"By far the most popular place to watch the Ganesh Visarjan is Chowpatty Beach in South Mumbai. You can either follow the processions or find yourself a position on Marine Drive and settle in for this spectacular site. There is nothing like watching thousands of people make their way along the road, with hundreds of brilliantly colouredGaneshas floating above them." ~ Make My Trip Blog

Somehow, we managed to visit Mumbai

 as preparations were in full force

 for the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi...

The festive atmosphere could be heard...

winding through the streets as the giant idols head to the sea.

Having read about Chowpatty Beach,

it was the perfect choice for sunset viewing...

and watching this area of Mumbai... 

come to life.

Our last morning...

we sadly left our lovely digs in South Mumbai

and ventured up Malabar Hill where we creeped through traffic...

alongside this group headed to the sea... 

to immerse their statue of Lord Ganesha.

Our destination was...

the spring fed Banganga Tank...

a temple tank located in what is considered...

 one of the oldest, continuous living areas in Mumbai.

Originally built in 1127...

 and rebuilt in 1715 after being destroyed by the Portuguese...

 it is a community surrounded by temples,

and steeped in history...

and considered one of the holiest sites in Mumbai.

 The market...

and residents were in full Ganesh celebration mode...

 as one of its youngest...

proudly guarded their Ganesha statue.

Up the hill from the Banganga area...

you will find the terraced Hanging Garden... 

where this melted my heart.

Or maybe it was the 95° weather. Ha!

Next stop, as we headed to northern Mumbai...

we explored the suburb of Bandra...

known by the locals as "queen of the suburbs"

because of the famous Bollywood,

cricket and political residents.

Clearly, I would not recognize any of the famous residents...

even if I had a third eye.

While under the rule of the Portuguese crown, 

there were many years of Christianization...

and is still evident with St. Andrews Church, built in 1575 and

St. Andrews High School following in 1780.

Mount Mary Basilica is located here as well.

Bandra is also the home to some powerhouse high schools, 

for day scholars as well as boarders, 

advertising famous alumni.

St. Catherine of Siena School and Orphanage 

is just around the corner...

from where this barber was offering haircuts 

for a donation to the orphanage.  Love💟

Ren Man was not brave enough

 but he did donate.

Bandra definitely has a different feel about it.

And to think I only went for the street art.

Hopefully,

you have seen a few of the many qualities

 of the most populous city in India.

 To think Seven Islands have merged to form modern day Mumbai

 is quite incredulous and explains the distinct characteristics still evident.

"In Mumbai, the air is saltier. The sea is roilier. The traffic is snarlier. The pinks are pinker. The ostentation is crazier." ~ Hanya Yanagihara

Our view of the Arabia Sea...

was one of the many perks

of splurging on the grandeur of The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel...

built in 1903, 

twenty one years before the Gateway of India.

Seriously, if it's okay for Prince William and Kate...

it should be fine for Ren Man and I.

Not sure how I didn't already know this,

but apparently I love dosa, 

and since the Taj did such a great job with breakfast, 

every morning began with dosa. 

Of course,

when it came to making us feel like royalty,

the red flag man sealed the deal.

Yes, his job is to keep the birds away from the beautiful pool area.

He did a fabulous job BTW.

Trust me on this...

the Taj Mahal Palace is always a good idea.

From its location,

we were able to explore nearby icons

 showing the historical significance left behind

 from the British rule from 1858-1947. 

We had the pleasure of meeting one of those icons;

a famous, now 94 year old Boman Kohinoor,

 while dining at the Britannia, 

one of the few remaining Parsi cafes. 

(It appears Conde' Nast requires you to click on the link to Youtube.)

You will not be disappointed!

He is amazing

 and so is the food.

Known as Mumbai's Big Ben,

the Rajabai Clock Tower was completed in 1878.

During the British Raj,

it played the tune of God Save the Queen

 and Rule Britannia among others.

The Prince of Wales museum, now known as 

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya,

is the main museum of Mumbai and recently received a 

UNESCO award for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

David Sassoon is remembered as Mumbai's most famous

 Jewish businessman and philanthropist. 

Click on his name for an interesting read on his background.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSTM), UNESCO World Heritage Site

Driving through the busy streets of Mumbai by car,

 as if looking through a viewmaster...

haircut anyone?

snapshots of present day Mumbai...

clicked into view...

great use of edible trash...

nothing like an illegal veggie market on a bridge right in front of the police

and real life unfolded before my eyes.

At the same time...

the skyline revealed the past...

dotted with the few mill chimneys still standing...

as evidence of the evolution of the textile industry.

While researching which fabric markets to explore while in Mumbai

 I was dumbfounded to learn that many of the textiles sold in Mumbai markets today

 are actually made in China.

Meanwhile,

a few of the mill chimneys are being protected

 and their importance in the history of Mumbai preserved.

As I reminisce India...

it is filled with constant chatter, controlled chaos

 and full on color.

Stay tuned for one more post on Mumbai coming up next.

  

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