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A guided walk in Kamathipura
Early on a cloudy Sunday morning I stand with a bunch of strangers on a busy street opposite the Royal Cinemas in Kamathipura. I have heard seedy stories of Kamathipura of the past. This neighbourhood is a famous red-light area of Mumbai but somehow its fame has waned overtime. Today I stand here waiting for Zoya Kathawala, an insider of the neighbourhood, who has promised to show Kamathipura in a different light with her walk “Kamathipura- Beyond the Brothels”. What eventually came to be known as Bombay used to be an archipelago of seven islands—Bombay, Mazgaon, Parel, Worli, Mahim, Colaba, and Little Colaba. These islands were separated from each other…
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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 😀…
