Yesterday I travelled to Chembur from Girgaon, for some personal work. The taxi journey was almost two hours long, with endless views of exhaust pipes of buses and other 4 wheelers. But the return journey by bus, let me appreciate a few interesting sights of Mumbai.
At the Nana Lal Mehta flyover, near Matunga, the area beneath the flyover has been transformed into an aesthetic walking space, with a neat pathway and greenery and sitting space. Public was enjoying the space in the shade. Wow! If only the same transformation could be emulated at all other 'below-the-flyover' spaces. All other similar spaces are a horror, with overflowing garbage bins, haphazardly parked vehicles, beggars living and multiplying and carrying out their daily life chores in the public eye.
The next beautiful sight was outside the Cosmos Bank at Gokhale Road, Dadar. Two dead tree trunks have been painted colourfully and each has been mounted with some sculptures to enhance the trunks. One has a lotus and the other has a peacock. It looks very natural and calming.
Then the Atria Mall flyover before Haji Ali, had the next 'treat' for the senses. Just as we pass Worli naka and approach Atria Mall, the stench of the Worli sewage clearing plant, assaults our senses. and then the lovely green and fresh climbers that adorn the walls of the flyover, calm the passersby.
At Mumbai Central, either side of the road has a narrow pavement that is converted into an open air mall, every evening. One side has a display of colourful T-shirts, watches and headphones, bags and books, and fruits. The other side is home to the nomadic Nepalese woollens sellers. They have built their make shift stalls all along the sidewalk, almost fifty stalls on one side of the bridge, the other side is the space for the fish and pickle stalls. It is a soothing sight to watch people earning an honest living, rather than to see a bridge pavement taken over by slums and beggars.
Then I travelled towards the Lower Parel railway bridge. You can buy clothes and shoes, vegetables and fruit, mobile covers and headphones, warm clothes and toys, fresh vadapav, chilled beverages.
But when the stalls disappear, you can see the slums with their innumerable naked babies defecating openly and men smoking happily. The women cooking and conversing aloud. I personally knew a well-to-do man, who envied these open air slum dwellers. Hmmmmm.........My advice to such people is that they are free to join the choice of their dreams.
At the Nana Lal Mehta flyover, near Matunga, the area beneath the flyover has been transformed into an aesthetic walking space, with a neat pathway and greenery and sitting space. Public was enjoying the space in the shade. Wow! If only the same transformation could be emulated at all other 'below-the-flyover' spaces. All other similar spaces are a horror, with overflowing garbage bins, haphazardly parked vehicles, beggars living and multiplying and carrying out their daily life chores in the public eye.
The next beautiful sight was outside the Cosmos Bank at Gokhale Road, Dadar. Two dead tree trunks have been painted colourfully and each has been mounted with some sculptures to enhance the trunks. One has a lotus and the other has a peacock. It looks very natural and calming.
Then the Atria Mall flyover before Haji Ali, had the next 'treat' for the senses. Just as we pass Worli naka and approach Atria Mall, the stench of the Worli sewage clearing plant, assaults our senses. and then the lovely green and fresh climbers that adorn the walls of the flyover, calm the passersby.
At Mumbai Central, either side of the road has a narrow pavement that is converted into an open air mall, every evening. One side has a display of colourful T-shirts, watches and headphones, bags and books, and fruits. The other side is home to the nomadic Nepalese woollens sellers. They have built their make shift stalls all along the sidewalk, almost fifty stalls on one side of the bridge, the other side is the space for the fish and pickle stalls. It is a soothing sight to watch people earning an honest living, rather than to see a bridge pavement taken over by slums and beggars.
Then I travelled towards the Lower Parel railway bridge. You can buy clothes and shoes, vegetables and fruit, mobile covers and headphones, warm clothes and toys, fresh vadapav, chilled beverages.
But when the stalls disappear, you can see the slums with their innumerable naked babies defecating openly and men smoking happily. The women cooking and conversing aloud. I personally knew a well-to-do man, who envied these open air slum dwellers. Hmmmmm.........My advice to such people is that they are free to join the choice of their dreams.
