March has been a busy month, and I am only now getting around sorting through photos to write my next blog post. We have just started our spring break and for the first few days I am at home recuperating.
The first weekend in March was a trip to the Ambani Cultural Center to see a one-man show about an Indian South-African and his experience during Apartheid. Very Powerful. Afterwards an amazing dinner of butternut squash and sage gnocchi with goat cheese, brown butter and pine nuts. Followed by goat cheese ravioli with golden beets, kale and pine nuts. My cocktail was a Sawayaka which contained sancho infused bourbon, matcha foam, lime and ginger ale. The other cocktail was entertainment! This restaurant, called Amadeo, had four separate open kitchens serving Japanese, Italian, Chinese and Indian cuisine. Exceptionally delicious and it is here I learned what is meant by a perfect bite. I tried the ravioli alone and it was so-so. Then for my second bite I included the other components and the flavor explosion in my mouth was amazing!
Later that week was the wedding of a former employee from Ecole. The happy couple met at Ecole, so the love match was a real Ecole story! I attended two of the many ceremonies: the Haldi ceremony at the groom’s house and the reception at a venue the next evening. I am NOT used to doing things weekday evenings, let alone TWO evenings in a row.
What is wonderful regarding the Haldi ceremony is the exact same event happens at the groom and bride’s houses. Then some of the turmeric mixture (along with curd, sandalwood, gram flour, rose water, milk, mustard oil, almond powder, and lemon juice) from each of their faces is brought to them during the night and added to their facial decorations. This ‘facial’ allows for the faces to be glowing the day of the final ceremony. It is a joyous, music filled affair. I was honored to be invited and as you can see from my face while dancing – had a great time.
These photos are from Ankesh’s neighborhood, full of life and color. Ankesh’s family is part of the Koli community, the original inhabitants of Mumbai who were (and are) fishermen. Ankesh has opted for a career in finance.
The next evening was one of the ceremonies but unfortunately, we arrived too late for it. I did get to greet the happy couple and give my present. I was too tired to stay for the dancing but had a nice time people watching and chatting with others from the school.
Next was the 3-day weekend which coincided with some good friends visiting Mumbai. William Scarborough (we worked together in Moscow) was hired to do some consulting for an international school in Hyderabad, so he and his wife Martha took the opportunity to explore Mumbai with me. They stayed at the 5*deluxe Taj…I stayed at a lovely boutique 3* hotel down the road.
Our first day found us having Thali at the famous and long serving Chetana.
We shopped for kurtas and stumbled upon the old Synagogue in Mumbai which was beautiful. This Orthodox Jewish synagogue was established in 1884 by Jacob Elias Sassoon. While there was a small fee to enter, it is mostly maintained by a trust set up by the Sassoon family. It has a nice blend of Jewish and Colonial influences with beautiful stained glass and woodwork. I found the soft colors conducive to calmness and prayer.
Dinner was at the Lebanese restaurant at the Taj with its majestic views of the Mumbai harbor. A wonderful tidbit I learned while on a previous Mumbai tour was that years ago when Lumiere came to Mumbai in 1896 a cinema was opened in a hotel but it was only for whites. Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, founder of the Tata Group, opened the Taj Mahal Palace, a hotel in Mumbai in 1903 in (so it is said) retaliation. His hotel is still operating the other is a ruined building. FYI- the Tata family from the very beginning have been strong philanthropists. Today 60% of their profits go into a foundation.
Each morning as I walked to the Taj before the onslaught of vendors and tourists, I was able to enjoy the view of this Methodist church, as well as other South Mumbai architecture.
The second morning I joined William and Martha for the buffet breakfast at the Taj, which allowed me to hear the traditional music being played in the lobby and in the old building’s stairwell.
Here are some other views of the majestic Taj – the jewelry on sale was stunning.
Today’s excursion was to the Dharavi Slums, a place I have visited several times before. I joined William and Martha because I wanted to replace the blue leather purse I lost last year. As always, visiting here is a great experience where one sees the efficiency and organization of the various businesses. The neighborhood is divided into two sections: the business side and then you cross into the residential zone.
I always see and learn something new while on the tour. This time we focused on the metal recycling.
I also learned that the shredding and cleaning of the recycled plastic no longer happens here due to the pollutants. It is done in the country and returned here for some of its repurposing. I enjoyed chatting with our resident-student guide and again would like to reiterate that 95% of the residents move on to higher education. This community is tight and supportive of each other.
I finally got a decent shot of the knife sharpener and William took the video where you can see how the bike fuels the grinder.
Lunchtime: seeing this bread being made was hard…I wanted to eat a fresh roti!
During this visit I learned that if you add salt when dying, the colors last. These experts are given a swatch of material and match the colors perfectly.
The luggage section was hard at work, there clearly is a big order to be finished.
Today, the leather dryer was being used. This is the first time I saw this.
As we moved over to the residential section, I saw this amazing machine which is a spice grinder. You can order any spice ground to the consistency you want.
Two ancient ways to iron: coal and the more modern electricity method.
Some animal photos!
The highlight of the tour was seeing these kids playing this game with a top (something to do with throwing down your top onto another one, hitting it so it moves). They practiced their English on us and everyone had a lot of fun. I wish I took a video of that game!!
The older boys were into cricket of course!
The tour always ends at the pottery section, where the potters live AND work.
Lunch was a lovely restaurant where we had delicious wine and food.
After napping at our respective hotels, dinner was at The Table, one of my favorite restaurants in South Mumbai where we had drinks at the bar while waiting for table service to begin.
The next morning we had breakfast in the old section of the Taj which had elegance and was calmer. The view was lovely. Notice the amazing way they serve honey!
After our relaxing breakfast it was time for the highlight of the weekend (for me at least): visiting Elephanta Caves, a 40-minute ferry ride from the harbor at The Gate of India. The name Elephanta comes from the Portuguese who found a massive elephant structure on the island (now displayed elsewhere) however the original name is Khara Puri, which means the city of rocks. These caves are estimated to be from the 6th-7th centuries and are a world heritage site. The island is lava rock, so therefore was easier to carve. I will add that the Portuguese used the caves as shooting practice so some of the sculptures are disfigured.
From our wonderful guide Anita I got a firmer understanding of Hinduism and how the three main gods are in essence their Trinity, manisfestations of the bigger cosmic being. I also learned that the hand gesture for Namaste symbolizes the joining of an electrical circuit of respect towards the one you are greeting. When you do a Namaste, you are doing the Anjali Mudra a symbolic hand gesture involving pressing the palms together in front of the heart chakra, accompanied by a slight bow of the head. This gesture serves to establish a profound connection between the body and mind while expressing gratitude and respect. You are recognizing the god in you and the god in me.
We arrived at the island and started the climb up the hill, taking our time and checking out the stalls. Arriving at the first cave was impressive, and from this moment on, my mouth was constantly open. I love stone carvings to begin with – but this collection of mini caves creates an incredible atmosphere. I hope some of my photos do it justice.
The main temple is to the right of the center. It is the only part of the caves still considered consecrated and the only place where you take off your shoes. This square room is flanked by four door keepers, and one must climb steps up to the stone. The shape of the stone, similar to the domes of nuclear power plants, symbolizes Shiva’s energy. Throughout this cave are carvings of various manifestations of Shiva.
This panel, to the right of the shrine, depicts destruction of the demon Andhaka by Shiva (who had tried to abduct Parvati, Shiva’s wife). Since each drop of the demon’s blood created a new demon, Shiva created the goddess Chaminda to hold Andhaka’s blood in a skull cap. In the end, Andhaka was spared when he praised Shiva (no ego there) and subsequently apologized and performed penances.
To the left of the shrine, is a panel depicting the marriage of Shiva with Parvati.
This panel, called Ardhanarishvara, is an interpretation of a myth in which Shiva manifests himself in an androgynous form. You will note how male and female body parts are included in the carvings, with the right half as Shiva and the left as Parvati.
At this point, like you, I was overwhelmed with the all stories connected with Shiva and the carvings so I just enjoyed their beauty.
Upon reaching the bottom, we boarded the little train to the dock, doing some people and nature watching along the way.
While selling to tourists is a major source of income, fishing is still the traditional industry.
The ride back saw me entertaining myself by taking photos of tankers. Mumbai is a major port for the receiving oil to be refined.
We disembarked, said goodbye to Anita and headed to the first restaurant we saw which turned out to be a hit, both with decor and food.
After lunch, before heading to the Taj to relax by the pool, Martha and I walked to buy me new reading glasses. On the way, I had a literary moment as we passed the Parsi compound, where the character from one of my favorite mystery series lives.
This weekend ended magnificently with William, Martha and I lounging by the pool in the courtyard that was so quiet you had no idea you were in a major city!
The view from William and Martha’s room!!
Heading back north to my neighborhood I was treated to a lovely sunset.
If that wasn’t exhausting enough, the next weekend there was a PYP conference in a nearby city (a 4 hour drive) which Shraddha, Jonathan and I attended. It was a good conference put on by a wonderful, little school (Mahindra International School). We spent the night in Pune so in the morning we had a yummy western breakfast before heading back to Mumbai.
The last week of work before vacation saw the Primary Production (a huge hit) and a lot of very tired teachers. I have been sitting at home recuperating and catching up on household chores and tasks that have been piling up these past few weeks. Today is Holi and I opted not to go out and celebrate. However, when I went to buy my vegetables for the week, I met some women visiting India whose tour guide brought them to our apartment complex to celebrate. Their joy was infectious as was the water and powder play by the kids. I returned to the the apartment a little different than when I left!
Now stay tuned for part two of March Madness as in 3 days I head off to Veranasi and Bodh Gaya!