The Bombay Diary - Day 3

Sakal lok maan sahune vande
Nindaa na kare keni re
Vaach kaach man nishchal raakhe
Dhan-dhan janani teni re

For our generation, the freedom struggle is something which we have heard and seen on the television. It is a lesson in the history textbook. Hence, when we come face to face with the relics of that struggle, it leaves a lasting impression on us. Today, it happened to me.

Of all the things in the world, I spotted a “Lincoln” today – the first one I am seeing in India. I still remember the ride I had in the Lincoln taxi that took me from Palo Alto to the San Francisco airport. It is perhaps an irony that we spotted the Lincoln – the all-American car – when we are yet to find a place that would serve us an idli or a dosa for breakfast! Breakfast has so far consisted of sandwiches and toasts.

The walk to Churchgate station was a nice experience – under the shadows of the clock tower of the Mumbai University and the Maharashtra High Court one can spot thousands of young men busy in their game of league cricket, in the various ‘maidan’s that dot this stretch. As the local trains pull into Churchgate station, young men carrying cricket bats and stumps are eager to alight first, so as to not miss a moment of the action. Sunday had indeed arrived!

Our first destination was Mahalaxmi. Two contrasting, yet similar images present themselves. At the edge of the water, a distinguishing white building rises up. A causeway connects the dargah of Baba Haji Ali to the main land. A steady stream of people meanders to and fro along this, to the pull of faith. A few meters away, nestled into a busy street, stands the Mahalaxmi temple, with a ‘Tirupatiesque’ queue snaking out to as far as you can see. Both the places are heavily guarded by the police. Perhaps it is a testimony of the people’s faith that these places are frequently threatened.

Perpendicular to these landmarks run one of Mumbai’s famous roads – the Gopal Rao Deshmukh Marg, or as the common man would love to call it, Peddar Road. The road snaked its way up Cumballa Hill reminding me of San Francisco. There is nothing great about it, except for the fact that if you are walking along it on a warm afternoon, in search of a place to have lunch, you would not find one. Our intention in such a futile walk was to get to our primary objective of the day – Mani Bhavan.

Off the busy Hughes Road, in a by-lane that goes by the name of Laburnum Road, lies one of the most famous houses in India – Mani Bhavan. In spite of the location it is perhaps difficult to miss the place due to the number of tourists who visit this place. For it was here that Mahatma Gandhi stayed from 1917 to 1934, and launched his Satyagraha as well as the Civil Disobedience Movement. A museum dedicated to the life of the Mahatma, Mani Bhavan is an eye opener for every Indian. It is not as if we do not know anything about the freedom struggle or the role played by Gandhiji in it. But to come across it in our life is an altogether different experience.

Behind the walls of Mani Bhavan, lies another landmark. A huge park, split into five smaller ones, overflows with people of all ages, playing different kinds of games. A section of the park houses a tall white pillar with a pink lotus on top – a reminder of the significant event that occurred here on the 8th of August in 1942. It was here in the Gowalia Tank Maidan – now called the August Kranti Maidan - that Gandhiji made his famous “Do or die” speech. For the British, the time to quit India had come.

And the evening? It was quiet and nice – a movie and dinner with two lovely English ladies.

Quote of the Day: Me: “Haven’t you heard of Afghan carpets? They are very special”. After a pause, “Well, they are special. I don’t know why they are special.”

Pic of the Day: Mahatma Gandhi's ashes, kept for public display at Mani Bhavan.