India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (81 page)

Privé
Privé, behind Radio Club in Colaba, is so nauseatingly exclusive that members of the “general” public are only welcome on Wednesday nights. As a foreign visitor, however, you’ll surely squeeze past the bouncers—just make sure your concierge arranges this in advance, and dress like it’s your last night on earth. On the other hand, if you’re a card-carrying celebrity or in with the Bollywood aristocrats, you might just stand a chance on your own. Incidentally, we think it’s incredibly snooty. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday from 9:30pm to 1:30am, and may go on later. 41/44 Mon repos, Ground Floor, Minoo Desai Rd., Colaba.
022/2202-8700.

Zenzi Mills
For voyeurs there’s plenty to see as you tap your feet to mostly excellent electronic tracks in a venue that’s refreshingly uncommercial. Sun Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
022/4345-5455.

Late-Night Munchies?

And finally, if it’s well past midnight and you’re hungry, there are a couple of popular late-night feeding grounds in South Mumbai, both of which are real institutions among the party crowd.
Zaffran
(B Block, Sitaram Bldg., Dr. D.N. Rd., near Crawford Market;
022/2344-2690
) has good Indian food (the murgh zaffrani tikka is delicious) and service going till 4am. A real late-night Mumbai institution in Colaba is
Bade Miya’s
(Tulloch St., Apollo Bunder;
022/2284-8038;
daily 7pm–4am), a down-to-earth hangout for anyone looking to satisfy a hunger; there are kebabs, and naan stuffed with egg and minced chicken or lamb (forget about what that sounds like—try it!), and very spicy chicken livers—cooked on an open grill and served in slightly shoddy surrounds (bear in mind that you’re here for the food, nothing else).

8 Pune & the Osho International Meditation Resort

Pune is around 125km (77 1⁄2 miles) SE of Mumbai

Pune is Maharashtra’s second major city and known to seekers of spiritual enlightenment the world over as the place where the dynamic New Age guru, Bhagwan Rajneesh—known to his devotees and enemies as Osho—established his controversial commune back in the 1970s. Today, Osho’s vision for an appropriately modern environment where people from around the world can come to unlock the meaning of his discourses on spiritual enlightenment is realized in the form of a “Meditation Resort.” Neither an ashram nor a cult headquarters (as many naysayers would have you believe), Osho’s landscaped New Age campus (the grounds are exquisite enough to be an attraction in themselves) is a magnet for all sorts of people looking to find a different sort of meaning in their lives. They’re not the only visitors to the city, though, since Pune has become a major industrial hub, attracting many foreigners who come to work and strike deals. Above all else, Pune looks and feels like a city that—like Mumbai—is on the move, expanding and modernizing at an incredible rate. While the spirit of upward mobility is evident, the city is also brimming with references to its past, particularly to that most venerated Maratha freedom fighter Chhatrapati Shivaji, who fought bitterly here against the Mughals who sought to conquer Maharashtra—you will, however, need to visit Pune’s slightly cluttered
old quarter
to get a feel for the past; in particular, look out for symbols of Pune’s immense love for the elephant-headed god, Ganesh, venerated here with gay abandon during the annual Ganesh Chaturthi. The area is easy enough to explore, even if only to check out the beautifully decaying
havelis
that line the streets, visit its colorful fruit and vegetable market, and check out the exhibits at one of the country’s best-stocked museums. Besides being a university town with plenty of diversions for a younger crowd, Pune’s altitude of around 600m (1,968 ft.) means that it stays relatively cool, and doesn’t suffer from any of Mumbai’s incessant humidity. For now the city also remains comparatively uncongested, although it’s increasingly a magnet for people who are not prepared (or able) to put up with overpopulated Mumbai’s soaring real estate costs

What’s in a Name?

Many called him a cult leader and he’s been branded everything from false prophet to criminal. Ever wondered how a 20th-century mystic came to be known as
Osho
? He explained that the name, which he adopted in the late 1980s just before his death, is derived from the William James word “oceanic,” which is meant to mean “dissolving into the ocean.” “Oceanic describes the experience,” he said, “but what about the experiencer? For that we use the word ‘Osho.’” Triumphantly for him, “Osho” also has historical roots in the Far East, where it also means “The Blessed One, on whom the sky showers flowers.” That hasn’t stopped many people from somewhat disparagingly referring to him as both a “sex guru” (he was vehemently against all forms of social and personal repression) and “the rich man’s guru” (he famously owned 99 Rolls Royces—all of which were gifted to him by wealthy devotees), worse still, many of his followers refer to him as a god-man, whereas Osho shunned all religion. He is, in every possible sense, a true enigma.

ESSENTIALS

GETTING THERE
You can fly from
Mumbai
to Pune (both
Kingfisher
and
Jet Airways
have daily flights). However, while the flight from Mumbai lasts a mere 45 minutes, you’ll spend so much time getting to the airport and then waiting for your plane, that we strongly suggest you consider taking a train, which takes 3 to 5 hours. If you’re coming from
Delhi,
definitely fly;
Kingfisher
has daily flights departing at 3pm and 9:10pm, while in the morning there are two economy service flights on
Kingfisher Red.
Flights from Delhi take 2 hours.
Rail connections
between Mumbai and Pune are plentiful (and average 4 hr.), but you should endeavor to book your seat at least a few days in advance. For a good-value, fast journey, book an air-conditioned chair car seat on either the
Pragati Express
or the
Deccan Queen;
you’ll be in Pune within 31⁄2 hours. Another train you can try is the
Sahyadri Express.
It’s also worth noting that the Mumbai-Pune Highway is vaunted as the most modern and efficient in the country, so road trips are not only exceptionally smooth by India standards, but also the scenery as you pass through the Western Ghats (lush, rolling mountains that separate the western coastal belt from the Indian interior); hire a car for the journey, or—for a fraction of the price—get a seat on one of the many “luxury” buses that ply the route from morning to night.