This is a continuation of my diary from my RTW trip from October 2003.The Isle of Wight on the South coast of England has a population of 110,000. Mumbai is roughly the same size, but has a population of 16.4 million. As we flew over the city on our approach to the airport, everyone seemed to be out on the streets celebrating Diwali.
I left the Lake Paladce in Udaipur with regret that I would miss out on the celebrations due to our flight into Mumbai. Diwali is the ‘Festival of Lights’ – recreating the original setting out of lights an age ago to welcome the return from exile of one of the Indian Gods, exiled by his Mother. (The Lake Palace left out an information sheet detailing the history of the festival!).
Now the approach into any new city by air is exciting. You look out of the window hoping to see recognisable landmarks, new sights and to get a sense of the geography of the city. What I saw from our window on Mumbai was definitely unique. As the moon rose, it appeared that Mumbai was ablaze.
I flew to Mumbai from Rajasthan. A state of Mughal Forts, crafted with ornate opulence. A land of Maharajahs, Shahs and beautiful almond eyed queens painted in exquisite though generic detail by famed miniaturists. Glasses of sherbet were served in floating Palaces within the sound of cooling and soothing fountains. Scented candles floated on lotus pools. Museums were stuffed full of silk-decked Palanquins and bristled with displays of bejewelled scimitars. And now here I was flying into a city on an island on the edge of the Arabian Sea. You can forgive me for feeling this flight was more of a magic carpet ride, especially as Mumbai was laid out below us like a shimmering open cast jewel mine.
Imagine the usual flight into a city at night. All you can see is orange and white sodium lighting; perhaps there’s a flash of neon; one or two key buildings may be uplit; a few streams of white and red lights might show you where the traffic is flowing. Now try to imagine Mumbai, 440 sq km of urban sprawl made curvaceous with hills, shimmering as a sea with waves of red, orange and yellow lights. Every window, every balcony of every high rise in the city was festooned with blazing glorious festive light. Add to this luminous carpet all of the fireworks exploding across the city and all around our aircraft. We appreciated how welcome the God-Prince must have felt all those years ago!
Now imagine the streets of the city. Approaching three many times of Londoners celebrating the most important religious festival of the year, not quietly at home in argument with family members, but loudly, on the street, enjoying the camaraderie of faith with neighbours, strangers and tourists all alike. The 90 minute taxi transfer into the city was an ebullient festival of firework, frenzy and friendship. Imagine the sounds too. Firecrackers and bangers detonate every few yards, each received with raucous cheering. Catherine wheels fizz as they are thrown high into the air or are left to circle wildly on the street. Every few metres, Roman candles spitting magnesium light 8 feet into the air, highlighting the delighted faces of the crowds and the envious grimacing of children denied their chance to light them!
The taxi edged eventually onto the road that runs around Chowpatty Bay, in the middle of a firework display that would even humble Sydney’s renowned firework spectaculars. The pell mell, uncoordinated detonations added to the sense of an entire city joining in the celebration rather than a city of people come along to spectate a celebration. Not that there weren’t spectators. We must have passed a million faces turned to the sky in appreciation and awe of the hectic display. The sky gorged itself on the abundance of light and fire brought to bear. For once the ever present cacophony of car hooters were being sounded to join in the joyful atmosphere.
What a time to arrive in a city!
Not every moment in Mumbai was such fun however. There was the little matter of having to endure the England v Samoa Rugby World Cup match for example…! The rest of my time in Mumbai was spent exploring. The usual sights were taken in - the Gateway to India, the Churchgate area and Colaba Causeway. As I was nearing the end of my three weeks in India though, thoughts were already turning to East Asia. The only purchases I made in the city were Lonely Planet guides to China and Japan!...
I left the Lake Paladce in Udaipur with regret that I would miss out on the celebrations due to our flight into Mumbai. Diwali is the ‘Festival of Lights’ – recreating the original setting out of lights an age ago to welcome the return from exile of one of the Indian Gods, exiled by his Mother. (The Lake Palace left out an information sheet detailing the history of the festival!).
Now the approach into any new city by air is exciting. You look out of the window hoping to see recognisable landmarks, new sights and to get a sense of the geography of the city. What I saw from our window on Mumbai was definitely unique. As the moon rose, it appeared that Mumbai was ablaze.
I flew to Mumbai from Rajasthan. A state of Mughal Forts, crafted with ornate opulence. A land of Maharajahs, Shahs and beautiful almond eyed queens painted in exquisite though generic detail by famed miniaturists. Glasses of sherbet were served in floating Palaces within the sound of cooling and soothing fountains. Scented candles floated on lotus pools. Museums were stuffed full of silk-decked Palanquins and bristled with displays of bejewelled scimitars. And now here I was flying into a city on an island on the edge of the Arabian Sea. You can forgive me for feeling this flight was more of a magic carpet ride, especially as Mumbai was laid out below us like a shimmering open cast jewel mine.
Imagine the usual flight into a city at night. All you can see is orange and white sodium lighting; perhaps there’s a flash of neon; one or two key buildings may be uplit; a few streams of white and red lights might show you where the traffic is flowing. Now try to imagine Mumbai, 440 sq km of urban sprawl made curvaceous with hills, shimmering as a sea with waves of red, orange and yellow lights. Every window, every balcony of every high rise in the city was festooned with blazing glorious festive light. Add to this luminous carpet all of the fireworks exploding across the city and all around our aircraft. We appreciated how welcome the God-Prince must have felt all those years ago!
Now imagine the streets of the city. Approaching three many times of Londoners celebrating the most important religious festival of the year, not quietly at home in argument with family members, but loudly, on the street, enjoying the camaraderie of faith with neighbours, strangers and tourists all alike. The 90 minute taxi transfer into the city was an ebullient festival of firework, frenzy and friendship. Imagine the sounds too. Firecrackers and bangers detonate every few yards, each received with raucous cheering. Catherine wheels fizz as they are thrown high into the air or are left to circle wildly on the street. Every few metres, Roman candles spitting magnesium light 8 feet into the air, highlighting the delighted faces of the crowds and the envious grimacing of children denied their chance to light them!
The taxi edged eventually onto the road that runs around Chowpatty Bay, in the middle of a firework display that would even humble Sydney’s renowned firework spectaculars. The pell mell, uncoordinated detonations added to the sense of an entire city joining in the celebration rather than a city of people come along to spectate a celebration. Not that there weren’t spectators. We must have passed a million faces turned to the sky in appreciation and awe of the hectic display. The sky gorged itself on the abundance of light and fire brought to bear. For once the ever present cacophony of car hooters were being sounded to join in the joyful atmosphere.
What a time to arrive in a city!
Not every moment in Mumbai was such fun however. There was the little matter of having to endure the England v Samoa Rugby World Cup match for example…! The rest of my time in Mumbai was spent exploring. The usual sights were taken in - the Gateway to India, the Churchgate area and Colaba Causeway. As I was nearing the end of my three weeks in India though, thoughts were already turning to East Asia. The only purchases I made in the city were Lonely Planet guides to China and Japan!...
Comments
Post a Comment