From GalleyFM correspondent Harry Pandher in Mumbai, 2009
Thanks to Danny Boyle's celebration of all things Mumbai in Slumdog Millionaire, many more people will be drawn to visiting this incredible city. I was just one of them, adding Mumbai at the last minute to my list of stopovers when recently travelling.
Surrounded by the Arabian Sea, this modern city has so much to offer you might run out of time. From the mid-point of Juhu Beach to the Southern point of the Gateway of India, all around you there are sights, sounds and smells that will be unlike any you have ever seen, heard and smelled before! Mumbai boasts some great architecture including art galleries, churches, fabulous boutique hotels and of course, the majestic Taj Hotel.
The city provides a backdrop to the heart of Bollywood and is alive with street performers and young actors trying to find their fortune. You can catch a show at the local Prithvi Theatre on Juhu Church Road just minutes from Juhu beach where up and coming theatre directors bring life to original stories and re-create familiar film titles on stage. This quaint theatre has a homely feel and serves delicious snacks such as Pav Bhaji and samosas in its open air café. It's a really unusual but great fun thing to do.
When the evening draws in, the beach is filled with parties and carnival performers providing colourful entertainment along the shoreline until the early hours. Seriously worth a look.
Also- take a Ryg (3-wheel open-door taxi) to Andheri, the retail hub. There are locally designed trinkets and curios on Marine Drive and American-style malls with cheap price tags, try 'In Orbit' & 'Big Bazaar' in Malad, where there’s a fusion of eastern and western fashion, jewellery and lifestyle shops to suit every taste.
When the evening draws in, the beach is filled with parties and carnival performers providing colourful entertainment along the shoreline until the early hours. Seriously worth a look.
Also- take a Ryg (3-wheel open-door taxi) to Andheri, the retail hub. There are locally designed trinkets and curios on Marine Drive and American-style malls with cheap price tags, try 'In Orbit' & 'Big Bazaar' in Malad, where there’s a fusion of eastern and western fashion, jewellery and lifestyle shops to suit every taste.
Eating is a national pastime in India and Mumbai has loads of wicked fusion food; the Chindian cuisine (a fusion of Chinese and Indian) or authentic eastern cooking using fresh seafood and locally grown vegetables in one of the many curry houses that line the streets.
As dusk falls, amble down to the promenade on Marine Drive and see the ‘pearl necklace’ (yes really); illuminations light up the promenade in the shape of a necklace of pearls. Nothing more than that!
