Hindustan Times Jan 13 2008

Get a fatafat look at the city in four hours
 

No bustling streets,no open doors… Mumbai by night
Pratik Ghosh- Mumbai
It has been a tale of two cities since I landed in Mumbai a year ago A city I’ve grown to dislike – Mumbai during the day; and the city I have fallen in love with -Mumbai at night. The naaratives jostle for space in my unwritten autobiography and it is always deuce as they say in tennis. On Saturday, however, love drove over dislike on some of the city’s popular tourist spots. Why tourist spots- Mumbaikars frequent them much like a Kolkatan would while away time at the Victoria Memorial. But Ms.Naini Mehta insisted on a touristry angle and Poly M Dumasia treated me like a state guest, unfailingly polite and eager to please. Naini, a hot woman by her own admission and a pucca businesswoman by my observation, co owns Namaste City Tour with Kunal Vahalia, a software engineer. Roly Polly, a Parsee with an inspiring drone, was our guide to the familiar-unfamiliar city. The night tour, we were told was for foreigners, expats Indians and corporate big-wigs. Namaste has just completed a year and they wanted to ‘celebrate’ the event. I was unwittingly co-opted in the celebrations. The challenge was to conjure up the feel of what lay behind closed doors I encountered in the next two-and-a-half hours.
 
First stop: Dhobi Ghat near Mahalaxmi railway station. Except for a handful of people the place was deserted. “In the day, off course it’s a different scene”, Polly explained, “with 300 men thumping and battering clothes in 600 small cubicles with the women ironing them under the tin roofs. It’s the 10th wonder of the world after the dabbawallas. And there hasn’t been a single missing clothes complaint lodged so far!”. For good measure, Polly added, “This is where the dhobi-ghat scene in Munnabhai MBBS was shot. ” Ah, there comes Bollywood.
Down, down, down the road we crossed Mahalaxmi race course and Willingdon Club, to reach Mani Bhavan on the tree-lined Laburnum road. A packet of chips was opened and a bottle of water changed hands. Polly’s non – stop patter was directed towards Mahatma : “This is where Gandhi has spent 17 years of his life . The colonial structure serves as museum . It houses gandhi’s correspondence from 1917 -34 ,including letter by the Mahatma to Adolf Hitler and showcases life through clay models . ” At that point of hour we have to take Polly’s word for it.

 
I wondered aloud how he had managed to preserve his vocal chords in spite of such over – taxation. “It’s my passion, sir.” Secret revealed , we rode up Malabar Hill . It’s one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in Mumbai, Polly told us. On the way there was 103 old Jain temple undergoing restoration , the Hanging Garden and Kamla Nehru Park , which ” offer the best aerial view of Mumbai . ” It was impossible to ascertain Polly’s statement , though since all the door’s were closed .
Out side the door of the Parsi Tower of Silence further down the road , we stoped for a smoke and to look around . The Queen’s Necklace down hill was glittering showpiece, and the life suddenly seems beautiful. In Mumbai one can’t remain an outsider for long .

We drove past Chowpatty beach (with cluster of people ); Wilson College (just a beautiful piece of architecture ); the Police, Hindu and Islam gymkhana (all dark and deserted ). As the catr stopped at Victoria Terminus , I suggested Polly ,to mitigate his ordeal , that he took a break . And as a measure of gratitude I asked Dipak to take some pictures of group .

 
The next stop was Flora Fountain , suitably lit up at night , and thankfull except couple of tapories . What next ? The last leg feature the Mumbai University , the David Sasoon Library, the Prince of Wales Museum , jehangir art gallery in fleeting glances . Before long we reached The Gateway of India the last and final stop . Kunal has got chana the staple food of lovely – doveys who spend hours at spot . The private Yachts , illuminated by the splendor of The Taj Mahal Hotel , were being gently rocked by the waves . Dipak’s camera went click ,click , click .. The tongawalhs hardly paid attention ; the horse were nonchalant . A beautiful breeze had picked up speed .Period, Time for home and cooked food.
 

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You can get in touch with Namaste City Tour by calling on +91 22 23888711 / +91 9323652111 / +91 9323394850 / +91 9820954856
mail them at : visitus@namastecitytour.com
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