When in Mumbai: exploring lesser-known facets of the city

By HT Correspondent

Updated On Jun 03, 2014 01:30 pm IST

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You could live in Mumbai for decades and still not have seen every neighbourhood properly. But you could start off on this road to discovering the lesser-known sights, sounds and tastes of the city with a few tours that offer the journey with a twist. (Text: Sneha Mahale)FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Vipul Yadav The focus of this tour, which takes you to restaurants that specialise in south Indian cuisine in Matunga, is to get you to try exotic and authentic dishes while discussing the culture of the area. Taste the Paniyaram and Brahmin Idli at Arya Bhavan or the Tuppa Dosa with Pudi at Café Madras. There is a new sheera to dig into daily at Ramashraya, whose pineapple and badam variants are a must try. “We discuss the history of the dishes and talk about why restaurants are named so. People on food walks love trivia, so conversations on how dhansak and sambar got their names get everyone interested,” says Yadav. (Photo: Pooja Vir)EMAIL: vipulyadav31@gmail.com

Updated on Jun 03, 2014 01:30 pm IST

You could live in Mumbai for decades and still not have seen every neighbourhood properly. But you could start off on this road to discovering the lesser-known sights, sounds and tastes of the city with a few tours that offer the journey with a twist. (Text: Sneha Mahale)FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Vipul Yadav The focus of this tour, which takes you to restaurants that specialise in south Indian cuisine in Matunga, is to get you to try exotic and authentic dishes while discussing the culture of the area. Taste the Paniyaram and Brahmin Idli at Arya Bhavan or the Tuppa Dosa with Pudi at Café Madras. There is a new sheera to dig into daily at Ramashraya, whose pineapple and badam variants are a must try. “We discuss the history of the dishes and talk about why restaurants are named so. People on food walks love trivia, so conversations on how dhansak and sambar got their names get everyone interested,” says Yadav. (Photo: Pooja Vir)EMAIL: vipulyadav31@gmail.com

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WASH OUT OFFERED BY: Mumbai Moments This tour takes you to Dhobi Ghat, which is probably the world’s largest open laundry with reportedly over 5,000 dhobis (laundrymen) from 200 families washing about 1,00,000 clothes per day on 731 washing pens (each fitted with a beating stone). The washermen start their day at 4 am. This profession is passed on from generation to generation. “The dhobis who work here are known to be particular and precise. They hardly make any mistakes despite washing over 1,00,000 pieces of clothing every single day! Laundry from guesthouses, restaurants, public hospitals and the Indian railways (western) also comes here,” says Amish Sheth of Mumbai Moments. (Photo: Images Bazaar)EMAIL: info@mumbaimoments.com

Updated on Jun 03, 2014 01:30 pm IST

WASH OUT OFFERED BY: Mumbai Moments This tour takes you to Dhobi Ghat, which is probably the world’s largest open laundry with reportedly over 5,000 dhobis (laundrymen) from 200 families washing about 1,00,000 clothes per day on 731 washing pens (each fitted with a beating stone). The washermen start their day at 4 am. This profession is passed on from generation to generation. “The dhobis who work here are known to be particular and precise. They hardly make any mistakes despite washing over 1,00,000 pieces of clothing every single day! Laundry from guesthouses, restaurants, public hospitals and the Indian railways (western) also comes here,” says Amish Sheth of Mumbai Moments. (Photo: Images Bazaar)EMAIL: info@mumbaimoments.com

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CULTURE CALL OFFERED BY: Breakfree Journeys The Bhendi Bazaar walk introduces participants to its rich culture, its ties with literary movements and Hindustani classical music. Also highlighted is its association with the Dawoodi Bohra community and its role in the history of Mumbai. You can also visit establishments selling gastronomical delights, which have been around for as long as 100 years. “We seek to reintroduce areas and point out their history, distinct architecture and cultural identity that stay relevant in today’s Mumbai. Extensive research — field visits and thorough reading of a vast amount of literature, including official documents covering commercial, sociological, cultural and historical aspects of neighbourhoods, personal anecdotes and oral history collected through interviews with long-time inhabitants — has gone into putting the walk together,” says Rushikesh Kulkarni of Breakfree Journeys. (Photo: Akaknsha Mehta)EMAIL: breakfreejourneys@gmail.com

Updated on Jun 03, 2014 01:30 pm IST

CULTURE CALL OFFERED BY: Breakfree Journeys The Bhendi Bazaar walk introduces participants to its rich culture, its ties with literary movements and Hindustani classical music. Also highlighted is its association with the Dawoodi Bohra community and its role in the history of Mumbai. You can also visit establishments selling gastronomical delights, which have been around for as long as 100 years. “We seek to reintroduce areas and point out their history, distinct architecture and cultural identity that stay relevant in today’s Mumbai. Extensive research — field visits and thorough reading of a vast amount of literature, including official documents covering commercial, sociological, cultural and historical aspects of neighbourhoods, personal anecdotes and oral history collected through interviews with long-time inhabitants — has gone into putting the walk together,” says Rushikesh Kulkarni of Breakfree Journeys. (Photo: Akaknsha Mehta)EMAIL: breakfreejourneys@gmail.com

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BY THE BOOK OFFERED BY: Beyond Bombay Taking a leaf out of Suketu Mehta’s Maximum City, this walk lets you trace the footsteps of one of its characters, Babbanji. Map the trajectory of a typical Bihari migrant in the city by visiting spots such as CST, General Post Office, Flora Fountain, the Kala Ghoda Art District and Café Samovar, and reliving moments from the bestselling book. “I was always interested in how literature lends itself to the city and vice versa. For the Maximum City tour, we got out a lot of material pertaining to migration. It calls for a complete understanding of the book and its layers, as well as the city’s layers as mentioned in the book,” says Shriti Tyagi of Beyond Bombay. (HT Photo) EMAIL: beyondbombay @gmail.com

Updated on Jun 03, 2014 01:30 pm IST

BY THE BOOK OFFERED BY: Beyond Bombay Taking a leaf out of Suketu Mehta’s Maximum City, this walk lets you trace the footsteps of one of its characters, Babbanji. Map the trajectory of a typical Bihari migrant in the city by visiting spots such as CST, General Post Office, Flora Fountain, the Kala Ghoda Art District and Café Samovar, and reliving moments from the bestselling book. “I was always interested in how literature lends itself to the city and vice versa. For the Maximum City tour, we got out a lot of material pertaining to migration. It calls for a complete understanding of the book and its layers, as well as the city’s layers as mentioned in the book,” says Shriti Tyagi of Beyond Bombay. (HT Photo) EMAIL: beyondbombay @gmail.com

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PLUGGED IN OFFERED BY: Audio Compass One hour of immersive audio-visual commentary takes visitors to 18 points of interest in Byculla and Mazgaon, such as the Chinese Temple: Kwan Tai Shek, Jewish Cemetery, Matharpacady and Gloria Church, among others. To participate, all one needs to do is download the Audio Compass app, choose the tour, reach the start point, plug in and follow instructions. “The rich veins of colonial history, plus the Jewish, Parsi and Muslim heritage of the neighbourhood, were just waiting to be explored. We thought we could do it justice. It took us nearly two months to research and script the tour,” says Gautam Shewakramani of Audio Compass. (Photo courtesy: Audio Compass)DOWNLOAD FROM: App Store and Google Play

Updated on Jun 03, 2014 01:30 pm IST

PLUGGED IN OFFERED BY: Audio Compass One hour of immersive audio-visual commentary takes visitors to 18 points of interest in Byculla and Mazgaon, such as the Chinese Temple: Kwan Tai Shek, Jewish Cemetery, Matharpacady and Gloria Church, among others. To participate, all one needs to do is download the Audio Compass app, choose the tour, reach the start point, plug in and follow instructions. “The rich veins of colonial history, plus the Jewish, Parsi and Muslim heritage of the neighbourhood, were just waiting to be explored. We thought we could do it justice. It took us nearly two months to research and script the tour,” says Gautam Shewakramani of Audio Compass. (Photo courtesy: Audio Compass)DOWNLOAD FROM: App Store and Google Play

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MUMBAI BY NIGHT OFFERED BY: Reality Tours and Travel The city that never sleeps — that’s what they call Mumbai. This tour revisits popular landmarks such as Banganga Tank, CST and Chowpatty beach after sundown. Also on the itinerary are stopovers at the red-light area of Kamathipura and Kamala Nehru Park, and a street view of the world’s first billion-dollar home, Antilla. “The focus remains on providing authentic and thought-provoking Mumbai experiences, with a focus on social issues. Eighty per cent of our profits from the tours go to the NGO, Reality Gives,” says Nick Hamilton of Reality Tours and Travel. EMAIL: info@realitytoursandtravel.com

Updated on Jun 03, 2014 01:30 pm IST

MUMBAI BY NIGHT OFFERED BY: Reality Tours and Travel The city that never sleeps — that’s what they call Mumbai. This tour revisits popular landmarks such as Banganga Tank, CST and Chowpatty beach after sundown. Also on the itinerary are stopovers at the red-light area of Kamathipura and Kamala Nehru Park, and a street view of the world’s first billion-dollar home, Antilla. “The focus remains on providing authentic and thought-provoking Mumbai experiences, with a focus on social issues. Eighty per cent of our profits from the tours go to the NGO, Reality Gives,” says Nick Hamilton of Reality Tours and Travel. EMAIL: info@realitytoursandtravel.com

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