The much awaited Bandra-Worli sealink opened yesterday. In the unlikely case that you don’t know what I’m talking about (in which case, what are you doing reading this post?), this is a bridge built across one of the bays between the islands that comprise Mumbai. It connects Bandra reclamation to Worli seaface and has been predicted as the solution to easing up the daily traffic snarls from the western suburbs to town.

The sealink has been a long time in the making, having faced some setbacks and delays as well. It has been a part of the grand plan for Mumbai for so long that it has almost made a mark in local lingo by now (Yeah, I’ll get a promotion by the time that damn sealink gets made, maybe then I’ll be able to afford a car too!).

Most Mumbaikers have seen its grow, inch by agonizing inch on the horizon, from each direction. Just last year, I looked out at the impressive seaview from the window of a friend whose Mahim flat faces the then under-construction sealink and said,

Whatever is taking them that long??!! There’s just another inch to go!

After much fanfare, the sealink was inaugurated by Sonia Gandhi last morning and thrown open to the general public at 7 a.m. There will be a Rs.50 toll to traverse the sealink but that becomes functional only as of next Monday. So for the next few days, you can expect most Mumbaikers to derive full paisa vasool rides, riding Mumbai’s first ever sealink.

Quite fortunately (for me) I had an appointment in town that same morning. Fortunate I say because I (like many suburbanites) detest the painful commute into town, even less by road. What a stroke of luck to have a reason to go into town on the very day the sealink was inaugurated!

So I nagged dad into turning off into Bandra reclamation, shushing his incessant doomsday prophesies that the sealink would only add to commute time and what was so great about that damn bridge anyway, it’s taken long enough to come up and blocked Mumbai’s strained resources as it is.

In a few minutes, I was ready to jump out of the car and dive for cover as we ran smack-dab into the middle of the kind of traffic that makes road-rage seem like a pardonable offense, not punishable by law. I think every Western suburbanite must have been on that road to Worli today, whether or not they wanted to go to town!!!

I actually saw a few cars take U-turns and head back out, presumably to get to their destinations, the old-fashioned Mumbai way.

But as we inched forward and the high beams of the sealink came into view, my spirits surged and even my father ceased his complaining and grudgingly took out his own phone to take a picture.

We passed an impressive-looking toll-naka. Oh okay, I know there’s nothing impressive about a toll-naka, I’ve seen the one at Mankhurd and what about that huge one leading out to Mumbai-Pune expressway that I passed, not three days ago?

It still was a momentous occasion, for we were on the brink of breaking new ground. As we passed, I’m rather afraid to say that the insofar well-laned traffic just sort of melded into itself and became one sea of cars going helter-skelter. The road curves a bit before it touches the sealink and the lanes just sort of get lost in each other. The authorities are just going to have to do something about that if they don’t want to face choke-ups every morning just before the Bandra end of the sealink.

Very near the sea, I saw a flock of crows flying around frantically and wondered aloud,

Why are there so many birds around? What are they so agitated about?

Dad said that perhaps there was an colony of nests in that place which had so far been pretty secluded and undisturbed. Displacement was a sobering thought to start the trip on, but well needs must.

Once we actually got closer and closer to the sealink, I could feel the anticipation electric in the air. Cars slowing down, audible gasps, people zooming their camera lenses and phones, excitement was rife.

I can’t even begin to describe what the journey was like. I am sure, in a short few days I’ll become as accustomed to it as the regular train and road commute. But today, this first trip was special. It was the realization of the great Mumbai dream. We were riding over water. All my hitherto unvoiced fears that the bridge would give way were blown away in the cool breeze. The bridge is rock-solid (not at all like Lakshman Jhula, ma, you can stop worrying, it won’t sway in the wind) and it would otherwise feel just like riding on a concrete road, except there’s the sea on both sides.

What an odd feeling to turn to one’s left and see Mumbai, the city, the familiar buildings and roads on the horizon but on the wrong side and from so far away!

I saw a media van pass in the opposite direction on the clear Worli-to-Bandra lane, with a journalist standing out of one of the windows holding a mike, and a cameraman standing out of the opposite side shooting her. It was a funny sight and I’m only sorry I didn’t have a chance to shoot it.

The image below shows the proud and cheering workers who were lined up to watch the first few travellers on the sealink. What a moment of glory it would have been for them!

The couple in the Qualis next to mine were carrying balloons and traversed the entire length of the sealink with their balloons held aloft and flying out of the windows. Viva, the spirit of Mumbai!

We touched terra firma again at the Worli seaface end. I’m rather afraid this means the end of those long, wonderful soujourns ending in masala milk and sandwich. With the incoming and outbound traffic to the sealink, the seaface is bound to become thoroughfare and lose the charm it has.

We’re losing a few lovely spots and the traffic problem may not really be solved. But the experience of riding over the sea is something every Mumbaiker should have. This link has been far too long in coming. In the larger picture, perhaps easier access will level out some of the differences of Mumbai’s very own caste system?

I can’t tell just yet. My head is still spinning with the adrenalin rush of yesterday morning. I really feel like I’ve been part of a grand day in Mumbai’s history, almost like the fall of the Berlin wall. It is a big thing for this city and as a Mumbaiker, I feel really proud.

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The Monsoon checklist for Bombayites :-
1. Test Umbrella, if rusted make Bow & Arrow’s or repair them.
2. Clear n Sell off your old Raddi, they might be worthless when wet.
3. Tie Cloth or Towel to you LAN Cables, Water might come into your Desktop and Inbox.
4. Buy extra Chaddis, you don’t want  to encourage B-Tex Lotion Sales.
5. Get Kiwi Drainex to clear choked Kitchen Sinks.
6. Beware of Potholes, Open Manholes & BMC.
7. Listen to the song but avoid Aksa beach.
8. Anti Rust to your Bike/Cycle.
9. Buy Sandak Shoes from Bata.
10. Raincoat for your Mobile Phone, Better option to buy the 1200 Bucks Mobile for June-August.
11. Switch back to Cable TV; DishTV & Tata Sky tend to conk off during rains.
12. Get Old Monk Rum.
13. Keep extra pair of Shoes, Bermuda & Tooth paste at office.
14. A million people will call you to Bushy Dam, get used to it.
15. Don’t Smoke, Wet ciggies will kill you faster.
16. Avoid travel to low lying areas like Kalina, King Circle, Chinchpokli or Lower Parel
17. Find Love or Get a partner, Humans tend to get horny this season.

Now that you are ready, Go ahead and enjoii the most beautiful and awaited season in our great city.

P.s Do feel free to add to the checklist : )

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Mariamman Temple, Malad, originally uploaded by Bombayite.

Beautiful little Temple I see everyday while commuting to work
Gives you the real South India feel in Bombay.

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Idea Smith told the story last year but this year, as Lord Jeffrey Archer returned for the Landmark Jeffrey Archer tour a second time, you’ll need to settle for my patchy version of it. As I am sure anyone but me can imagine, it is impossible to take in an event when you’re in the thick of organizing it. I tried very hard, I promise you, but between running around for stock, flowers, and signing pens, the two hours that he was in the store just passed me by.

Lord Archer entered about fifteen minutes past seven, by which time the book section at Landmark, Infiniti Mall was completely packed. There might have been a moment or two when I doubted if as many would turn up as last year. But I needn’t have worried. All of Archer’s fans were there - some new ones too.  They came to be charmed, to be  entertained… and no one went home disappointed.

While it’s been a while since I last read Archer (the last one I read was Twelve Red Herrings in 1994), I don’t doubt that the books are engaging - going by the stories he told at the store. He told stories of joining the Samajwadi Party and being Transport Minister, but my favourite was the one where his American publishers , Simon and Schuster, tried everything in the proverbial book to get him into the top 15 of the NYT bestseller list.

It was 15 minutes of a lovely, animated saga of how they flew him on the Concorde, put him up at the Waldorf Astoria, and got him two minutes on the Good Morning America show. Despite being instructed to mention the title as often as he could, he spent all of it describing the Concorde. After many botched attempts, success in the American mainstream came when Johnny Carson, while introducing Lord Archer, told his 53 million-wide audience,

Kane and Abel is one of the best books I have ever read. I stayed up all night turning page after page and I would recommend that each of you buy a copy.

A week later, Kane and Abel was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and stayed there for 6 weeks.

Jeffrey Archer tells the Kane and Abel story

The thing about being backstage at these events is that you catch the authors/artists as they actually are, egoistic, eccentric, or not at all. But whatever Lord Archer’s personal faults be, there is no doubting that he’s truly happy that so many people show up to see him. He doesn’t leave till every last book is signed, no matter if it takes two hours and that he’s pushing seventy. He always has a smile for you and your camera, no matter how many flash bulbs have gone off in his face. And that makes everything okay as far as I am concerned.

You can still catch him at Landmark, Pune, Moledina Road on the 17th of May. The last event is at Landmark Bangalore, Forum Mall, Jaya Nagar on the 18th of May. Both events start at 7:00 p.m.

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A communique from BMC is being circulated for information.

Floods - 2009 : Mumbai

Floods in Mumbai are attributable to simultaneous occurrence of rainfall and high tides. If, the rainfall is in excess of 200 mm in a day (24 hrs), floods can occur anytime irrespective of tides. However, if there is moderate rainfall but the tide is in excess of 4.50 meters at the same time, the city of Mumbai is sure to get flooded.

Accordingly, heavy floods are anticipated on the following days in Mumbai, if there is excessive rainfall at the time of high tides, since the tides are extremely high on these days: -

BMC has already planned to keep the schools closed on 24 July 2009 since the tide level is record high of last 100 years on this day.

Mumbaites are, therefore, requested to cooperate with the administration by restricting their movements and certainly not to take their vehicles out on the roads these days.

There are speculations about very high waves on 22 July 2009 due to solar eclipse. 

Public should, therefore, keep away from the beaches that day.

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Radhe Guru Ma aka Barbie Doll Guru, originally uploaded by Bombayite.

Notice the Contact person : Tullibaba :)

More details about the Guru.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=Columnists%20-%20Sunday%20Read&sectid=82&contentid=2009030820090308032059507a72ea202

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He called me the gatekeeper of the great suburban conscience of Mumbai.

Am I? Each time I write something serious about the city, I’m reminded of a friend bitching about the ultra-intellectual types who eat at McDonalds and come out and talk about the poor people in the country. Am I one of them? Does the city give you a choice, surrounded as you are with surreal constrasts?

Here’s something I spotted a couple of weeks ago in the wee hours of the morning. Presumably the store is one of the many designer boutiques that dot the fashionable area of Juhu. Do they know that at night, their porch turns into a bedroom? Perhaps they do, considering our man has a pseudo-four-poster bed with a mosquito net tied into corners. And the faithful guard lies in waiting, a few feet away.

In the middle of this melancholic week, I don’t find cheer even in my favorite streetside philosophers. Today’s autorickshaw spotting reminds me that this city runs on money, money, money.

Maal hain to mohabbat hain (If you’ve got money, you’ve got love)

If you’re wondering what the word ’surreal’ means outside of a Dali painting, you know where to look it up, now. What’s left for me to say?

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Ungli Karo!!, originally uploaded by Bombayite.

John Abraham doing his bit by asking Junta to use the Ungli Bindass tomorrow.

Btw the Middle Ungli is the new symbol, so make sure u show the middle finger after you vote Tomorrow.

Mumbai goes to Polls tomorrow 30th April 2009.
Check your name on the Voter list
www.google.co.in/intl/en/landing/loksabha2009/

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After all the  TV coverage of the President inaguration of the Global Vipassana Pagoda, Me and Deepthi decided to make a visit there. There are 2 ways to get to the Pagoda (near Esselworld, Gorai) 1. Via Ferry From Gorai Creek 2. Via road  Bhayandar - Uttan - Gorai (details on site ) Good Things About the Pagoda

• The 325 feet majestic monument really stands out and will surely drive more tourists.
• Its the world’s largest stone dome built without any supporting pillars
• Over 8k people can meditate inside the Pagoda.
• Genuine Buddha relics enshrined in the Pagoda.
• There are no entry fees or charges of any kind.
• Free Bus from Car Park to the Pagoda
• Located in a great location with great view and really breezy place.

Things to remember :

• You cant meditate or enter the dome unless you have completed the 10 day vipassana course.
• Visitors can just roam around the Pagoda and see the people meditating inside the dome.
• Lotsa work is still pending and it resembles a big under construction project, It should be at least a year or two till everything looks like the pictures in the Brochures.

I will definitely wanna  do the 10 day course subject to getting leave from work :) Some snapshots of the Global Pagoda

Read more

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Last evening I was overcome by an urge to eat chana masala, the buttery over-spicy type, all covered with raw mango chunks and unidentified (but delicious) stuff on top. The Juhu beach variety. And while at it, bring on a naariyalpaani as well. Why not I asked myself (and oh forgive me for even having to ask in this day and age of the liberated woman et al but I did anyway).

My first thought when I got into the auto was “I don’t think I’ve ever been to the beach by myself…well, not in ages anyway.” Oddly enough I’ve almost perfected the practice of shopping on my own, solitary book-browsing, sipping a glass of wine at a table for one and buying a single movie ticket. I do all of these by myself and even the pride and novelty have worn away and they’ve become routine leisure activities for holidays and weekends. Read more

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Cartographer and email friend Geve Narielwalla points me to a fantastic detailed post about the Seven Islands of Bombay and the history of the city from its founding days.

This is an aerial photograph and the numbers point to familiar landmarks in the city.

How many of these can you identify.

To find out the correct answers and to read Geve’s post, hop over to the Google Earth Community.

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I spotted these on the gates of a villa/bungalow-type of place. I always thought people who lived in such palatial housing in Mumbai had to be nose-up-in-the-air snooty and lacking of a sense of humour. I was wrong. :-)

Please beware anybody bitten by our dog shall be given free vaccine. Score: 54

No parking. Warning: Children love deflating tires.

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Switch Off, originally uploaded by Bombayite.

Have a candle light dinner or have a few pegs in Darkness for a better Tomorrow.

Bhul na Jaana, Switch Off Karde!!

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These shoes belong to a media professional. She was hurrying to work two steps ahead of me on the railway bridge (if you don’t recognise the thread on the floor, you ain’t a true Mumbaiker!). But she stopped long enough to let me take a photograph.

Granted the lace-ups on the jeans are probably a little 80s hungover but those shoes in my mind, make up for it. Nothing says “CATTITUDE!” like animal prints, especially since not too many people carry these off well. This lady certainly did.

Leopard print block heels (printed even on the heels) peeking from under an otherwise demure outfit of white shirt and jeans….are definitely high on I Style!

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I walk past the congested roads, it’s a new day, a shop owner throws bucket full of water on the entrance and tiny droplets splash on your face. Unapologetically he picks a broom and starts sweeping away the excess water on the steps. A hard cart with loads of stuff is pulled along, it almost runs over my leg. The nukkad ka paanwala is washing his beetle leaves in a stainless steel bucket. People are busy walking past on either direction. As the taxiwala he sees me approaching he gets up assuming me to be a potential customer but the moment I open my mouth asking for directions he is slightly irritated and waves his hand and says ’seedha jao’ and doesn’t bother to answer my counter question ‘aur?’.

Further down I meet an uncle in black shots and striped t-shirt who was on his daily morning walk helps me to the right direction and even offers to walk with me. Amidst old builds with rotten wooden balconies on which long cotton sarees and faded bed sheets are hung to dry an abrupt turn take me inside a small lane. As I enter the lane I immediately feel as though I have entered a movie set. The entire place is disconnected from the chaos outside. It’s a different world out here. I can’t see many people out in the lanes except for the one paavwaala and the macchwaali. Sunday Eight o’clock is still eagerly for people here. It truly feels like a Sunday. This is Kotachi Wadi

Khotachiwadi is a heritage village in Girgaon, Mumbai, India. Houses built are made from the old-Portuguese style architecture.

It was founded in the late 18th century by Khot,a Pathare prabhu, who sold plots of land to local East Indian families. There used to be 65 of these houses, now reduced to 28 as old buildings are being pulled down to make way for new skyscrapers. -Wiki

It seems like a spec of Goa has fell right in the middle of Mumbai hustle bustle. I am a bit amazed that there Mumbai has beautiful tiny cottages amidst the concrete jungle. Houses have verandahs (let me see when was the last time I saw a house with a verandah….ding ding ding not in Mumbai until now). Even the space in front of the gate is decorated with bright mango tile chips, tree barks, stones and huge wooden urns. The bright colors on the walls, old-Portuguese style architecture, wooden framed balconies and the bougainvillea fences truly makes this place a photographers delight.

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