Just as
the summer vacation of my kiddos come to an end the little one “Bhakti” suddenly
burst out with request one day. She said she wanted to visit “Mhatari Cha Boot” or the “Old Womens Shoe” . Looking at her
mischievous smile and the twinkling in her eyes I couldn’t say no. So it was
decided that the coming weekend we will go to Kamala Nehru Park in Malabar Hill
to enjoy a fun filled family time.
The word
Mhatari Cha Boot brought with it long lost memories of old school picnics as kids . Waking up early in the morning ,
walking to school in the early morning cold . Taking only a small bag filled
with goodies , a tiffing stuffed with wafers , my favourite Britannia Coconut
biscuit , some Jim jam cream biscuits a small snack of bread – butter and a
water bottle . A small cap to protect from the sun . Some of the other kids who
were from affluent families would bring cakes and imported chocolates. Teachers
and Support staff would makes us comfortable in the class till the time the
Picnic bus came. Once ready every one boarded the bus in a orderly fashion
moving along in a serpentine line . Once inside the bus everyone tried to take
the prized seat next to a window and the Class teacher had to shout a little to
get everyone to listen.As we settled down the bus would start the journey
amidst loud shouts of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”….To keep us entertained Teachers
would sing some nursery rythms with all of us singing in chorus , shouting loudly
at the top of our lungs as this was the only time besides the sports day when
we could shout without getting reprimanded. As we reached the Kamala Nehru Park
and entered its gate we would be greeted by the Iconic Mhatari Cha boot , a
humongous Shoe in creamish yellow color with small windows and a red slanting
roof. And then we enjoyed half a day in and around the garden , dancing
,playing and making merry.
Though
in recent time we did revisit this Iconic landmark when my elder one Netra was
small .This was the first time after the garden and the land mark was newly
renovated by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation which awarded a contract to a
professional private enterprise. So on cool evening on one of weekends we decided
to go back to see that Iconic Old Womans Shoe. Just to enjoy the journey we
boarded a BEST red bus towards Haji Ali. Sitting at the window and looking out
were my daughter taking in sights and sounds of the maxim city of Mumbai. When
the bus got stuck in the usual city traffic we got down and took a Kali Peeli the ubiquitous Mumbai City
Black & Yellow Cab. The one which you can hail by waving a hand right in
the middle of the road anytime during the day or night.And though over the
years the typical drivers Bhaiyaas have turned a little arrogant and refusing
to ply to destination that you want to go . But then due to the recent Cab
aggregators flooding the city street with their newer AC cabs which can be
booked on your smart phone , the Kaali Peeeli drivers have become a little
mellow and do take you in rather than flatly refusing as earlier. But you
should give credit to these black and yellow cab drivers especially the older ones
in White uniforms which signify them as owner drivers who have been driving
since decades and seen the city change from quaint old city with British
architecture to the Glass and Steel towers kissing the city sky . One thing you
can trust these senior citizen drivers is their knowledge of back road gullies
and smaller roads to reach your destination, taking you away from the maddening
traffic and chaos and all this with out the “Google Map” and its voice
assistant , without which people like you and me are totally handicapped. So
our cab driver took a right turn below a flyover just after Peddar road to take
us towards Altamount road and then towards Nepeansea Road past the poshest area
in Mumbai. Winding up the Malabar Hill ,once a hillock and upmarket VIP
residential neighbourhood in South Mumbai.. Malabar Hill is the most
exclusive residential area in Mumbai,home to several business tycoons and film
personalities. Notable residents include Adi Godrej, the Birla family, Shashi
Ruia & family, Pallonji Mistry, Mahesh Jethmalani,
the Jindal family, the Petit family, and the Lal family etc. The
area dotted with old heritage buildings , luxurious bunglows and British era
State guest houses and bunglows used by top ranked ministers and
bureaucrats .
The cab stopped at the top of
Malabar hill right at the gates of Kamala
Nehru Park. We could see the huge shoe shaped iconic landmark looming large
from within the garden. In its new avatar the Mhatari Cha Boot has been painted
a bright blue with the roof and windows in brick red and fixed with led
lighting strips making it more pleasing to the eye and attaracting the small
kids to climd it. The area near the structure is well lit and 2 – 3 junior
police personnel are earmarked with duty to control the hyper active kids
making them follow some discipline and climb the shoe in a orderly Que. Both
Netra and Bhakti stood in the line waiting their turn while me and the Missus
clicked some beautiful pictures of the renovated Mhatari Cha Boot. Up went our
kids toward the viewing gallery from where they waved at us below.
Once done
with selfies and some snaps, we walked toward the famous tourist viewing gallery
from where you can see the entire Mumbai
skyline below . The view is just breath taking . From here you can see the entire
South Mumbai from the Girgaon Chowpaty to the Flood lit Wankhede Stadium to the
dome atop the Ambassador Hotel to the Air India Building and towers lining
Nariman Point the original business district . Take in the fresh air and get a
little awestruck at the city below .
Nest we decided to explore the
rest of the Garden. The park itself has been landscaped keeping in with the
kiddies theme of nursery rhymes and fair tales. There are stone walls painted
with lovabe characters from Rudyard Kippling’s Jungle Book – Mowgli , lazy
Baloo ,the smart black panther Baghira and the fearsome Tiger Sherkhan.. A
little ahead are small pathways lined with abacus and little hammocks and swing
for kids to play. Up ahead is another wall painted with nursery rhymes in English
Hindi and even Marathi. Read them along with your kids and jog down your
childhood memories. Songs like Hickory Dickory Dock , Three Blind mice and one
on the Old Womans Shoe itself. In Hindi you can find the famous Machli Jal ki
Raani hai and our very own Marathi Bal Geet like Mama chya gawala javuya.. Read
them sing them and have total dhamaal.
Move through the park at a
leisurely pace, the center of which has a huge Clock made of bushes and stones
with enormous hour and minute hands ticking away for real and letting everyone
know the time.Move towards the artificial dome created near by painted with our
solar system, sun and stars on the ceiling
The dome so created acts like an Echo point shout loudly and your can
hear your voice echo out.
Go a little further and the kid can enjoy themselves
on Slides, swing , see-saws and jungle –jims . Made as per various age groups.
Some ropes strung vertically to climb, some spiral slides some steeply inclined
and some for tiny tots with connecting foot bridges to make the play a little
adventurous. Watching the kids laughing , giggling and having fun made me realize
how much mazaa it was playing in such parks . Pure and unadulterated fun no
mobiles no gadets just pure play with your friends. We took a break rather a
snack break with tiffin’s brought along filled with mawa cake , butter chakli’s
and yummy Choco chip cookies.What fun. It was getting dark now with the Sun
going down , we decide to move on to the next attraction the garden opposite
called the Hanging Garden with its sculpted hedges and short shrubs in various
shapes.
Here you can catch a herd of Elephants trimmed out of trees. A farmer
herding a bullock cart , some wild animals like Tigers and Rhino’s . The grass
on the ground to trimmed to make it soft and tickly when you walk bare foot.
Enjoy a game of pakda-pakdi or play catch with a beach ball or a Frisbee . Then
relax on the huge garden swings installed facing the road . Enjoy the gentle
movement of the swing watch the world go by or simply close your eyes and get
transported to your childhood.
As it got dark and it was time to
head home we decided to again take the good old BEST bus . I recommend the Bus
no 103 from Kamala Nehru Park to VT or now know as CST Terminus for its sheer
magic of the route it takes. Earlier it used to be the Red Double decker and
you could climd to the upper deck and enjoy the joy ride through South Mumbai.
Now it’s a Single decker but the ride still is enjoyable. Take a seat near the
window and watch the City go by. The bus takes the winding road past Varsh –
the chief ministers official residence. Then towards palatial bunglow of Raj
Bhavan where the Governor resides with its vast expanse and well manicured
lawns and location right atop the Malabar Hill overview the Mumbai City
skyline. From the bus you can now see the Girgaon Chowpatty bathing in the
flood lights and the serene glow of the Moon that has now risen in the night
sky.
The bus now moves ahead crossing
many a land marks, Wilson College with its Gothic architecture on the left , Marine drive with its numerous street
lights making it appear as a necklace and rightly coined Queens Necklace of
Mumbai. Futher ahead you can get to see Mumbai local trains whizzing past at close
quarters at Charni Road Station and the famous foodie spot of Bachelor’s
patronized by night crawlers. The bus rolls on towards Nariman Point and take a
turn at the mecca of English theater the NCPA moving towards Colaba passing the
Mantralay the seat of power and legislation in Mumbai. At the circle near Regal
Cinema you can get of other iconic buildings in the background – the Taj Hotel
and the Majestic - the building hosting hostel facility for MLA’s coming from
far corners of Maharashtra. Up ahead the bus rolls on to the road where you can
catch a glimpse of the Naval Docks and the various secured gates to them with
names like Lion Gate , Cheetah Gate , Yellow gate , moving toward the heritage
building of Asiatic Library with its White façade and holding in its sanctorum
millions of books of subject as wide as Philosophy , English Literature , Marathi and even books
in older languages like Sanskrit and Ardh Magadhi . Enjoy the ride winding down
the old Fort area with buildings like the Reserve Bank of India looming over
you , then towards Fort Market with posters of Fort cha Raja one of the
oldest Ganesh Mandal from last year .
Finally the bus come to a halt at the CST depot just behind the iconic CST (VT)
Terminus building . A British era building and certified heritage building by UNESCO . Flood lit with hue of colors be it
brilliant red or combination of Orange White and Green the colors of our
National Flag or on that day in soft pink .
Looking at that building standing
there right in the middle of the busy street with other heritage buildings in
the vicinity especially the Municipal Corporation building in the colors same
as CST building , you feel proud of the heritage and class of good old Aamchi
Mumbai…
That evening I enjoyed going down my memory lane ......Hope you do too ...
