India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (52 page)

Note:
It’s inadvisable to eat here—unfortunately, flavor, not hygiene, enjoys top priority. However, after you’ve watched the multitudes gorging vast quantities of assorted snack foods, cross the street and get your own
chaat
(as
bhelpuri
and similar snacks are called)
at
Cream Centre
(25 Fulchand Niwas, Chowpatty Beach;
022/2367-9222
or -9333; noon–midnight). For close to 50 years, this vegetarian snack place has been serving up delicious food—so good, in fact, that whenever you pass Chowpatty Beach in the evening, you’ll see a queue of people waiting to get in. Alternatively, make a meal of the signature
channa bhatura
(spiced chickpeas and a large
puri
), a typical Punjabi dish that is made everywhere but rarely so well as here. When you’re done, step out of the restaurant, turn left, and walk down to the end of the pavement to a hole-in-the-wall (but very hygienic) juice shop called
Bachelorr’s
(yes, with two r’s) for deliciously refreshing seasonal fresh fruit ice creams and juices—but do make sure you ask for your juice without ice, water, or masala.

To experience Mumbai at its most exuberant, head to Chowpatty Beach for the culmination of
Ganesh Chaturthi
, the city’s biggest and most explosive celebration. Held in honor of the much-loved elephant-headed god (here called Ganpati), the 10-day festival culminates on the last day, when a jubilant procession is held and thousands of huge Ganpati idols are immersed in the sea. Ganesh Chaturthi is held in September; for exact dates contact the Government of India Tourist Office, and to whet your appetite, read “Touching God,” below).

Marine Drive’s pedestrian promenade flanks Mumbai’s western seaboard, stretching from Nariman Point in the south to Chowpatty Beach some 3km (2 miles) north.

Touching God

There were still hundreds of people streaming onto Chowpatty Beach for the finale on Monday, when idols of Ganpati are immersed in the sea. I had expected to see the shore where it normally is, but today it extended another quarter-mile—thousands of people were already in the water! Trucks with 6m-high (20-ft.) Ganesh idols lined up on the sand, awaiting their turn alongside families wanting to drop their small, lap-sized idols into the sea. Engulfed by teeming masses and deafened by the sound of singing devotees and driving drumbeats, Vanessa and I locked hands so that we wouldn’t lose each other. As we navigated the crowds, one of the large Ganesh idols rocked forward off its flatbed, prompting a small stampede as people standing nearby tried to escape. Luckily, the men holding the ropes managed to steady and pull the giant idol upright. Hundreds of volunteers and security officials worked to maintain order, many thankfully eager to help two conspicuously foreign women—one official even held an entire line of men at bay. As he ushered us to a less crowded space, a giant Ganesh adorned with plastic grass and flowers passed en route to the shore. The security guard watched the two of us admiring the decorations and asked, “Would you like to touch God?” “Sure!” I exclaimed. As I reached over to touch Ganesh’s feet, I wondered why every Monday couldn’t include an intimate moment with the divine.

—Megan Neumeister, Indophile

Prince of Wales Museum
Renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, but thankfully also known just as “museum,” this is Mumbai’s top museum and arguably the best in India, providing an extensive and accessible introduction to Indian history and culture. The Indo-Saracenic building itself is lovely, but it is the collection that is outstanding, not least because it is well laid out (unlike the collections of most museums throughout the subcontinent) and aided by a useful audioguide highlighting “Curator’s Choice” exhibits. The central hall features a “précis” of the collection, but don’t stop there—from sculptures of Hindu deities to beautiful temple art, Buddhist
thangkas
from Nepal and Tibet to gruesome Maratha weaponry, there is much to see. Highlights are found on the first floor: Among them, the spectacular collection of more than 2,000 miniature paintings representing India’s various schools of art (look for the portrait of Shah Jahan, creator of the Taj Mahal), and the exhibit relating to the Indus Valley Civilization (which is remarkably civilized considering that it dates from 3500
B.C.
). Least impressive is the natural history section with its collection of stuffed animals.

Note:
Art lovers may wish to include a visit to
Jehangir Art Gallery
(
022/2284-3989
), located a little farther along M. Gandhi Road, and open daily from 11am to 7pm, free of charge. You can probably give the main exhibition halls on the ground floor a miss—the exhibits there are fairly mediocre. Instead, head upstairs to
Gallery Chemould
(
022/2284-4356;
Mon–Sat 11am–6pm), a tiny, history-filled gallery that often features some of India’s best contemporary artists. For reviews of current art exhibitions, consult
Time Out Mumbai
or “The Hot List,” the entertainment supplement in the local rag
Mid Day.

159/160 Mahatma Gandhi Rd., Fort.
022/2284-4519.
www.bombaymuseum.org
. [email protected]. Rs 300 including audioguide. Tues–Sun 10:15am–6pm.

My Bombay/Mumbai

All of Mumbai’s contrasts and paradoxes are characterized for me on a trip to the Banganga Tank at Walkeshwar. There’s a ring of old temples, and right by them are the homes of people whose families have served as priests for these temples for generations. Residents still perform priestly rituals early in the morning, go off to their computer jobs, returning in the evening to be priests once again. Standing on the steps of the Banganga Tank, I look up and see skyscrapers that represent some of the most expensive real estate in the world, and alongside them, shanties. For me, this encapsulates the Bombay story.