I just finished hosting my first, and probably last, out of country guest. My friend Kevin from California (who I have known for way too many years) came for a two week visit. Over the weekend we did some great tours and during the week while I worked he went to Hampi. Then for my vacation we both headed to Sri Lanka. More on that later, but for now I will share about our walking tours of South Mumbai and Malabar Hills.
On his first day in Mumbai we explored two temples near my house and Juhu Beach.
First was Isckon temple, which is dedicated to Hare Krishna. Of course, this has a totally different connotation in India than the US. The temple is quite beautiful and as it was Saturday, many devotees were here to pray to Krishna, the 8th reincarnation of Vishnu one of the three main gods of Hinduism. Krishna’s teachings emphasize the importance of devotion, righteousness, and duty. He is known as the god of love, compassion, and protection.
Across the street is another famous temple dedicated to Shiva, called the Mukteshwar Temple. Shiva is one of the three major gods (along with Vishnu and Brahma). Again, many worshipers and beautiful scenes. A lovely visit.
A kind young man showed me what happens when you pour water into the vessel…it runs down the pipe and empties into the holy bowl. It was interesting to see how long I had to wait for my water to arrive…it takes a calm and slow path.
Attached to this temple is a tower with seven floors a kind man on the street told us about so we were able to take the elevator up and walk down. Each floor had a set of idols to various gods and goddesses.
The floor dedicated to Ganesh had a variety styles and depictions of this god.
We were lucky to see one family having a service of rememberance on one of the floors.
Upon returning to the ground floor I took a moment to soak in the visit and while doing so notice how devotees walked around the idol three times (clockwise) to center themselves and ring the bell for focus. The Banyon tree, tower and cow were an added bonus.
The Uber drive to the beach also afforded me this photo opportunity as a man was selling flowers in advance of Diwali.
Next was a long walk on Juhu Beach from the location of the temples to the main entrance where I introduced Kevin to the wonderful Mumbai street food. We had my favorite: masala puri.
After our walk, I went with Kevin to the apartment complex’s pool…something I had not yet done in 3 years! So nice to swim and enjoy the warm water. It is always when you have guests visiting that you do something you never did before! Dinner was at my favorite, local Indian restaurant: Pratap the Dhaba.
After staying awake until bedtime thanks to our excursion, Kevin had a good night’s sleep so we headed to South Mumbai to explore. The first part of the day we walked on our own, enjoying Chowpatty Beach, Victoria Station, the Colonial architecture and my favorite – the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum….previously known as the Prince of Wales museum…SO much easier to remember! Of course we had to step into the Taj hotel to witness its splendor. The Gate of India was being renovated so it was hard for Kevin to see it in its full glory but it was still impressive.
A fun moment while walking to the museum was running into Brad (who I work with) and his wife Vicki. I felt like quite the local running into a friend on the street.
This was my third visit to the Museum and like any great museum, I noticed new things and learned more about India and its religions. I also noticed there is an audio guide so that is motivating me to return a fourth time!
This Boar representation of Vishnu is from 900-1000 AD. The details were extraordinary.
As always, I started in the statues of India section, enjoying the stone work. The exhibit focuses on the three ancient religions that started in India: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. All three of these religions are still actively practiced and have many followers. The stonework shows how the religious doctrines and diverse history of India art are represented, with each region having its own style. As I learned before, the museum mentions how Hinduism is more a way of life focused around one supreme power (Nirguna and nirakara) who is formless and is present in all living and non-living things. To help connect to this Supreme Power, divine images and gods were envisaged.
Then there were remnants of the Kahu-Jo-Daro Stupa from the 5th century AD that was destroyed by the British for the bricks to use for building the railroad. In 1909 it started to be excavated by Henry Cousens who placed the finds in this museum. This room also talked about the influence of Buddha’s teachings on architecture, especially with the advent of Stupas. There stone carvings are from various stupas as well as other Buddha statues.
The next room was dedicated to Jainism, a religion I am very curious about. I learned this religion emerged as a popular faith in the 6th century BC. This faith developed from the rejection of sacrificial rituals and a caste system, advocated non-violence, and denied the existence of the creator. The faith believes in 24 ‘Tirthankara’ who is a savior who has succeeded in overcoming the cycles of birth and re-birth, similar to Buddhism. The religious teaching have 5 key tenents: non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity and non-attachment [thank you to the museum for providing this information]. Karma is a key foundation for Jainism as well and playing Chutes and Ladders (known as Snakes and Ladders) is a way to reinforce the concept of actions and consequences. Pilgrimages are essential to the faithful as well.
Two Assyrian wall panels:
Next was a room called the Ajayab Ghar. During the Renaissance it became a popular trend to collect and exhibit antiquities and natural history specimens. In India this was done in museums called Ajayab Ghar, which translates into A Curio House. There is no order to the exhibits, as they are only meant to marvel at. To honor this practice, the museum placed a mixed collection of objects from various time periods and locations.
Next I quickly explored the miniature paintings room, noticing the painting called ‘The Carpenter’s Unfaithful Wife’ -look under the bed as he tried to catch her (from the 1500s)!
The next room I lingered in was an exhibit dedicated to Modern Mumbai, which is known as the city of immigrants. The sculpture of people on a train is by an artist whose work I have seen before and still marvel at. The museum gave some background to this artist’s work (Valay Shende), saying the work is a testament to the trials and daily grind of everyday life for the working class. The piece is made from stainless steel discs and is placed in front of the landscape of the city.
The other piece that moved me was called the Stories of Migration by Rohan Pawar, which focuses on the plight of those affected by the pandemic – resulting is a mass migration, the largest since the Partition in 1947.
A last glance before meeting up with Kevin, was of these stone carvings which were legal documents declaring land grants between the 8th and 13th centuries. The fun bronze statue just caught my eye!
Next was Victoria Station in Mumbai which I was seeing for the first time. It did not disappoint. Still a working train station, this was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee (1887). Although it is now officially called Chhatrapati Chivaji Maharah Terminus, named after a great Marathian warrior king. I have to say I have never heard it called that….
Parts of the inside were stunning, parts ‘just’ a busy train station.
Lunch was at my favorite fancy restaurant, The Table. I asked for the coldest drink the barsita could come up with to counter the extreme heat. We ordered the burrata to share as an appetizer and my Kashmiri morels with whipped parmesan was exceptional. Yet again, the restaurant did not disappoint.
After being rejuvenated by good food and air conditioning, we headed to Malabar Hills for our Khaki tour called the Banganana Walk. I had toured some of this area before but still saw new details AND learned more fascinating information about India’s history.
We stood at the head of a lane and learned about how the governor originally lived in the fort area, moved to another area and then here to avoid the pollution from the cotton mills, deeply curtailing the hunting parties that were favored by westerners-he actually moved into one of the hunting lodges and the building remains the governor’s home to this day. Whenever the past governor traveled, a band would play to alert people, and they would clear the road.
As we walked toward the center of the tank area, there were many residents getting ready for Diwali: from painting the Diyas (lanterns) to kids playing with firecrackers. This girl is anticipating the burst!
The first temple we stopped at is dedicated to the reincarnation of Shiva.
You can see in the photos below, that original Hindu ‘angels’ did not have wings. The wings on this temple are an adapted western concept. Ajay’s example of a western angel with wings…clearly an Orthodox icon: a great illustration but not western!
As we passed this temple, we walked deeper into the neighborhood – the oldest, continuously inhabited area of Mumbai.
We arrived at the tank and learned these towers are living mausoleums. Holy men in deep meditation were buried alive, a true honor of the day, and structures were built on top.
In the 1830s this plot housed the crematorium, right on the path devotees would pass, it was a bit unpleasant as you left the ship for your puja. A wealthy man bought land and changed the location of the crematorium.
This tank is named after the holy spring Bangala. The water coming into the tank has a consistent flow, and the valve added by the British is the main reason the water level will or will not rise (not monsoon rains). To this day there is a man living in hut below whose job it is work the valve when ordered by the municipal government.
It is as holy as the Ganges to drop ashes here. While the legend says this tank is connected to the Ganges, it actually isn’t. The north and east banks of the tanks are used for auspicious rituals, while the west and south banks are for death rituals. The steps were build in the 12th century to keep the water contained.
These homes were originally low-cost housing for pilgrims, then summer homes for the wealthy.
We walked to the shore for Kevin to learn about the volcanic rock and to get a glimpse of the governor’s home. This lovely little park was filled with joyful kids watched over by vigilant aunties! I loved that and the street art of course!
We then entered the zone of temples, with many tiny temples supported by various foundations and representing various deities. There are over 100 of them, some in homes and some standing alone.
First is Rameshwar Temple (1842) dedicated to Shiva, with the slanted bull.
This Gantapti temple was built in 1842, a blend of Maratha and Gujarat styles with a dome on top to protect from invaders.
The Laxmi Narayan Temple was built in the late 19th century by a merchant in memory of his wife.
Another temple dedicated to Ganesh was built in the late 19h century as well, by Sir Mangaldas Nathubhai, an advocate for girls’ education and widow remarriage in pre-independence India.
Another Shiva temple:
A highlight of the visit was seeing the newly opened Walkeshwar Sri Kashi Math temple. Originally it housed a spiritual leader who arrived in 1770, coming to meditate and die. The tomb inside is the original from 1775 and when the foundation received permission to rebuild the temple, the caveat was the original structure of this tomb was to be untouched. The temple is beautiful and the devotees dedicated to service.
After walking through the temple, we saw the daily distribution of food, not because of poverty but because the food is pure and therefore good for your body and soul.
This empty slab, once the foundation of a home, is an example of the inspirations behind starting Khaki tours. This used to be the home of man who created the musical notation system for Indian music. Before him, musicians were only as good as their teacher. By creating this system, based on western notation, a student could learn from his guru and then proceed to develop his own style. etc. If people knew their heritage the house would have remained and become a museum.
The last temples we visited were written about in a previous blog, but I will share a few photos, especially of the evening prayer in one temple.
This man has a cozy spot! He enjoyed having his photo taken and gave some fragrant jasmine!
This temple, built in the late 1800s, is dedicated to the deity Khandoba, whose story evolved to reflect the community. Khandoba originally had two wives, one from a hunter-gatherer family and another from a trading family. Later, other wives were added to his story, including a tailor’s daughter and a gardener’s daughter. His fifth wife was a Muslim woman, which fit naturally, as Muslims were by then an important part of local life, showing the community’s diversity.
Additions to my knowledge of Indian history:
- The term “trade winds” probably comes from India’s seasonal wind patterns. These winds allowed the Portuguese to sail into India with the Southwest Monsoon from June to September and leave using the Northeast Monsoon from October to December, making trade easier.
- Mumbai was part of the Gujarat Sultanate from the 1300s. When the Portuguese moved up India’s western coast looking for land, they clashed with the Sultan. To avoid conflict, the Sultan made peace with the Portuguese and gave them some land, as he wanted to focus on fighting the Mughals, who were advancing into North India.
- The Portuguese controlled 250 km of land along India’s northwestern coast. The islands that made up Bombay were seen as unimportant, so they were given as part of the dowry in the Portuguese king’s sister’s marriage to the English king. The English king was initially thrilled, thinking these islands were located near Brazil.
- Under British rule there were three governors. One in Calcutta, another in Madras who was in charge of the south, and the third was in Mumbai and the lands around it.
- The term “Hinduism” was created by the British. Before that, it was seen more as a way of life than an organized religion. To define it, the British separated out elements of Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, grouping what remained under the broad label of “Hinduism”.
- One of the most interesting historical insights I discovered is that the British likely implanted the idea that they directly took over from the Mughal Empire. In reality, by the mid-1700s, the Mughals were already a vassal state under the Marathas. The British probably downplayed the Maratha Empire’s power, preferring a story where they defeated the Moghuls which was a foreign empire, which sounded better than admitting they had conquered a local one.
Two very happy but tired tourists:
