Weekend Snapshot #16 : Gaming Zone At Mega Mall

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I spent the weekend at home, so here is the picture of the gaming zone at Mega Mall at Link road in Goregaon ( suburb of Mumbai ). We visited the mall a couple of weeks back and the kids had loads of fun.

Have a great week, all!

Saturday Photohunters Theme: METAL

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COLORFUL METAL BANGLES AT NADCO SHOPPING CENTRE, ANDHERI

Skywatch Friday #18

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. Mumbai needs them like never before. The seige is over, but has left the city dark and gloomy. Mumbai police and NSG commandos lashed back on terrorism and proved once again that India stands strong and united.

The incident has hit hard a few political leaders on the face, who have been trying to spread unrest in the city over trivial matters such as language. It is proved that we are one nation irrespective of colour, caste, language, region or religion.

This is the evening sky on Thursday last week seen from Sanpada in Navi Mumbai. The silhouette you see is of the newly constructed buildings on Palm Beach road in Navi Mumbai.

The dark clouds in the sky reflects the dark mood of Mumbai over the last couple of days. There is fear and unrest in the hearts of Mumbaikars, and we are trying to get out of the shock and get back to normal life.

Here is another view of the same place, taken from the 9th floor of Millennium Towers at Sanpada, about 45 minutes before the first one.

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Mumbai Terror Attack

Thank you Mumbai Virtual Tourists and friends for your love and concern. I and my family and friends are all safe, and at home for the last two days.



The terror attacks in South Mumbai have shocked Mumbaikars. According to Star News, the rescue operations are over. The beautiful Taj Palace Hotel and Trident Oberoi Hotel has been damaged. Hundreds dead and injured, including 15 from Mumbai police.


The intentions of the terrorists are unclear. Sounds of explosions in the Taj and Nariman House can be heard outside, even now.

ABC Wednesday - 'S' for STARBUS

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The newStarbus from Mumbai's BEST's fleet of buses

ABC Wednesday - 'R' for RIDE

BOAT (LAUNCH) RIDE AT THE GATEWAY OF INDIA

A boat ride (cruise) into the harbour at the Gateway of India is a smooth fun ride.

I went for the half an hour ride on this boat with my 3 year old Krrish on 14 November, which is celebrated as Children's Day in India,  to commemorate our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawharlal Nehru's love for children. It was his first time on the boat at the Gateway of India. 

On the way back, the view of the Taj Palace Hotel, The Taj Intercontinental and the Gateway of India was a gorgeous sight. See it in my 'My World' post here.

My World #6

THE GATEWAY OF INDIA (VIEW FROM THE SEA)

The Gateway Of India is a major landmark in Mumbai. It is the most famous and most photographed monument of Mumbai. It was built as a triumphal arch in 1911 by the British government to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India.

A short cruise into the harbour on one of the motor launches is a fun experience. Also, motor launches can be hired to visit Elephanta Caves, a World Heritage Site.

 

My World #5

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The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Taj Intercontinental Hotel tower is renowned

 the world over,  as a premier Landmark Hotel of the Orient.  Overlooking the Gateway of India with a panoramic view of the bay, the hotel is situated a few minutes away from the Central Business Districts of the city.

Monochrome Monday #12

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Sea-facing Residential Buildings at Marine Drive

Skywatch Friday #17

TAJ INTECONTINENTAL TOWER

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The Taj Mahal Palace & tower are two distinct buildings. The tower is Taj Intercontinental.
Both The Taj Mahal  Palace and Taj Intercontinental are part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces.

Weekend Snapshot #15: Boats At The Harbour

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Behind the Gateway of India arch, there are steps leading down to the water. Here you can get a half an hour boat ride (they are called launches) into the harbour, or an hour long ride to the Elephanta Island.

Have a great weekend!

Saturday Photohunters Theme: REFLECTION

Reflections in escalators of Mega Mall at Goregaon brighten up the mall even more.

Saturday Photohunters Theme: RUIN(ED)

THE GREAT RUINED METROPOLIS - MUMBAI

'Maximum City: Bombay Lost & Found' is a narrative non-fiction book by author Suketu Mehta about Bombay (now Mumbai) and Salman Rushdie, author of Midnight's Children and The Moor's Last Sigh in his review calls Mumbai 'The Great Ruined Metropolis' and quotes as follows:

"Quite extraordinary – Mehta writes about Bombay with an unsparing ferocity born of his love, which I share, for the old pre-Mumbai city which has now been almost destroyed by corruption, gangsterism and neo-fascist politics, its spirit surviving in tiny moments and images which he seizes upon as proof of the survival of hope. The quality of his investigative reportage, the skill with which he persuades hoodlums and murderers to open up to him, is quite amazing. It’s the best book yet written about that great, ruined metropolis, my city as well as his, and it deserves to be very widely read."

Millions throng to the city to fulfill their dreams only to realise later that the city is unlivable with an ever increasing population and  rising communal violence, a city of dreams and nightmares.The city yet thrives on the hope and spirit of Mumbaikars.

This photo shows Mumbai's harbour, the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower (a prestigious five star hotel) and is taken from the sea, when I went for a ferry ride.

Monochrome Monday #11

SUICIDAL BREEZE

MUMBAI LOCAL TRAIN IN MONOCHROME

I think I'm obsessed with Mumbai local train travel, and leave no opportunity to show it to my readers. This is another crowded Mumbai local train at peak hours. Look at the two young boys sitting on the train roof to enjoy fresh air and avoid the crowd.

When asked, a boy sitting on the roof of my compartment said he was smarter than the rest, and didn't want to choke inside the compartment.

Statistics reveal that more than 3500 people die on the Mumbai railway tracks every year. Shocking, isn't it?  It is believed to be the highest number of fatalities on any urban or suburban railway system.

Most of the deaths are of passengers crossing the railway tracks on foot, instead of using footover bridges provided for going from one platform to another, and are hit by passing trains. Some of the passengers die when they sit on train roofs to avoid crowds and are electrocuted by overhead electric wires, or hang from doors and even worse when they clasp the edge of the roof of the train and stand on window bars.

Skywatch Friday #16

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The Mumbai Metro work in the middle of Versova road is responsible for regular traffic jams like this one. I was stuck in one of the traffic jams near Manish market and popped my head out of the autorickshaw to check the sky.  Got this one with the crane and I don't know what the other one is( a drill), against the light blue evening sky.

Most autorickshaw-wallas at Andheri station refuse to go to any place on Versova road nowadays in the evening, due to the traffic jams.

Nariman Point

Nariman Point, Mumbai's premier business and financial district houses most of the financial and brokerage houses in the city. It is situated on land reclaimed from the sea.

Nariman Point is widely regarded as the 'Manhattan' of Mumbai and it boasts of a spectacular skyline. Besides premier business houses, the Vidhan Bhavan, the political headquarters of the state of Maharashtra is located here.

ABC Wednesday - 'Q' for QUEUE

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This is the queue for railway tickets and monthly & quarterly passes at Vashi railway station in Navi Mumbai. The queues are usually within the station premises, except for rush hours and weekends when they extend outside the station.

The mall you can see in the backgound is Raghuleela Mall.

My World #4

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The building of the J. N. Petit Institute (among the highly acclaimed libraries in India) is a beautiful heritage building on D.N Road in Fort area in Mumbai. It is a neo-gothic sculpture with use of stained glass, painted arches, and the original aisle roof. The building is built with Malad stone and limestone.

Monochrome Monday #10

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Building under construction, on the verge of completion.

Weekend Snapshot: Deepavali Vacation Homework

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Diwali  vacation is over, and schools have re-opened.  This weekend, Krrish and I spent all day completing his vacation homework  which was some alphabet writing, and identifying some alphabets and sticking pictures of  things beginning with the respective alphabets.

We made this scrapbook for the alphabets and the pictures and decorated it.

Saturday Photohunters Theme: TOGETHER

SAMOSA & BATATA-VADA TOGETHER

HINDI & MARATHI TOGETHER ??? WHY NOT?

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Punjabi Samosas (a North Indian snack) and Batata Vadas (of Mumbai, Maharashtra) are popular snacks in Mumbai city. Wherever you go, you are sure to see a snack stall,  or a corner in a sweet shop for selling samosas and vadas.
Seeing samosas and vadas together in every stall reminded me of the recent differences and disputes in the city about Hindi and Marathi. When samosas and vadas are still together and relished by all Mumbaikars alike, why can't the North Indian (who is born in Mumbai or has migrated to Mumbai) and the local Marathi Mumbaikar (popularly known as Marathi Manoos) live in peace? Or for that matter, even people from other cultural backgrounds.

As I see it, till a few years ago, the fight was about religion - Hindus & Muslims. Today it is over language. Soon, it will be over higher caste and lower caste. And then between man and woman. It is never ending OR it can end right now.
Wake up, fellow Mumbaikars before it's too late. The politicians are cashing on voter's emotions. After 60 years of Independent India,  our political leaders are using the 'Divide & Rule' policy against their voters-YOU.
The common man of Mumbai does not have any trouble with his North Indian or his Marathi speaking colleague or neighbour. Mumbaikars of all communities and religions join in to celebrate each other's festivals, and help in times of trouble. No one is looking forward to being dictated by rulers, in the name of religion and language.
My Vegetable Vendor (Bhaji wali) likes me asking her the price of vegetables in Marathi( we learnt it in school), and sometimes promptly replies in Hindi or even English, as if to indicate that she knows more than the Marathi language. We Mumbaikars love each other and co-exist peacefully in the city.

WE MUMBAIKARS ARE TOGETHER,

AND WILL ALWAYS BE.

Skywatch Friday

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This is the morning sky seen from Sanpada station complex a few days ago. I'm glad I woke up earlier than usual and went out  for a walk and captured the rising sun.

ABC Wednesday - 'P' fo PLAZA

PLAZA  CINEMA

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Plaza is one of the few old movie theaters of Mumbai, located in Dadar West. It was damaged during the 1993 bomb blasts/riots. It has now re-opened and remains one of the few theatres in Mumbai that show Marathi movies albeit almost as a Matinee show, and regular shows of Hindi movies

My World #3

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Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) is a historic railway station of the Mumbai suburban railway, as well as for some long-distance trains. It serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways in India and is one of the busiest railway stations in India.

It is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture.
Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed arches and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture. It is an outstanding example of the meeting of two cultures, as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural tradition and idioms thus forging a new style unique to Bombay (now Mumbai).

It took 10 years to complete and was originally named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the reigning Queen Victoria. In 1996, in keeping with the policy of renaming locations with Indian names, the station was renamed by the state government after Chhatrapati Shivaji, a famed 17th century Maratha king.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Teminus is a part of the World Heritage Collection.

To know more, go to The World Heritage Site

Monochrome Monday #9

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Nariman  Point

Nariman Point is the business hub of Mumbai. Named after Khurshid Nariman, a Bombay Municipal Corporation corporator.

Nariman Point is located on land reclaimed from the sea. It has some of India's premier business houses such as Air-India, Indian Express, Mittal Towers, LIC...The average property cost and rentals per sq. feet in Nariman Point are about 1.5 times higher than Manhattan in New York.

Weekend Snapshot: FUN RIDES

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We spent this Saturday afternoon at Mega Mall in Goregaon (a suburb of Mumbai) and the kids had a blast at Jammin - the gaming zone. These two rides were my li'l Krrish's favorite rides.

November 2008 Monthly Theme: BOOKS

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A popular book stall near Churchgate station.

There are many such book stalls all over the city. Mumbaikars are voracious readers. Out of ten train or bus commuters, you will find atleast two reading something- whether it is a book, novel, newspaper,  magazine in English or any other language.


Click here to view thumbnails for all participants


Here is the list of the 178 participants from all over the world. Click to see different pictorial interpretations of  BOOKS.
American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by freefalling, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Aurora, South Africa by shelagh, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bali, Indonesia by Anak Dokan, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Bandung, Indonesia by Bunyamin, Bandung, Indonesia by Eki Akhwan, Bangkok, Thailand by UberSand, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Birmingham (AL), USA by VJ, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Ilse, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boulder (CO), USA by A Sterling World, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by PattheAZRealtor, Chapel Hill (NC), USA by missleah, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Chateaubriant, France by trieulet, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Ram N, City of the Blue Mountains, Australia by Richard, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Edinburgh, UK by Dido, Evry, France by Olivier, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Gliwice, Poland by prado&fio, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Helsinki, Finland by PPusa, Herne Bay, Great Britain by Han, Lil n Caz, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Honningsvag, Norway by J., Islip (NY), USA by Bettye, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jakarta, Indonesia by Santy, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia by Susie of Arabia, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Karwar, India by Yogesh, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Knoxville (TN), USA by hope, Lakewood (OH), USA by mouse, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lodz, Poland by wikiyu, London, UK by Ham, Madrid, Spain by Tr3nta, Mainz, Germany by JB, Manila, Philippines by Hilda, Manila, Philippines by Heyokity, Melbourne, Australia by John, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Middletown (MD), USA by Bernie, Milton, New Zealand by Milton Daily Photo, Milwaukee (WI), USA by karl, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by snapshutter, Molfetta, Italy by saretta, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Montréal, Canada by My Life in Montreal, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Moscow (ID), USA by Sherry, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Murcia, Spain by usuahia, Napa (CA), USA by katester, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, New York City (NY), USA by Kitty, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Oklahoma City (OK), USA by ananda.tashie, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Eric, Paris, France by Elsa, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pensacola (FL), USA by P J, Philadelphia (PA), USA by Stiffa, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Sharon, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Townsend (WA), USA by raf, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Prague, Czech Republic by kakna, Quincy (MA), USA by slim, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Roanoke (VA), USA by Tanya, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salem (OR), USA by pearls, Salem (OR), USA by jill, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, San Francisco (CA), USA by Burd Zel Krai, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Seoul, Korea South by SeoulSnapper, Seoul, South Korea by Phil, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Singapore, Singapore by Zannnie, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Springfield (IL), USA by Aubrey, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Tauranga, New Zealand by Lisa Sarsfield, Telluride (CO), USA by mtsrool, Tempe (AZ), USA by angie, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Torino, Italy by Fabrizio, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Trieste, Italy by Rob&Piero, Turin, Italy by Livio, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Verona, Italy by Valeria in Verona, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by D.C. Confidential, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Woerden, Netherlands by Marcel, Yakima (WA), USA by katney, Yellowknife, Canada by Arctic Dreamer, York, UK by Ruby in York,

Saturday Photohunters Theme: BLUE

Mumbai's BLUE Cool Cabs

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Unlike the yellow taxis with the black top, Mumbai's blue cool cabs with silvery white tops are air-conditioned and have electronic meters. So the cabbie can't fool you if you are unaware of the meter conversion rates. They are more comfortable than the yellow and black analog metered taxis and the ride costs a little extra, which is worth every rupee in the hot and humid Mumbai weather.

Also, now there are private yellow cabs, blue cabs and cabs exclusively for women driven by women too.