Just Walking Around

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 ...