Showing posts with label Mumbai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mumbai. Show all posts

Tuesday, 14 April 2015

Photo Walk: Juhu Beach


I spent this Sunday evening on the overly crowded Juhu Beach, capturing beautiful moments in my lens.

Presenting some clicks from the photo walk........


Boy watching Kabbadi
A young boy watching a group of men playing Kabbadi

Kulfi Seller
Portrait of a Kulfi Seller
 

Hawker selling paper articles
Hawker

Hawker

Bubbles
Bubbles


The portrait of this kid is my personal favorite. This cute boy was baffled and amused as a hawker in vicinity blew bubbles with the colorful soap water.....

The innocence and curiosity in his eyes just melted my heart!








Siblings playing in sand





A father building sand castle with his daughter. Reminded me of my childhood!


Father Daughter Love

Sky was equally fascinating.... Hundreds of colorful balloons bedecked the sky.


Finally the evening came to a beautiful end as the sun set leaving the sky crimson.....

Sunset


Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Living in Mumbai on a No TV Day

{ This post was originally written for the website: Scroll360 }


http://scroll360.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/HT-No-TV-Day.jpg


Hindustan Times a newspaper daily that has been running in India since the past 9 decades started an initiative in Mumbai called ‘The No TV day’ two years back. Mumbai is the only city in the world that celebrates such a day! This year the ‘No TV Day’ was celebrated on the 1st June. HT claimed it was bigger and better than the previous two years. In just the initial one week, there were almost 72,000 likes on the Facebook Page of the campaign taking the total fan base to 3.2 lakhs.  On 28th May twitter, the micro blogging site saw #onnotvdayiwill trending as the No.1 topic not just nationally but worldwide.

What is this Day?
Under this campaign, Hindustan Times solicits the Mumbaikars to do something that might sound quixotic to a lot of us. On a pre-decided day every year, it wants us to switch off our television sets, get out in the city and spend some quality time with our family and friends.

Why the need?
On contemplating we realize that we waste a lot of our potential time sitting in front of the idiot box and watching useless daily soaps, saas bahu sagas, fixed cricket matches and scripted reality shows!  Every Monday as the week starts, we crib that our weekend just went away leaving behind umpteen uncompleted tasks.  We have an endless To Do List which has more and more additions than tick offs.  Not only have we entitled ourselves to a lot of delayed tasks but also to a life that is just going on and on. Our lives have become completely entwined with work. So much so that we fail to take time off for the people who matter to us.

There are so many things the city has to offer to its people. If you are an architecture fan you can go about exploring the historic structures and heritage buildings in South Mumbai. If you are a connoisseur of Food, you can relish the food in every nook and corner of the city. If you are a shopping buff you can indulge yourself in various street shopping destinations in the city. And finally, if you wish to spend some quality time with family, you can make an early morning escape to places on the outskirts of the city.

With this initiative HT is not just expecting people to switch off the idiot box, sit idle and get frustrated.  They  planned a lot of interesting, fun filled activities for the citizens. Dance and Baking Workshops, Comedy Shows, Heritage Bus tours of the city,  Art Workshops, Painting competitions, Trekking Activities, BMX Stunt Shows, Helicopter Rides and much more. To know more about them, click here. Also, they partnered with 54 restaurants across the city to offer you exciting discounts.

This year Hindustan Times planned to form the longest Human Chain at Carter Road Promenade, Bandra to support the cause of a Greener Mumbai. A lot of Advanced Locality Managements like Carter Road ALM, Ambedkar Road ALM, Hill Road ALM Veronica Road ALM etc. participated in the event.

But if nothing of the above picks your interest, you could laze around at home. Play board games with family, read a book, catch up on a latest movie in a nearby multiplex, relax yourself with a SPA session, clean up your wardrobe or meet up old friends and reminisce about the good days.

So folks I hope you are ready to 'Switch off the idiot box and Switch on your Lives' on the next NO TV DAY!!

Saturday, 1 June 2013

No TV Day

This year, 1st June 2013 is being celebrated as the 'No TV Day' in Mumbai. This initiative was started by Hindustan Times 2 years back. Mumbai is the only city in the world that celebrates such a day!

Cycle, Dance, Sing, Shop, Read, Laze around or Catch up with friends but do not switch on the Idiot Box!



No TV Day

To know what exciting things are happening in the city today. Just click here.

Amul Cartoon

 
I have decided to pick an interesting book to read. What are you doing?

Thursday, 4 April 2013

Mumbai you are mine But am I urs?

23 years back I was born in the city of dreams, the city of Bollywood, in the city that never sleeps, in the city which was then called Bombay by my Grandfather and is now called Mumbai by my brother! I have literally grown up in the lap of this city. It taught me to think rationally, it taught me to keep moving come what may, it gave me the privilege to dream big, it gave me a chance to fall in love with the vast beautiful sea that encircles it and lastly it made me a tough woman. The past 23 years have seen me hopping in and out of the city. But whenever I was away from this city I would feel something missing from my almost perfect life.

Mumbai

Living in a different city made me realize how lucky I was to grow up in Mumbai. I did my engineering from Pune and though overall it is a safe city, commuting is a big issue. The public transport is in a bad state and to top it all, Men don't have any chivalry towards women. They shamelessly sit on the reserved seats and blatantly refuse to get up. On the contrary, in Mumbai we see that generally men do not occupy the seats which are reserved for women or if seated they get up on requesting.

Albeit Mumbai being better than other cities, it still has scope for improvement. We still have incidents of eve teasing, molestation and acid attacks happening in the trains, buses, rickshaws and on the roads. As a Woman, it’s also important to stay alert and aware when the surroundings seem to be dubious. In case of mishaps while traveling in public transport systems, make use of the helpline numbers. 


I had once asked a male friend, “Is Mumbai safe for women?” He instantly replied YES. I then asked him “Do you think I can go to a beach unaccompanied post 10pm to enjoy the tranquility? Do you think I can watch a movie alone? Do you think it is okay if I go on a long drive at late night?” He replied “You can go to the beach and for the  drive in the day time and why would you want to watch a movie alone, I can tag along.”

Mumbaikars how can Safety be subjective? How can the definition of what is safe be one thing at night and something else in the morning? Why can’t we have a Mumbai which is safe 24*7 and a Mumbai which is safe in every nook and corner? I want to see a Mumbai where every Woman is respected, cared for and loved, irrespective of the fact that she is somebody else’s daughter, mother, sister or wife. I want to see a Mumbai where every Woman is Liberal and Free.

Generally when we think of Women and Mumbai we fail to focus on issues other than Safety like Sanitization, Education and Health. Unlike Men, women need proper toilets to pee and they can’t attend the natures call in open grounds. Currently, the Public toilets are not everywhere and the ones that are there are hardly clean.  We need hygienic public toilets at lot many locations.

Let there be Equality

Year after year Mumbai has seen girls clearing toughest entrance exams and higher percentage of girls topping board exams but still when it comes to giving them the freedom to choose their career path we fail. Only educating them is not enough. There are 2 other things that equally important: 
  1. No gender discrimination in Education. 
  2. Freedom to choose their Career Path.
So what if she is a girl and wants to become a wildlife photographer, so what if she is a girl and wants to become a pilot, so what if she is a girl and wants to enter politics to bring in a social reform? Treat her equally as you treat your son. Let her dream and let her strive to make her dreams come true.

Say No to Female Foeticide

As per the data compiled by the Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC), the sex ratio at birth for 2012 stood at 922 girls per 1000 males. Although India is progressing in the fields of science and technology, when it comes to accepting the women equally as men we fail miserably. There are still cases of female foeticide prevailing in Mumbai. There still exist families which pressurize a woman to give birth to a boy only because he would take forward their family name. There are still hospitals in Mumbai which carry out the illegal sex determination process. Government and Judiciary system have done their bit by creating stringent laws for such mal practitioners. We as citizens should now come out with the information of such erring professionals and alert the police.



Last but the most important concern is the health issues Women face. Cardiovascular diseases, Osteoporosis, Breast Cancer and Menopause are some health related issues found in increasing number of women from Mumbai and all over the world.  A lot of women fail to take the precautionary measures and a lot others lack awareness. Regular full body checkups should be a must from an age as early as 30 years.  Also, we must spread awareness about ailments like Breast Cancer and Osteoporosis which are lesser known.

I love my Mumbai City and I know we all do. But let us make this city safe sound and secure for every woman so that she feels the city is reciprocating her love. So that she feels it is as much her's as she is of Mumbai!
   
IndiBlogger

PS: This post is a part of the Times Of India initiative #MumbaiForWomen supported by Indiblogger.

Thursday, 6 September 2012

Living In Mumbai- Part 2


               Imagine, a Rainy day- getting wet like crazy, taking bath with hot water, relishing the taste buds with spicy bhajiya’s and finally sipping the garma garam adrak wali chai! Wait Wait…all this with old Hindi classics playing in background. Wah! What a quintessential experience! 

                 But what happens when you need to reach office for an early morning meeting and it starts raining heavily? Jam pack highway, cars moving at snail’s pace and to top it all you are hardly able to see anything in the rear mirror!! I am sure then, 99% of the Rain lovers would start cursing the rains.

            To me everything about Mumbai looks just perfect!! No No wait a minute, surely not the rains. When it rains heavily (which happens mostly), the traffic of the city comes to a halt. Water flooding here and there, king size potholes everywhere, semi wet people struggling to get a rick or cab and the pedestrians trying to save themselves from the water splashes. Hanging on the bus doors, walking and carpooling somehow people find other alternatives to reach home. Mumbaikar’s are so used to their prosaic life that whatsoever happens, they would struggle and reach their workplace every day.

               I am not a rain person. If it rains on a holiday I avoid going out. On weekdays rain banter me while driving to work. But once at work, thanks to my IT job, I get spared of the atrocities of Mr Rain. :) Sitting at one place and working on the computer, I somehow forget about the rain until its evening and time for me to leave. 

              I feel rains mock me. They paralyse me temporarily, leaving me with the only option to sit at one place and do nothing. When it rains, everything looks depressing to me: sad, dull and monotonous. Not at all does it seem romantic.  It only brings out the worst in me. I crib, I rant and feel irritated.

             This year it had been a dry monsoon for Mumbai. Didn’t rain like every other year. No heavy showers, no throughout the night rains. However, day before yesterday when it rained like cats and dogs, it seemed like a lot of prayers were answered. I didn’t realize the intensity of rains until I left office and got stuck at a signal for almost 30 mins. After that long wait, things didn’t quite improve. It only became worse. Vehicles moved inch by inch and my irritation grew by leaps and bounds. 

               The Radio channels managed to scare the hell out of me by updating about every street and every corner flooded with water. Stuck in the jam, I couldn’t possibly think of doing anything. Jaded, I started to think of ways to entertain myself.  Listening to music, contemplating, watching people outside; I did all. But nothing seemed to divert my attention from the traffic. I ate a few biscuits from my bag. But my hunger was in search of junk (Healthy /Unhealthy). I decided to stop cribbing about the rains and find a way to eat something scrumptious. And the bulb glowed.

                I knew there was a Domino’s at the street’s end. Without wasting time, I called up Just Dial and got the number. I ordered garlic bread with cheesy dip. A few minutes later I was outside the store, and the sales girl was sweet enough to come out and deliver the order in my car.  

                 After that I forgot about the traffic, I forgot about the cars, I forgot about the time and I forgot about the rains. I was busy enjoying my garlic bread and licking the cheesy dip. What bliss, I told myself.  I realized ‘Rains aren’t that bad’. Somehow they give you time for yourself.  Rains seem beautiful to people because people do things they like and not the things they are expected to do. People pause their lives and live a fresh day. To every person rains say something. 

That day I realized, to me they say Take It Easy Girl.


Saturday, 21 July 2012

Living in Mumbai- Part1


       There is more to this city than the Bollywood stars and their frenzy. Amidst the traffic and our fast paced ostentatious lives there is something that holds each one of us to the city. The city is magical and that I can say by my experience of over 23 years here. I have never loved anyone or any place more than this city.

       It was a beautiful Friday afternoon.  Silently the rain kept pouring.  This rainy day along with a tinge of sun turned the overall experience nothing but quintessential.  However, motormen decided to disrupt the beauty of the day by calling it a strike.

They say when in ‘India expect the unexpected’. In India, when things do not go ur expected way and no one is ready to hear you, you on a strike. If things are still not working they go on the next level of strike: The Hunger strike. “No way, its black mailing”, you may say. Yes it is, for sure! But this is how things work in a country whose population is 2nd largest in the world. Isn't it difficult to be heard in such a huge crowd?



        Local trains are the backbone of Mumbai city. They are the fastest and the most affordable commuting option we have. So when trains come to a halt in a way it affects lives of most of us. It was late afternoon and I had already got 3 reminders from mom to leave for home at the earliest. You would be amazed to know she was worried about the traffic more than me.  The one thing that scares a Mumbaikar even more than inflation is Traffic.  The sluggish movement of vehicles paralyses all your activities. Overall, wastage of time, fuel and money. In case you are in a rickshaw, your eyes would be glued to the ticking meter.

         I left office at 7pm albeit the reminders from mom. No sooner did I reach the main street that I realized it was surely going to be a tough fight to move ahead. I rued my negligence towards mom’s multiple alerts about the traffic. Perhaps, after looking at the speed at which the cars ahead moved, I was surely going to be jaded.  What options did I have than to switch on the radio! The garrulous girl that I am, conversing with someone always looks like a better alternative. I put on my favourite radio channel. To my surprise he wasn’t ranting. He spoke about car pooling. I just couldn’t believe, how did I not think of this? There were so many people on the streets, who were figuring out ways to reach home. Buses were packed, Rickshaws were occupied and people on bikes took triple seats. This was the time to help and this feeling erupted not just in me but a lot of other Mumbaikars. Mumbai unites at the time of crisis; big or small. The feeling of oneness surfaces at such times. I saw a lady with a lot of plastic bags trying really hard to get a rickshaw. I inquired where she was headed. Realizing we were both headed in the same direction, I offered her lift. Her happiness knew no bounds and she hopped in the car with her husband.  We discussed about the sudden strike and commotion that it brought along.

        After they got down my mind got back to what it did the best, talking to itself! This is why I love this city. The common man makes it such a paradise to live in.  It’s a city which has seen the worst terror attacks, floods, political scandals, heinous crimes but has always shot back. This city is best known for the people who live here. They demonstrate the true ART OF LIVING. People from diverse cultural and economical backgrounds sometimes fighting but at the end living together sharing this city of dreams like One Big Happy Family.