After a two hour flight from Delhi we landed in the tropical sauna that is Mumbai - population 21 million (the 5th most populous city in the world). The monsoons have arrived early (so we're told) and will continue now for about 4 months. Mumbai relies on the monsoons for its drinking water for the rest of the year.
As some of you know it used to be called Bombay (the original Portugese name was Bom Baim meaning Good Bay as it was originally under Portugese rule, however when a Portugese princess married King Charles II the city was given to the British as part of her dowry. The city was renamed Bombay and then leased by the British to the British East Indies Company. Fourteen years ago the political party that came to power renamed it Mumbai - referring to the goddess Mumba who was the patron of the fishermen. Mumbai was made up originally of 7 islands which used to be fishing colonies. Mumbai is the most affluent of the cities in India and is the commercial and entertainment capital.
One of the 'institutions' in Mumbai is the dabbawalla. Literally it means a 'person with a box' but this person will pick up cooked meals from homes and deliver them to offices and schools. There is a dabbawalla association and over 5,000 dabbawallas deliver over 200,000 meals daily. Dabbawalla's either use bicycles or catch the train to deliver the meals. Despite this apparent low-tech system, the dabbawallas have recently embraced technology by allowing bookings by SMS or through the internet.
The photo on the right is not a slum but a dhobi ghat or public laundry. The Dhobi are a caste (a complex social system comprising elements of occupation, tribal affiliation, social status and political power) that specialise in washing clothes. For a modest 10-15 repees (20-25 cents) they will collect your clothes, wash (by beating them on the flogging stone), iron, fold, then return your clothes to your house in one week. Although you can clearly see the clothes hanging to dry, the grey cubicles are in fact sinks.
The next stop was Gandhi's house Mani Bhavan where he used to stay when he was in Mumbai. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's (1869 - 1948) non-violence philosophy and leadership helped India gain independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma which means 'great soul'. The house is now a memorial to the Father of the Nation and houses a research gallery, film and recording archive as well as personal items.
The photo below is of Victoria Terminus built in 1884. Its is the westernmost point of the Indian rail system and approximately 4 million people travel through it daily. It is the second most photographed building in India after the Taj Mahal and this gothic styled building is now listed as a heritage site by Unesco.
The building to the left is the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower (built by Jamsedji Tata in 1903 after he was refused entry to one of the most exclusive hotels in Mumbai as it was 'whites only') that was the site of the terrorist attack in November 2008. The terrorists also bombed the Victoria Terminus above. The hotel has now been restored however the entire front section was burnt.
The photo to the right is the 'apartment of Mukesh Ambani, the worlds second richest man. The apartment cost $2b USD to build and is 173m high. This is equivalent to 60 storeys however it will have onky 27 livable floors with above average ceiling height. There are 6 floors of parking, enough for his family's 168 cars. Because he has so many, there will be a motor vehicle service centre on the seventh floor. The eight floor is a cinema. Floors 9 - 11 are for health and fitness with a pool and running track. The whole building requires 600 staff daily to run it. Poverty in India? I don't think Ambani is aware of it. There's a picture of some 'low cost' housing below.
As some of you know it used to be called Bombay (the original Portugese name was Bom Baim meaning Good Bay as it was originally under Portugese rule, however when a Portugese princess married King Charles II the city was given to the British as part of her dowry. The city was renamed Bombay and then leased by the British to the British East Indies Company. Fourteen years ago the political party that came to power renamed it Mumbai - referring to the goddess Mumba who was the patron of the fishermen. Mumbai was made up originally of 7 islands which used to be fishing colonies. Mumbai is the most affluent of the cities in India and is the commercial and entertainment capital.
One of the 'institutions' in Mumbai is the dabbawalla. Literally it means a 'person with a box' but this person will pick up cooked meals from homes and deliver them to offices and schools. There is a dabbawalla association and over 5,000 dabbawallas deliver over 200,000 meals daily. Dabbawalla's either use bicycles or catch the train to deliver the meals. Despite this apparent low-tech system, the dabbawallas have recently embraced technology by allowing bookings by SMS or through the internet.
The photo on the right is not a slum but a dhobi ghat or public laundry. The Dhobi are a caste (a complex social system comprising elements of occupation, tribal affiliation, social status and political power) that specialise in washing clothes. For a modest 10-15 repees (20-25 cents) they will collect your clothes, wash (by beating them on the flogging stone), iron, fold, then return your clothes to your house in one week. Although you can clearly see the clothes hanging to dry, the grey cubicles are in fact sinks.The next stop was Gandhi's house Mani Bhavan where he used to stay when he was in Mumbai. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's (1869 - 1948) non-violence philosophy and leadership helped India gain independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma which means 'great soul'. The house is now a memorial to the Father of the Nation and houses a research gallery, film and recording archive as well as personal items.The photo below is of Victoria Terminus built in 1884. Its is the westernmost point of the Indian rail system and approximately 4 million people travel through it daily. It is the second most photographed building in India after the Taj Mahal and this gothic styled building is now listed as a heritage site by Unesco.
The building to the left is the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower (built by Jamsedji Tata in 1903 after he was refused entry to one of the most exclusive hotels in Mumbai as it was 'whites only') that was the site of the terrorist attack in November 2008. The terrorists also bombed the Victoria Terminus above. The hotel has now been restored however the entire front section was burnt.The picture below is another India Gate - not too dissimilar to the one in Delhi.
The photo to the right is the 'apartment of Mukesh Ambani, the worlds second richest man. The apartment cost $2b USD to build and is 173m high. This is equivalent to 60 storeys however it will have onky 27 livable floors with above average ceiling height. There are 6 floors of parking, enough for his family's 168 cars. Because he has so many, there will be a motor vehicle service centre on the seventh floor. The eight floor is a cinema. Floors 9 - 11 are for health and fitness with a pool and running track. The whole building requires 600 staff daily to run it. Poverty in India? I don't think Ambani is aware of it. There's a picture of some 'low cost' housing below.
No comments:
Post a Comment