Bombay then, Mumbai now

Mumbai, once named Bombay by the British during their occupation of India is a series of small islands that have now been joined together by adding land in between....they call it "reclamation" and there are constantly signs up stating Bandra Reclamation etc. where they have "reclaimed" parts of the sea in order to expand their landmass... See the above photo of Mumbai during a steamy smog filled day in Worli...

Interesting fact I learned today: Mumbai was given as a dowry gift by Prince Charles the Second of Portugal to his bride to be Princess Catherine Briganza of Spain...

Bandra West

I am staying with my uncle in a part of Mumbai known as Bandra West, which is situated right on the Indian Ocean...I can see it from my window...Bandra is a place that is a bit removed from the busy, polluted centre of Mumbai, where I grew up...Its actually quite a relief to be in a place that's quieter and breathe less polluted air...

My favourite part about travelling is seeing the sunrises and sunsets in different parts of the world...I'm a sucker for sunsets, and Mumbai's is no less beautiful then Havana, or Bolivia, or Canada... Check out the above photo of a sunset taken from Joggers Park on Valentine's day!

I notice that people here are very much into exercise and you regularly see people walking or jogging in Jogger's Park, a place where you can run a round a mud track for only 2 rupees entrance fee, or along the Promenade, one of my favourite spots where you see people exercise as they chat on their cellphone, or listen to their mp3 players as they jog past mangrove trees decorated with bits of garbage that has blown and stuck to their branches...

Here's an interesting shot I got from Jogger's Park on Valentine's Day (see above) where the oceanic view seemed to be very popular!

There's a really nice cafe on this promenade called Coffee Day, like the Timmy's of India, where I went the other night...I felt like I was in any other major city in the world, where one can sit at a cafe and take in the sights and culture of the place...I don't remember experiencing such things when I was younger...the cafe was even wifi equipped!

Bandra also has a large Christian population with many Catholic Churches and schools built in a European style...you also often see crosses randomly set up outside houses or villages, even if the current occupant is not Christian...I've been walking through a fishing village regularly to go between my two uncles, one near jogger's park, and the other near a place called Bandstand...also on the waterfront...The fisher people were largely Catholics and have a devotion to Our lady of Vailankanni...I wonder what they eat on Fridays...

I seem to keep wanting to compare India with Cuba, one of the few other countries I have had the privilege of living in and knowing well...I notice the street dogs, or mutts, look the same...I think Cuba could have the same grand buildings if only they'd invest in their upkeep, but it reminds me very much of Havana...it even has a malecon (or Promenade)

One other interesting thing I have noticed here are the people's devotion to Mary, the Mother of Christ...it doesn't matter what religion you confess, Hindu, Muslim or if you practice a religion at all, people of all or no faiths regularly visit Marian Shrines and Churches, asking the Blessed Mother for her intercession....this is something I noticed in Cuba as well amongst followers of Santeria and even non-believers as well...

I visited a place called Mount Mary, which you might remember from Rohington Mistry's book "Such a Long Journey", where people purchase arms, legs, heads and different body parts made out of wax, and offer it to the Blessed Mother asking her to heal them of their ailments...

Mount Mary's also happens to be next to one of Shah Ruk Khan's Bandra mansions....His house has high walls to keep out the paparazzi and the day I arrived happened to be the release of his latest contraversial film My Name is Khan....