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Mumbai - Masala!
by Kishore and Smita Iyengar
Got the nerve for the verve? Head out to Mumbai, India with Kishore and Smita Iyengar, and size up its unmistakably global attitude and irresistible urban charms.
Mumbai has attitude, verve and trademark passion. Its people are friendly, ready to assist and keenly hospitable - ask directions and they will walk you the whole mile! It is a city that will shock you into open-mouthed awe, the colors will capture your imagination, the languages baffle your intellect, the architecture and edifices leave you with a fresh sense of perspective and the swarms of human bodies carry you along in its ceaseless wave. Mumbai epitomizes true enterprising spirit, with its grand five star hotels, specialty, fine-dining hotspots, mirror-clad multiplexes dazzling the skyline, the vividly iridescent world of Bollywood film and a shimmering harbour moored with private yachts all nestled in its web.
Got the nerve for the verve? Head out to Mumbai, India with Kishore and Smita Iyengar, and size up its unmistakably global attitude and irresistible urban charms.
There is a superlative sheen visible in its many five star hotels - the opulent Taj Land’s End, the majestic Oberoi Towers, the deluxe Leela Kempinski and classical icon Le Royal Meridien offer superb luxury for tourists needing to rejuvenate and revitalise. You can indulge in eclectic and truly global wining and dining, in a number of distinguished restaurants where a subtle sophistication is an art form. Pure at the Taj Land’s End boasts rich, organic produce, visit Stella at the Leela Kempinski or Vetro at The Oberoi, for world-class Italian and Flames at Le Royal Meridien tempts with al fresco aromas. Ride an auto rickshaw through nervewracking traffic along towering malls such as Atrium Mall, Inorbit Mall and Infinity Mall, showcasing global designer brands and multiplexes decked with city-size film posters. Cruise along with a chatty cabbie and look up at the iconic Gateway of India, the Prince of Wales Museum, the Art District with its landmark Jehangir Art Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art. They are the centre pieces in this vibrant, non-stop world. Mumbai also offers pluralism at its finest; imposing Colonial architecture like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Rail Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), indigenous Indian landmarks such as the centuries-old Mumbadevi and Babulnath temples and the island of the Haji Ali Tomb, the quaint Magen David Jewish Synagogue, the Afghan Church, Mount Mary’s Basilica and the dazzling washing it down with masala chai (spicy herbal tea) - instant, Mumbai gastronomy beyond compare.
The finest international brands and haute couture labels also make Mumbai a shopping mecca of endless choices and frills, sure to thrill! Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Salvatore Ferragamo crisply command premium presence in plush environs, as out-of-this-world bohemian fashions outshine international prices and styles, right on the pavements.
Mumbai is a masala (a spicy mix) with endless flavors, tastes, shades, aromas and an unmistakably, indomitable attitude. If you haven’t seen it, you haven’t seen the world. Make sure you live it up one day. At Churchgate Station catch the frenetically co-ordinated networking of Mumbai’s unique, now globally celebrated dabbawallas honored by Prince Charles – a traditional, all-male tiffin carrier brigade transporting home-cooked food to offices and back with clockwork precision. It is a living business model of efficient enterprise, these dabbawallas follow an unwritten code of trusted conduct that has baffled the world’s finest B-schools.
Then there is quintessential Mumbai. Think Bhuleshwar and its commotion-packed lanes, screeching hawkers, traditional Zaveri Bazaar and bejeweled glitter, centuries old Parsee (Persian) Fire Temples and quaint Irani restaurant cafes. It is simply another world. Grab a bite of local street flavors like the wada pav and mouth-watering pav bhaji, before mirror-washed pinnacles, marble-clad condos and palatial designer villas all add to the diversity of this multicultural city. Twinkling neon lights illuminate Marine Drive in spectacular fashion, (affectionately termed Queen’s Necklace), as strolling lovers entwined together dot the vast promenade passing the plethora of trendy discos, lounge bars and classical concert halls. Refresh with a drink at the distinguished Cigar Diwan at the Royal Meridien, Enigma at The JW Marriott or Blue Frog, which is famous for its contemporary music fusion sessions. The colorful, ten-day Elephant God Ganesh Chaturthi festival is a calender highlight each year in August- September, when the city erupts with fantastic rhythm and colour, recreating reality with equal opprobrium and aggression - the core of Mumbai’s undying human spirit.