

I will usually try and make an early start before commuter traffic peaks at 10am, aiming to get to Banganga Tank at the bottom of Malabar Hill by 9am.  Banganga tank is the oldest and most sacred Hindu site in the city where Lord Rama is said to have brought forth water from the Ganges by firing an arrow into the ground.  It is a place of rare serenity and there are usually photogenic pilgrims and worshippers to be seen ‘purifying’ themselves in the waters.   You might even see some of the many ducks that reside there floating around.  Surrounding the tank are a few Hindu and Jain temples – take your pick at which one to look at, remembering to take off you shoes before you go in.  Hop back in the car and take the five minute drive to The Hanging Gardens of Malabar Hill from which you can get your friends to line up at the in front of the wonderful view of Marine Drive.  Passing back via the giant boot (if you’ve got kids, let them go up to the top) and crossing the road, you will enter Kamala Nehru Park with its perfectly manicured hedges and topiary animals, green benches and colourful flowerbeds.  This is a rare haven in Mumbai – verdant, well kempt and rubbish free.

 

By now you are probably feeling a little peckish - so get back in your car and drive past the almost completely hidden Towers of Silence - you can just get a glimpse through the trees on your left.  The Towers of Silence are where the Parsis (Zoroastrians) place their dead. I suggest you look up the reason for this on Wikipedia so you can amaze yourself/your friends with the information! Keep going straight until you are back on Babhulnath Marg.  If you want to, hop out here and take a look at Babhulnath Temple (another one of the city’s holiest Hindu sites) – the steps leading up to it are lined with traditional Gujarati houses for temple workers.  Having done that, get your driver to park up whilst you cross back over the main road for a nice, reasonably priced lunch at Soam.  Soam is my favourite place in Mumbai to experience street food in a safe, clean and quality environment.  If you’re new to Bombay street food yourself, get the friendly restaurant owner to show you and your guests how to eat Pani Puri. You should also try to sample the amazing masala dosas, sev puri, and farsans.  Yum.

 

After lunch, you are now ready for a quick/optional diversion to nearby Anokhi off Hughes Road – especially if there are women in the group, (well women like me that can’t resist a quick shop!)  At Anokhi, you will find irresistible hand block printed items from Jaipur, all at very agreeable prices.  Cotton tops, long skirts, fabulous table cloths and printed notebooks. 

 

Now, get your driver to drop you at the start of Marine Drive so that you can take a 20 minute stroll along Girgaum Chowpatty.  Chowpatty means ‘beach’ in Marathi.  If you go right down to the sea, you will unfortunately witness the rubbish that is so prevalent in and around Mumbai.  But don’t worry, you'll soon get used to it!  Oh, and I don’t need to tell you not to go anywhere near the water. 

 

Next, pick up your car again and come away from the beach by heading east - asking your driver to go towards Crawford Market.  Get out here and go through the front entrance where you will be immediately greeted by the hustle, bustle, sights, sounds and smells of Mumbai’s most famous shopping bazaar.  Try not to veer into the caged animal section where birds, cats and dogs are for sale, Kept in small cages without visible evidence of water, it can be very upsetting to see.  After mooching around for a bit in the market you will find that it’s almost time for a cup of tea.    Get back in the car and head down DN Road so that Victoria Terminus (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in new money) is on your left hand side.  No need to get out of the car, just enjoy the ‘Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival’ architecture of Mumbai’s main transport hub, built in 1808.  There is plenty of similar Raj-era architecture to admire in the vicinity, such as the Bombay High Court and the University of Mumbai and The Prince of Wales Museum.  Carry on going straight towards the sea, getting off at the next stop – The Gateway of India. 

 

Get out here and proceed through the (defunct) security gate. Take a few photos with your clan in front of the Gate, have a look out to sea, do your best to avoid the photo-touts and giant balloon sellers (I still haven’t fathomed why on earth one would need a balloon the size of a small car) then turn around, go back and cross the road.  You will now be right in front of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on Apollo Bunder.   Admire the grandeur of the building, pass through the lobby and go up to the SeaLounge on the first floor.  Here you must sample a very expensive cup of the divine Silver Grove White Tips Darjeeling tea whilst looking out to sea - as smooth as a silk sari.  Whilst chatting, you can think about the 2008 Terrorist Attack centred around the hotel where 200 hostages were rescued but 31 guests were unfortunately killed.

 

Get collected again and go around the back left hand corner of the Taj Palace Hotel and find the small Good Earth Shop on BEST Marg.  Delight in the Indian themed cushion covers and crockery etc...but beware of the western prices. 

 

After the thrill of Good Earth, you’ll need to come back down with a cocktail.  Drive back to Marine Drive and find the Intercontinental Hotel about a third of the way up on the right hand side.  Clear security and take the lift up to the magnificent (and trendy) DomeBar on the top floor.  I actually like to ask for a white wine spritzer (you have to explain to the waiter - white wine with soda with ice) which is a perfectly refreshing accompaniment to what I consider to be one of the best views in Mumbai.  You can while away a few hours watching the stunning sunset and chatting before going to a restaurant of your choice to sample some more Indian food – or perhaps just stay at the in-house restaurant Kebab Corner where you’ll find some of the tenderest Chicken Malai to be had in the city.

So that’s the end of Day 1.

Day 2

 

And now for something a bit different.  Do you think I am going to show you the street markets of Mumbai (Colaba, Fashion Street, Linking Road etc) or an art gallery or museum? Wrong!  Day 2 of my itinerary is an optional alternative to the usual tourist trail.

 

Today starts in the “Queen of Suburbs” - Bandra - at 10am.  If you are coming from South Mumbai, come via the Sealink – the city’s best and most scenic feat of engineering.  Find your way to Carter Road (starting at Otter’s Club), hop out of the car and walk along the sea promenade. Get some of that sea air into your lungs!  After 20 minutes or so, drive back towards Pali Market, going up and down some of the streets in order to admire the Art Deco bungalows of a bygone era. Some are decrepit, but some have been restored to stunning effect.

 

Heading back in the direction of Carter Road along Hill Road, find Ben Hur Chemist opposite pretty St Andrew’s Church.  Get out of the car here and walk down Waroda Road which is off at an angle just before the chemist’s.  Waroda Road and its offshoot Chapel Road, are part of Ranwar Village - a charming bohemian enclave, with colonial bungalows, narrow streets and artistically graffitied walls.  Ranwar (now favoured by French hipsters) is one of the original 24 pakhadis (hamlets) that made up Bandra since the earliest documented history in early 1700s, and has managed to retain its village character even as present-day development has hemmed it in on all sides.  The street art is fun to look at – some of it is slightly naïve, some of it highly artistic. 

 

Get your driver to pick you all up again from Hill Road and then drive 30 minutes (max) to Matunga, south of Mahim (and not via the Sealink). You will probably go past Dadar Flower Market on the way.  Matunga is famous for its South Indian restaurants, very much favoured by the local vegetarian Gujurati community.  Head for the most famous of these restaurants - Café Madras (Bhaudaji Road, Kings Circle) for brunch.  At weekends it can get very busy and you may have to queue.  Café Madras is an excellent place to sample a traditional Indian breakfast – food items such as idlis, dosas, wadas and rassam.  Perhaps stay away from the coconut chutney accompaniments in case of fragile stomachs!  But it should all be perfectly safe.

 

After your brunch/lunch, you can browse some of the pavement bookstalls or take a look around the local vegetable market to give your guests a true flavour of local life. If you want, take a peek at the King’s Circle nearby, another rare area of greenery.

 

You then need to get yourselves to Mahim station by 2.30pm where you will meet one of the tour guides of Reality Gives Tours & Travel (www.realitytoursandtravel.com).  You are going on a tour of Dharavi which you have prearranged. It is hard to ignore the shanty towns of Mumbai so why not educate yourself and your companions about the amazing enterprise that goes on in Asia’s biggest and most profitable slum?  It’s not half as scary as you might think and the tour seeks to break down negative or misinformed attitudes towards less developed communities. You will be led around a pre-organised route where you are encouraged not to gawp and you will come out with a completely different view of the ‘Heart of Mumbai’.  No photos are allowed and you will have to try and be subtle about unfavourable smells.  I have taken several people on this tour and they have all appreciated the experience and been enlightened by it. The cost is only 600 Rs per person or 3,000 Rs for a private tour for up to five persons. 80% of profits made by Reality Gives are ploughed back into the community.

 

Two and half hours later, the Reality Tours tour guide will speak to your driver and tell him to collect you from their office on the other side of Dharavi - where you can also by some mementos of the tour.  Now you can relax!  Gather yourselves up, get in the car and drive to Phoenix Mills shopping mall in Lower Parel (around 30 minutes depending on traffic).  This is partly to show the immediate contrasts between rich and poor and partly for them to pick up some more souvenirs.  Plus it’s nice and cool in there.

 

Admire the Gucci, Burberry and Jimmy Choo outlets in Palladium and then go down to the ubiquitous FabIndia and Bombay Stores where you can pick up some more quality souvenirs.  For dinner, there is a multitude of safe bets here – I would particularly recommend Rajdhani for an excellent and never-ending Gujurati thali experience (if you are sticking with Indian food) or Serafina, the Italian Pizzeria if you want a change of scenery.

Your BombayJules tour is now finished!
 

 

Left to right, top to bottom

1. Banganga tank 2. Topiary of Kamala Nehru Park 3. Anokhi prints 4. Pani Puri at Soam 5. Bustling Crawford Market 6. Gateway of India 7. Dome Bar 8. Colonial bungalow of Bandra 9. Graffiti of Waroda Road 10. Matunga Vegetable Market 11. Dharavi 12. Phoenix Mills Mall.