NEVER SURPRISED

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Bombay..Bombay..with the kind of history you have been witness to, one is never surprised.

There must be many more tunnels and rooms lying still undiscovered..what with the number of forts..and fortifications!!

Worli fort..Bandra fort..Mahim fort..Sion fort (am curious how the area got the name Sion..connected to the Diaspora?!!).. and many probably which I don't know about!!

And of course the Fort area..the Fort St. George..with it's Rampart Row..it's Churchgate ( literally the gate of the fort that was the entrance to St. Thomas's church)..the Lion's gate (the entrance from the docks)..and Bazaar street. A whole cosmopolitan city contained within the Fort's walls.

And of course the Infamous Majestic Hotel with it's notice.."Dogs and Indians not allowed"..that inspired Mr.Jamshedji Tata to build the iconic Taj Mahal hotel in response to the discrimination..a hotel that surpassed any hotel of that time..and still does!!

Yes..Bombay never surprises me!!

Ps. 40 plus years ago.. I had the privilige of watching peacocks frolicking under the Tower of Silence.Yes..in the heart of Bombay..at Kemp's Corner!!

Pps. I had a piece of land in Saaral village across the harbour from the Gateway of India..and clearly marked on survey maps..and for us to see..adjoining the land was a small Jewish Cemetery!!

Diaspora?

Bombay..you never surprise me!!

The Cycle of Life..the Rains.

Don't know why..but this year I wanted to be in Bombay when the rains came. Looked forward to it with almost an obsession.
Maybe it was the heat..what with global warming..was at 36/37 (unheard of ) through most of the summer!!
Maybe just needed a cleansing of the soul..and getting wet in the rain does tend to do that.
Aaaaah..the rains arouse the senses.
The smell of the earth after the 1st rain..a sensuous earthy smell..the musk of a woman.
Trees dancing in the wind..a sinuous dance to the music of rustling leaves and the rhythm of falling rain. Tak dina dhin..dina dhin..tak dina dhin..or..Dum dum deegha deegha. Take your pick!
Leaves hanging heavy with drops of rainwater..reflecting the soul of the city.
The Koel..sings beyond sunset..
The sea..rears like a Stallion..unbridled..untamed!!
Roasted bhuta on a promenade..sea spray on your face.
And the parting..such sweet sorrow..end of Alphonso mangoes.
The Gul Mohar..that blossomed not too long ago with it's fiery flowers..now rendered colourless by the force of the rain..the orange/red flowers cushioning your walk.
The Black Kite that has left it's nest..along with it's young one.
They shall return.
The Cycle of life moves on..

SOS..Sold Our Souls!!

SOS..has always stood for Save Our Souls..an internationally recognized call for help by people in any kind of distress.

Any person hearing this call would make the saving of the person in distress his no.1 priority.

Our government has given it a new interpretation..SOLD OUR SOULS!!
Shameful but true!!
20000 dead..over 300000 affected by the biggest industrial accident at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal.

And......

The govt. had made saving of the company and the ceo of Union Carbide and the subsequent owner of Union Carbide..Dow Chemicals..their 1st priority!!

The govt. has assured Dow Chemicals that they would not be responsible for cleaning up the site that is still leaching poisons into the soil and the water table!!

Who is going to do it?!!

A rough estimate is that it is going to cost over a 1000 crores!!

Whose money.. Yours and mine?!!

I think the only thing of dignity left to the dead victims of Bhopal were their souls..

and the Government has sold that too!!

SOS..SOLD OUR SOULS!!

Bombay..my Bombay.

I am a Bombaywallah..born when my city was known the world over as Bombay ( it still is..to some!)

Bombay of the song.."Come fly with me".. immortalised in the words.."if you can use some exotic booze there's a bar in far Bombay" sung by "Old Blue Eyes" Frank Sinatra himself and other greats.

Bombay..of the internationally famous "Bombay" gin.

Of a bar in New Jersey called the Bombay Bar.

And of course..the ever popular Johnny Walker song..Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan.

A city that was cosmopolitan in it's ways and tolerant in it's attitude..a vibrant city that never slept (still doesn't).

Jazz bars abounded..restaurants aplenty. Strip shows..if that was your flavour!

No silly self-serving immoral moral-policeman telling us how to live our lives!!

A safe fun loving city that let you do your own thing.

Mumbai..sorry..it just ain't the same.