Ye hai Bombay meri jaan!

The third day of this summer’s retreat to the Western Ghats saw us driving to the city of dreams  Mumbai! The expressway lived up to its name and reputation allowing us to reach the city within forty minutes.

There it was – the city building tier on tier daily with the high-rises looming overhead, crowded roads, the plethora of people from everywhere milling on the streets. This was Mumbai!

We wound our way through the forests of concrete for a short while before we took an exit through a road more frequented by port authorities and goods carriers. We joined the masses next at Colaba, near the iconic Taj hotel. The old style architecture that this landmark flaunts is mesmerizing. Sitting across the road from the Arabian Sea, the building and the surrounding area represents a well preserved piece of urban history. The feeling to just suck in the beautiful sight was delightful.

To the left at the very edge of land stands the Gateway of India. This historical monument was our next stop and we continued there on foot after locating parking spot on the narrow by lanes. The mammoth structure has been on our text books since kindergarten but to see it all in person was again another delight! Let the photos narrate further.

The Taj Hotel

Gateway of India

Quite realistic,eh?

A black and white photograph of the Gateway from the front

Engraving at the top of the monument

After this it was time to board the ferry and head to the Elephanta Caves, remnants of a great temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The hour long ferry ride was more boring than anything. The smell of diesel wafted from below the deck and this coupled with the rhythmic swaying of the boat resulted in a bad headache. An hour later we disembarked on Elephanta Island. After devouring fruits and other offerings from the vendors whose stalls lined the narrow street we boarded the small toy train that took us further. The climb to the top was not intense but the weather was! The transition from the dry Delhi summer to the extremely humid climate in Mumbai was difficult. By the time we reached the top the handkerchiefs were dripping wet!

The caves having being cut more than a millennia and a half ago still boasted of intricately carved statues. This extreme example of ancient engineering and art is one of the few remaining pieces from the Golden Era in India’s history. Lord Shiva and his various forms have been depicted in a number of caves that have been cut from a side of a hill. This was a nice experience and I took liberty in exhausting the batteries of my camera.

Boarding the ferry

On the toy train

Mom and dad

Entrance to the caves

The caves in the background

One of the various forms of Lord Shiva

Inside the cave temple

A courtyard in the middle

A shivalinga

The three faces of Lord Shiva in one of the most famous sculpted pieces of  rock

Another branch of the caves 

Accurate engineering of the past!

 An hour or so later we trudged back downhill, had a huge thali for lunch and boarded the next ferry back. The return journey on the ferry was more pleasant as this time we decided to sit on the deck above in the open. The view of the Mumbai skyline was quite picturesque and I took quite a few pictures. 

A stall on the way up to the caves.

On the way back!

Mumbai- a view from the ferry

Forty five minutes later we stood at a dock where we were off loaded on account of high tide conditions near the Gateway of India. So, a short walk and a taxi ride later we were back where we had started.

Next, was the ride to the very famous Marine Drive and  Nariman Point. As the sun prepared for its dive into the sea, we strolled on the boulevard that countless movies had turned into an attraction. The scenic views from this place are a memory to remember.

And as the sun set, I looked yonder

Nature turned a new color

I looked further, it spoke

And lulled me into a world another

Nariman Point

Marine Drive

Posing

With the setting of the sun, we set off too. Through the streets of Mumbai as it now glittered in silver and gold lighting sitting atop those mighty structures, we wound our way to the outskirts and so zipped back home on the expressway.

Thus ended, another wonderful day on my travels this summer.