India
India, is one big country and for a foreigner it is very hard to navigate through the diverse cultures, languages, food and terrains. The diversity which India represents is unique and found nowhere else in the world. Places to visit in India are present throughout the country. From the high Himalayas to the long peninsular coastline. India is a country which has both a hot desert and a cold desert. It has forests, mangroves, vibrant cities and colourful villages. English is widely spoken and understood in the country. Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi and Kolkata are some of its interesting cities. Food in India is spicy.
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A Heritage Walk Inside BMC Headquarters in Mumbai
On an exceptionally pleasant winter day in Mumbai, we go on a walking tour of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) building at the Fort area in Mumbai. It was designed by Frederick William Stevens and is built in Venetian Gothic and Indo-Saracenic styles. The building stands bang opposite the UNESCO World Heritage site of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus(previously known as Victoria Terminus), an operational railway station in Mumbai. The front yard of the BMC building has a viewing deck where general public are permitted to visit and take photos of the exterior. However, entry inside the building has restrictions. It is accessible only by signing up for the “Urbs Prima Tour”…
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Walking through Worli fishing village in Mumbai
On a Sunday morning, we are in Worli, a neighbourhood in Mumbai, for a guided walk through Worli Koliwada. The Kolis are the aboriginal inhabitants of Mumbai. Traditionally, they have been associated with catching fish from the sea and selling them. Koliwada is the place or neighbourhood where the Kolis live in a tight knit community and conduct their business. History of Mumbai and Koliwadas Mumbai used to be an archipelago of 7 islands— Colaba, Little Colaba, Bombay, Mazgaon, Parel, Mahim and Worli. Mangroves and marshes made up their ecology. The Kolis have lived on these individual islands since time immemorial. The islands were ruled by several Indian dynasties before…
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A walk in the Dadar Parsi Colony in Mumbai
A yellow carpet graces the tree-shaded broad road. The copper pods have shed their flowers. The bungalows on both sides of this road are old, not more than three storeys high, and they ooze with character. Elements of Neo Classical and Art Deco architecture styles with rounded corners feature in all these houses. The recurrence of the Zoroastrian symbol of Faravahar— a bearded man standing on a pair of wings with one hand reaching forward— makes it obvious: I am in the Dadar Parsi Colony in Mumbai. Who are the Parsis The Zoroastrians are followers of the ancient Iranian prophet Zoroaster. They worship the deity, Ahura Mazda. The faith is…
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The Van Gogh 360 Experience in Mumbai
Vincent Van Gogh is a famous post-impressionist painter from Netherlands who lived a very short life from 1853 to 1890. He created many masterpieces in a short span of just 10 years. Van Gogh 360 Experience is an exhibition where the work of Vincent Van Gogh is projected on all four walls and the floor of a giant enclosure. It is called an immersive painting experience as the admirer might feel they are living inside the painting. It evokes a surreal and beautiful dimension. We had seen a photo of the exhibition for the first time on the feed of a friend who lives in New York. That is how…
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A ghostly way of exploring Girgaon in Mumbai
On a Saturday night in January, we wait in front of the gates of Saifee Hospital at Charni Road in Mumbai. We are here for the “Grisly Girgaon Ghostwalk” conducted by Khaki Tour. It is a walking tour that is supposed to take us through the nooks and corners of Girgaon that has a dark past (and sometimes present). I want to know Mumbai beyond its skyscrapers— I want to know the wadis and chawls. I do not mind the spooky theme. Once the walk starts, the guide very clearly conveys to us “please do not expect a ghost in white saree who will do wyaaaaaa” (his actual words 😀…
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Offbeat Mumbai: A shorewalk in Juhu
It is breezy on the beach. Everyone in my group is peeking at the catch the fishermen have caught. I walk fast, trying not to miss it. But before I reach, I see they spring off to another spot and gather in a semicircle. At the centre of the semicircle is a hook-nosed sea snake! It is moving at a very slow pace on the sand. I am on my first shorewalk in Juhu with the Marine Life of Mumbai (MLoM), and my day is already made. Shorewalks are intertidal walks that are conducted in shallow tide pools during low tide. I came across Marine Life of Mumbai on a…
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A historical walk at Sassoon Dock of Mumbai
At 7.45 AM sharp we gather by the double gate clock tower, the entrance to Sassoon Dock. Once everyone arrives, our guide leads the way. Sassoon Dock stands in Colaba, South Bombay. It is a wet dock and currently it is used as a nerve-centre of the fishery business. This is where fishermen land their boat with catches and auctioneers conduct auctions for both international and domestic markets. On our walk, the story starts with how the island of Bombay was given as dowry to Charles II(1660-85) when he married Catherine of Braganza in 1662. This is how Bombay came to be controlled by the East India Company. The Sassoon…
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Where to stay and eat on a budget in the Campal area of Panjim
In August 2022 we went on a self-curated cultural tour of Panjim, Goa. We wanted to stay in the most peaceful and green neighbourhood so we chose this area. Campal Gardens, a huge green area with big trees and gardens, is just across the main road. River Mandovi is easily accessible from there. Stay We stayed at the quaint Vivenda Rebello Homestay, a refurbished Portuguese-era house with several clean rooms in its ground and first floor. The Portuguese era wooden furniture and the azulejo (hand painted tin glazed tiles) embedded wooden table cast a charm of the bygone days. Most importantly, the host, Derc, is an extremely helpful and informative…
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AAA – All About Alcohol Museum in Goa
In India, if there is to be a museum on alcohol, it has got to be in Goa. AAA is the All About Alcohol Museum located near Candolim beach in Goa. The museum is a tribute to alcohol with special emphasis on feni, the indigenous drink of Goa. The museum, founded by businessman Nandan Kudchadkar, flaunts his versatile collection of a myriad things related to the art of drinking and liquor making. I had read about AAA previously and visiting this museum was on my mind for my August trip to Goa. Sitting in Miramar beach in Panjim, I called AAA and asked if they will be conducting a guided…
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A nature walk at Socorro Plateau: The other Goa
The weather apps have forecasted heavy to very heavy downpour in North Goa on that August day. Sitting in Panjim, I wonder if we would be able to attend the guided nature walk scheduled at Socorro Plateau, a laterite plateau with lush monsoon grass cover, the next day. Socorro Plateau is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the last remaining bastions of undisturbed nature in Goa. It is around 18 kilometres from Panjim city. The Socorro Plateau walk is all about appreciating the beauty and oddities of tiny flora and fauna. It is monsoon and we are here to watch and learn more about the monsoon ecosystem of Socorro. You…
