One Year of Our Residence in Mumbai

 

                                                            In front of the Gateway of India in Aug 2022

This week we completed one year of our stay in Mumbai, to be precise in Mulund, a Mumbai’s North-East region. We came here on the 7^th May 2022 driving a car packed with essentials for next few months over the distance of about 1250 km from New Delhi. We stopped for one or two days each at Ajmer, Udaipur, Anand and Bharuch and enjoyed the hospitality of our friends and relatives as well as staying at the ICAR-NARS guesthouses at Ajmer and Udaipur. It was a decision in hurry as we were required to be of use to the family of our daughter, especially for taking care of our grandchildren. If this decision of transfer to Mumbai that we were contemplating seven years after retirement was to be left to us on our own, probably we would have liked to stay for some more years in Delhi and definitely completing one more year to celebrate my golden jubilee residence of 50 years.

Years in New Delhi now seemed to have passed fast, starting with my M Sc and later Ph D and then career at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute culminating in retirement as Head of Division, and then, year at IASST Guwahati as DBT Visiting Research Professor. Laidback living and working seemed to overwhelm us as we look back in retrospect.

As we drove through Thane’s Ghodbandar Road on the 7^th May in the morning, a sea of humanity started swelling as we drove through towards Mumbai. By the time we reached our residence in Mulund, it was afternoon. The day was hot and sultry with temperature of about 36-38 °C which seemed to be like that of 40-42 °C. Heat of last year as I remember was in sharp contrast vis-à-vis this years’ mild weather with intermittent rains and temperature around 33-35 °C. Settling down and battling odds in Mulund meant that we have arrived at. And this took some months.

Having lived in our three-bed apartment in the spacious housing colony, we had enjoyed our stay, strolling and sitting in the garden of our society, after retirement in 2015. Each season meant different setting for us to live and enjoy living. In winter, sitting in sun in garden was our pastime. In Summer, strolling early morning or evening was a must to beat heat. In monsoon, first few showers often brought a great respite that bade goodbye to summers. And then, we would watch rains, enjoying cool breeze standing by the side of windows. But, this relative luxury had to be foregone, as we now lived in the rented two-bed room flat with little space to stroll. Rains will often come and go, with little thunder and winds. Rains that we welcomed are soon becoming dreary. I wished if these could go away like the children that sang ‘rain rain go away….’.

Mumbai’s exploding population seemed to be spilling on road, as the sun rises, no matter what season is like. People are easily identifiable with most wearing shorts and tees, walking towards parks or open places that are as thin as hairs on the balding heads. In monsoon, they are all with umbrella or raincoats, hanging as if these are a part of their every-day clothing.

So, I too dared to walk each morning as monsoon slowed. And only place that I found breathable was the Raje Sambhaji Garden, about 10 acres of barren land without any vegetation, enclosed with roads on its two adjoining sides, Mulund Gymkhana on the third and housing on the fourth. I am told that many suburbs or parts of Mumbai do not have open spaces or gardens.

I participated in the badminton as some played in the morning. But, I was always outsider and hence, I had to depend upon others willing to play with me. Friendship too longer time than acquaintance. And it helped a lot. Walking in the garden was my other hobby. Two or three rounds of walking around periphery meant that I covered a distance of about 2-3 km, good enough exercise for knees that had seen the surgeon’s scissors a year earlier. But this open space is too crowded, with 10-12 teams playing cricket, one to two teams football, others volley ball, badminton and senior citizens with their laughter club and yoga, besides those walking, strolling or running. The garden sometime used to give an impression of dusty, unbreathable and unhygienic environment except if you are here in the early morning. Evening seems to be worst, as many men and women will come after work and stay until late in the evening.

Concurrent with crowding is the noise level. Often, loud speakers were blaring noise, supposedly music, be it a religious or social festival.

Most Mumbaikars that I have met seemed to aloof of what is happening in the country except for their Mumbai-based concerns. More often, they are seized of their day to day living; with an overdose of the political bickering with occasional upheaval. So, as I walk through, I come across invariably bill boards or posters of one leader or other, congratulating people on one or other religious occasion or their own functionaries or leaders on every possible occasion. It is a game of upmanship that they practice, be that within their party or against their opponents.

If it is monsoon season, it just rains, rains all time or pours occasionally, but over months and throughout the season. Rains bring in miseries of drain choking and open drains over flowing. Roads seemed to be washed of mud in the first instance, but soon, it is the muddy road that we walk on. Mumbaikars appear to enjoy rains.

So, for us, although used to the heat of Delhi during summer, I found heat and humidity of Mumbai unbearable. And, gamcha [cotton cloth piece of towel length] around the waist became my daily wear in-house. Gamcha also reminded me of Bihar, a state of unique possibilities as weird as possible, on the fringe of development but never on the road of development. I must credit it for having discovered gamcha that serves me the best.

Mumbai landscape is unique, leave aside the posh areas of marine drive, Bandra, and few others. So, the moment you step out of airport or rail station, be it old-time Victoria terminus, now CST or anything else, you confront more often narrow streets full of small shops and crowd. If anyone who can find space to squeeze in, is good enough to build the shop in or small room to live in. And the result of this is an unique shopping experience of having both big shops dotted with small dingy shops that caters to rich and poor alike. But distinction between rich and poor blurs too often, as they are not distinct entities, but diffused overlapping entities.

Talking of Mumbai without the imposing landmark, Gateway of India is impossible. It is iconic structure that reminds of British Raj. In concurrent with it is marine drive lined with famous hotels and residences of the wealthy. But this stretch of Mumbai often depicted in the picture is only for those with deep pockets to enjoy. Occasional visit to this part is an eye ease and eye tonic.

Ganesh festival is in the blood of mumbaikars. You cannot miss it if you are here during this period. And festivities start at least a fortnight before as often, many plan for it. Ganesh festivities are often community-based or locality based that means participation of one and all. With such approach, these festivities compete and people ensure that they visit as many as possible Ganesh idols and take blessings. I am told that Lalbagcha Raja, Ganesh idol which is patent protected and one of the oldest from 1935 at Parel draws a large number of devotees. Besides, And then, mahalaxmi puja that many will have in their homes, when the host invites their relatives and friends for obeisance and prasad.

                            

                                            In the company of relatives in Mumbai in July 2022
 

As rains stopped, the mild winter sets in. And for the sake of winter, many like to have a feel by wearing sweaters. Early mornings are cool, but not thereafter. This season change brings relief from the constant regular rains. I wonder as to how mumbaikars cope with struggling to dry their clothes during rains when there is hardly any space to dry out inside and open spaces coming in contact with rains or high humidity.

For me, mild winter or no winter was also a great relief as winter of Delhi used to bring in more of knee pains that I suffered earlier. I am sure that winter being mild may not be as painful to those suffering from arthritis. While mild winter or no winter is boon for me, I missed enjoying winter wearing sweaters, coat or blazer and enjoying cups of coffee in the balcony or garden of our society.

                                

Cycling in our society in New Delhi

                                             with Prof Rameshwar Garg ji in our housing society in New Delhi
 

Another landmark of Mumbai is its local train system, ease with which its people jostle with one another jam packed in the trains over a distance. You just need to push yourself or get pushed in or out of train. Niceties are forgotten here as everyone struggles to stretch his legs for extra space and those lucky ones sitting on bench are often searched for room to sit in between. And this reminds of the Delhi Metro which I enjoyed travelling in. Ease of connectivity from home to metro station and from metro station to the destination was facilitated by numerous e-rickshaws plying at stations or moving around the housing colonies. E-rickshaws are yet to replace autorickshaws, although e-two wheelers are very common for short distance commute amongst people.

If you are not using local trains for transport, auto rickshaws [tuk-tuk] are most convenient for short distance travel. An unique feature of this transport is that driver will charge and ever ready to part with change of coins if needed. Unlike in Delhi, auto-drivers are the best in their behaviour.

Eateries abound in every possible nook and corner, with most specializing in their signature dish, Vada-Pav, substituting even Sabzi-roti. This sandwich is easy on pocket and on sturdy stomach of mumbaikars. More it smells of garlic and onion, more it is considered scrumptious. I am not sure as to how Mumbai’s sizeable population of Jains [those have adapted to stay away from it, or developed its own version void of garlic and onion. Mumbai definitely scores over Delhi as far as sea-food is concerned. In a place where I stay, fish market is not far off and is mostly run by the women. And women in Mumbai are far enterprising than men, many putting up small stalls of eatables. Young crowds gather at each, irrespective of what it is selling. As far eating outside, I am however missing Delhi’s chat, gol gappas and chhole bhature. But definitely, gone are the days I would venture to eat roadside.

Being a financial capital of India, mumbaikars are very particular in their monetary dealings and ensure the business as clearly as possible, whether it is in black or white.

Over the years, Mumbai has evolved into a cultural centre with many theatres and dramas. I too had my share, but not enough of what I would enjoy in the cultural hubs of Mandi House, IIC and IHC. It takes time to familiarise with new setup. But diversity of Delhi is a far ahead of Mumbai. Nalini is quite right when she says that one should live happily in a place where you are. Happiness is the mindset, come what conditions are. With grandchildren, we are reliving our childhood with joys. Mumbai will soon be our ‘jaan’ if not now.