My writings would not be complete, without a mention of Bombay! It’s the city which I love! It’s the city which gave me freedom, taught me to be independent, be patient and social. The city is magnificent. Magnificent as it is so big - not geographically, but what it encompasses within itself. This is the city, where I first fell in love with radio, although music was always my passion. It is here where; I learnt that street eating was the in thing as people needed a quick grab till they reach their office. This is the city which made me very active, as it teaches one to walk a lot and run. As I put down the words of the famous English song – “The city by the bay, the city which never sleeps” – how apt to my city!
South Bombay is my favorite place. I feel history attached to this place. Nothing has been changed, altered, developed in this part of the town. Hence South Bombay or Town as people loving call the place cuts itself from the rest of the city. Marine lines in particular is my favorite place. Not because of the Queen’s necklace, but because of the old buildings which stand in line facing the sea. It kind of makes me nostalgic, whenever I am here, although I have been unable to relate to this feeling of mine. I feel as if I am in the bygone era as I stand amidst the sea, rocks and the buildings. The administrative buildings built by the British stands a class apart with its architecture. South Bombay cannot be mentioned without naming two of its oldest railway stations – Churchgate and Victoria Terminus. The place has a touch of 100 years and more with its numerous by-lanes, Colaba, the Taj hotel, Gateway of India, shopping streets. The touch of modernization is old by now. Nariman point, Bombay stock exchange, Air India building are landmarks of Bombay city.
The city earns the title of being the financial capital of the country. But I see it as a blend of so many different kinds of business. The city has been the starting point of careers to so many successful business men, traders, goldsmiths, bollywood actors and hoteliers! The traditional udupi restaurant first became popular in Bombay. It also houses few traditional markets like – Crawford market; Hindmata and Manish market which is famous for wholesale as well as retail trading. Cloth trading and marketing has been the specialty of this city besides the stock exchange trading. Almost all the corporate companies have their headquarters at Bombay. For me business thrives in this city.
For few outsiders the city is over-populated, places get crowded, traffic snarls are a daily routine, trains the life line of Bombay carries passengers beyond its capacity, the city comes to a grinding halt during monsoon, and the same places have water logging for the past 30 years or so. But as I read somewhere recently, there is a method to all the madness. And as I write this, it is true as I have noticed that people have made it a way of living in this city. Once you are in this city, it will automatically put you in the 5th gear. The city is fast paced. 24 hours in a day is too less for this city. That’s why it is rightly said that the city never sleeps.
Amidst all the commotion and madness, what touches my heart are the people of Bombay! Yes, the people of this city, with their kindness, generosity, caring and helpfulness. What I like most of this city is the friendliness of people around you. You don’t have to know one in particular. The emotions are for one and all. The city has taught them to be one. This friendliness comes to their help when the rains bring the public transport to a halt and people have to walk through knee length water. Whether it is mother nature putting the test on this city with floods which washes away so many homes, or it is the terror that strikes the city on and off, the people have stood together. It is the people who come together to help the injured out of the trains during the train series blast. It is people who shook the government post 26/11.It is the people who helped one another during floods. The city has been a testimony for many tragic events from the 1992 blasts which started off to the recent 26/11 blasts. The city and the people of Bombay are re-silient. It is not the city to be blamed, but the system as a whole.
One thing that catches my attention is the blend of people. It is the bollywood stars to gang lords to the Kolis (fishermen) the origins of Bombay to the continuous pouring of people from all parts of the country. It is rightly said that Bombay is a cosmopolitan city!
To sum it up, Bombay has everything -the iconic Taj hotel, heritage buildings, the Gateway of India, the largest slum in Asia- Dharavi, the bollywood industry, the Irani cafes, the coastal line for sea business, the service class citizens, the traffic jams, the udupi restaurants, the cinema theaters – Metro, Sterling, Eros and the multiplexes, the beaches – Juhu and Chowpatty, the road side food to five star food, the linking road at bandra, band stand, house of famous film stars, worli sea face, old temples, the wankade stadium, dilapated mills, and the Trains.
I love this city any which ways! And yes I love calling it Bombay!
