Monsoon Magic In Mumbai
The one season that Mumbaikars eagerly await — the
monsoon — is beginning. Ignore the traffic disruptions,
potholes and sewage problems, and Mumbai is certainly a
place worth being in during the monsoon. Where else can
you see the otherwise serene Marine Drive beset by the
sound and fury of a monsoon high tide, or the picturesque
Gateway of India through a watery haze, in which water
droplets appear to travel hither and thither in the air? Each
location has its own monsoon avatar.
The rains can intimidate a newcomer to the city. But if you
are in the right place at the right time — well, you won’t
want to be anywhere else.
The best first stop during the monsoon is Marine Drive. It is
at its best during the first monsoon high tide. The big waves
come crashing against the concrete tetrapods that protect
the embankment, and fat drops of spray splash onlookers,
and fly all the way across the road and onto buildings on the
other side. Yes, there are police personnel posted all around
to watch and make sure that you don’t go too close to the
waves, but you can surely sneak forward for that one
moment. Hundreds of others do the same.
Next stop, Colaba, which is within walking distance. In the
cloudy gloom the Gateway of India and the neighbourhood
shopping area, Colaba Causeway, may look unappealing. But
this is a good place to spend a rainy afternoon. The sea swells
up and wets the entire pathway, and people go walking. Do
as they do and patronise one of the many hawkers and
snack-sellers offering everything from a cup of hot, sweet tea
to roast groundnuts and roast corn-on-the-cob.
If you are adventurous, take a boat ride across Bombay
Harbour. If the boats operate — they stop during rough
weather — and you have a day at your disposal, the ferry ride
to Elephanta Island is worth a try. With the rain dimming the
atmosphere, the sight of the Taj Mahal Hotel and the
Gateway of India may appear magically obscured a few
minutes after the boat leaves its mooring at Apollo Bunder.
Worli Seaface faces straight across the Arabian Sea, with no
land between it and Oman. Rows of bungalows and
expensive apartments overlook the sea. In the late
afternoons, this is a place for daydreamers. The sun is coming
down and the day looks as if it is just beginning, as people
take their evening walks and rendezvous with friends. There
are amusement rides for children, streetside eateries for
teenagers, and benches for seniors. During the monsoon the
most coveted seat is the one right next to the statue of the
Common Man (from R K Laxman’s cartoons).
Haji Ali, the next location, is a 10-minute ride in an open-top
BEST bus from Worli. At Haji Ali is the popular dargah
constructed in memory of the Muslim saint Sayyed Peer Haji
Ali Shah Bukhari. The dargah is connected to land by a
narrow causeway — which makes the monsoon-time walk
out to the shrine a project to be attempted with care. A glass
of juice at the Haji Ali Juice Centre overlooking the sea
completes the perfect evening.
Couples in search of privacy often sit on the rocks at
Bandstand, on the Bandra seafront. Although people do sit
here and watch traffic whizz past even during heavy rains, it
is much nicer, and much drier, to be inside an eatery and
looking out through glass at the street and the sea. The
seaside café at Bandstand is a good place to do this. The food
is not bad, but the view makes the experience worthwhile.
The Mumbai monsoon is an experience, but monsoon
weather is often unpredictable. What begins as a mild rain
may suddenly turn into a heavy downpour. Then it is no
longer safe to be near the sea. The tide is strong enough to
pull a person into the sea and away from the shore. During
the worst weather, a hot, sweet cutting chai and crunchy,
salty, home-made bhajias complete the monsoon experience.
They are best enjoyed in one’s own home.
- M Saraswathy , Business Standard