For me, the city has always been ‘Mumbai’, but I couldn’t help but notice the nostalgia and charm with which people would call it ‘Bombay’. The memories and gushing stories that even the name of the city would evoke were intriguing, but often felt a bit much.
A friend really wanted to visit the Elephanta caves and that’s how my mid-December (important because fantastic weather!) trip to Bombay happened and because of the location, we stayed near Flora Fountain which made all the difference! You know the expression, ‘something came to life’? Well, reaching Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus, of UNESCO World Heritage Site fame) after dark literally felt like the city was coming alive. The first building we saw was the interiors and exterior of the grand Victoria Terminus and suddenly the almost-everyday instagram pictures of friends from Bombay made complete sense. I was in awe of the majesty. During the cab trip from the station to our hotel, I simply couldn’t stop looking out of the window. The buildings were gorgeous. And it wasn’t just one or two of them. Everywhere I looked, I could see a grand structure of stone with arches and embellishments. And to top that off, the buildings were lit to look magical! The lights were placed in perfectly strategic positions to accentuate the best parts of the building and it transported me across space and time. There was a Zara store near Flora Fountain and I have never gazed at a clothing store with the love-struck eyes with which I stared at it (the next day, I was to be mesmerized by a Westside store too!)
My friend thought the buildings looked better during the day because one could see the details and modern lights on ancient buildings felt incongruous, but I politely disagreed. Of course, the buildings were just as much a visual treat during the day but the magic that they created with the lights dancing around is what dreams are made of!
It reminded me of a trip to Dubai and even there the thing that charmed me the most was the city’s love of fairy lights. Many buildings in that city too were adorned with lights, the most famous example being Burj Khalifa. That experience filled me with awe and I was left feeling how precious this kind of beauty is! But now, knowing such a space exists so close to home, fills me with joy! The area is called Kala Ghoda and is a hub of art! You’ll find gorgeous murals all around and they have an art festival too (already planning to go to the next one!). Plus, the area has fascinating museums like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay and the Jehangir Art Gallery which unfortunately we didn’t get time to explore. Another lucky find which stole my heart was a stationery store called ‘The Bombay Paperie’ which turned out to be the perfect spot to indulge in some self-birthday-gift shopping.
All in all, when they say that Bombay contains multitudes, believe them, and go explore ☺!
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Hi, I’m Chaitali Kulkarni…
