Mumbai, the city of dreams

Last May I was for the second time in India, this time I stayed for 9 days in the city of Mumbai. It was a very interesting discovery through this world metropole with 22,3 milj inhabitants; a vibrant ant nest full of contrasts between rich and poor, old and new, modern and traditional. A very rich cultural and artistic city as well.... 

After I arrived I check in in a beach hotel at Juhu Beach. I start my exploration of the city with a beach walk and first contrasts soon appear. I pass by a giant beach residence owned by one or another Bollywood star. Just few footsteps further I am at a fishermen settlement and a friendly couple invite me to take a look in their small house of briks. There are other houses around but also huts of iron and in general the small village looks poor. From there I take a riksja for a drive into the city. I visit the brand new Nikita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre and the temporary exhibition "India in fashion"   

The next day I take the train to the Bandra district for a visit to Dharavi, the biggest slum of Asia and decor for the movie Slumdog millionaire. The nickname for Dharavi is "The beating heart of Mumbai". The economic heart of the slums is leaning on three pillars; pottery, textile production and waste processing. First I take a look at the pottery. In the many alleys of this neighbourhood the ovens are making overtime in dry season. In monsoon season activities are impossible. In one of the workshops I overcome my fear of heights by climbing a rickety staircase to the rooftop where women are busy to order the pots and bowls for dry process by sun.

I got an opportunity to visit the 5-Stars Acting and Dancing Classes in Dharavi. It is a project intended for slumkids where they can learn to dance and act and develop their talents. For so many it is the ultimate dream to reach Bollywood one day. For the movie Slumdog Millionaire 25 kids of this classes were selected so the dream isn't elusive, it could happen for sure so they keep believing. The pupils offer me a demo Bollywooddance and I realize I will not be in the selection, hahaha...

At Dhobi Ghat, the public an open-air laundry of Mumbai, the dhobi walla's or laundry workers are already active for over 140 years in very bad conditions. For many families this environment means living and working together. In small huts families with children live between the wash basins and threads full of laundry. For a small wage the laundry workers are barefoot in the basins in water with chemical products. Commissioned by the large and famous brands as Levi's and Hilfiger they do their "prewash" here in Dhobi Ghat. For the workers it's a hard daily reality, the threads full of meters jeans or shirts in same color look without doubt very photogenic to me. Through the labyrinth of alleys and slums I pass many textile- and sewing workshops. These 1-room factories form the economic heart of Dharavi.

At the station each working day the dabbawalla's are busy to deliver the lunchboxes of their clients in time for lunchpause. It is a very ingenious system that already excists for 130 years and it originated because Indians prefer homemade food but men stay during the week or sometimes a month in the city. The system provides that the dabbawalla collect the foodbox each morning at home where the wife has prepared the lunch to take it to the city and deliver it at work of the husband. In this way each day millions of boxes are delivered with a margin of error of 0,0....% , really amazing!! After seeing the dabbawalla's I visit the impressive Victoria Station, a monumental building that was finished in 1888 after 10 years of building. Since 2004 it's on the list of Unesco World Heritage Sites. Further I pass by at the Prince Of Wales Museum where the history of India is showcased from prehistory until modern times. Of course the Mahatma Gandhi Residence can't be missed on my program. In this house Gandhi has lived for 17 years of his life during his stay in Mumbai. It's a beautiful old building of 3 floors. There is a library and many pictures of the highlights in his life. For sure a must-see when in Mumbai.

Next day I go for an early morningwalk along Marine Drive. Although the early hour (7 o'clock) it's already crowdy. Indians like to go out in early hours to do workouts, yoga or meditation before they go to work. On certain moment I am all of a sudden in a set of a new Bollywood production. Very often streets or part of are in Mumbai decor for Bollywood movies.

After my walk I take a taxi to drive me to Sassoon Dock and the daily fish market overthere, the biggest of whole Mumbai. Walking around means an attack on my nose and believe it, my shoes and clothes will have a stinky smell until I am back home. Sassoon Dock is the only dock that is accessible to public and here one can watch all activities of the many fishing boats, 1500, daily come by here and they deliver 20 tons of fish daily. For more than one hour I stroll around and my camera is making overtime. I can capture women carrying baskets with fish on their head, men pushing carts full of fish. On the ground groups women and children sorting shrimps and other small fish.

The next morning I check out in the beach hotel to move to another hotel on Malabar Hill, a residential district of Mumbai. Close to Malabar Hill I take a look at the Banganga watertank, a water reservoir that is connected to the sea and part of the Walkeshwar Hindu temple. This small community is one of the best kept secrets of Mumbai. I enjoy the serene atmosphere and the quiet is not to believe I am amidst a city of millions... 

On my last full day I take the boat "out of town". I leave at the Gateway of India for a trip of 10km to Elephanta Island for a visit at the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Elephanta Caves; 7 caves decorated with rock carvings and statues from Hindu gods. When I come back in the late afternoon I take another look at the Gateway of India, a triumphal arch built in honor of King George V and Queen Mary. This historical construction is an icon and landmark in Mumbai. 

From the one icon I walk to the other icon for my last night in Mumbai. I check in at the Taj Hotel for a royal treatment in style. This legendary hotel has a monumental interior and some parts are like a museum. In the lobby I take a moment of silence near the memorial for the victims of the terroristic attack in 2008; filmed in 2018 as Hotel Mumbai.

Before leaving to airport I go for a shoppingtour in town and have a drink in the legendary Leopold Cafe, another target in 2008 for a terroristic attack simultanous to Taj Hotel. I take the train for the last time and than this fantastic week in this fascinating, vibrant city is coming to an end. India; a country, a culture, a population that is continuous charming me. Maybe once, I will return; there is still so much to discover here....