Mumbai Mania

Enchanting Earthenware at Bhuleshwar

In the narrow gullies of Bhuleshwar, in South Mumbai, lies a tiny little shop filled with earthen treasures. As luck may have it we were suppose to find a shop selling safas (wedding turbans) for our wedding.

Just outside this gully was a woman selling some interesting earthen ware, not captivating but enough to attract any one looking for some ethnic home decor or gift items. As we walked down this tiny by-lane, that could barely accommodate two people walking side by side, we reached a shop displaying a lovely range of assorted pottery , besides that were vast range of oil lamps, which was fascinating.

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Enjoying Ice Gola at Chowpatty

The soaring temperatures in Mumbai can get to you, especially if you are traveling during noon. So the instant option to cool off was having a gola (ice slush) at Chowpatty beach.

Its one of Mumbai's speciality, I use to have a lot of those as a kid, so I relived those days when I slurrrped the kala khatta flavored gola and a Hershey-laden chocolate gola. The gola wala (ice slush vendor) had so many different syrups lining his cart, it made a colorful picture.

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Dharavi the Industrial Slum in Mumbai

Dharavi, known to most Mumbaikars or people living in Mumbai but just by face value as the largest slum in the city. Us like many who live here have only passed by Dharavi on our way to Sion, while exiting the city, or passing by it while your in a train.

We have never cared to know what happens in those slums, the only other reason Dharavi exists in our minds is due to the leather trade that takes place around the area. Dharavi is just not a slum, its the recycling super-hub of Mumbai, believed to be host to at least 15,000 single room factories dealing with at least 80 percent of Mumbai's plastic recycling as well as other recyclables.

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Coconut Water: Recipe for Good Health

The best drink to help you survive the heat in Mumbai would be 'nariyal pani' or coconut water. Its refreshing, purest liquid second only to water itself and its easily available.

You will find coconut vendors at every corner of the street or by the seaside, most of them are South Indian men dressed in sarongs or 'lungis'. They make their daily bread by selling coconuts. very morning a truck carrying thousands of coconuts from the Southern states like Karnataka, Kerala etc., enters Mumbai and delivers it to various vendors.

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Aarey's Energee: A Drink for All Seasons

Sipping Aarey's Energee drink conjures up memories of school days when my dad use to buy me that instead of any cola. Colas are bad for you, he would say, and I would happily rejoice the flavoured milk.

It still is my favorite drink, and am sure many of you'll like it too. Energee doesn't harm your body since its milk-based, and it has nutritional value too. My personal favorites are Pineapple and Strawberry flavours, and also available are Coffee, Cardamom and Orange flavours.

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The Highs and Lows of Bombay Life

Its been our birthplace and we have spent 25 long years in this city. We have seen the city undergo a massive face-lift over the years, while some things remain the same. Join in as we take you through the ups and downs of the city we live in.

With population of 19 million and still growing. It is getting too crammed up, and is second only to Shanghai as the most populous city in the world. More people means more infrastructure - buildings, residential complexes, commercial establishments and of course malls, which are coming up in every nook and corner of the city.

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