On the train to Mumbai, we were surrounded by english speaking Indian families and young “IT” guys in Levis and flip flops. Stepping out of the train station felt like we entered London; the streets were full of double decker buses, matching taxi cabs and professionals. We walked to breakfast among men in business suits and women in professional Salwr Kameez (long shirt and pants combo). Around Colaba, the architecture of the Victoria Terminus Train Station and Bombay University resemble 19th century British architecture.
We walked along the Back Bay via Marine Drive to see the vendors on Chowpatty Beach and the wealth of Malabar Hill. From Karmala Nehru Park, we could see how Bombay lined the Arabian Sea from lush, jugly forests to looming sky scrapers. The Governer of Maharashtra State has prime real estate at the tip of the peninsula that is Mumbai.
We could only see the Gateway of India and The Taj hotel through scaffoldings and wooden windows – scars of the terrorist attack’s destruction. It seems incongruent that the terrorists appeared to be targeting foreigners at two sites important to India’s independence and pride: The Taj hotel was built by a wealthy India to spite the British who would not allow a “native” in their hotels and the Gateway which was built upon the British’s arrival to India was also the gate they left through.
The best part of the day was visiting the Mahatma Gandhi museum at Mani Bhavan. Through Gandhi’s method of Satyagraha (truth and non-violence) India succesfully freed themselves from British rule. Starting in South Africa in 1843 when Gandhi was kiched out of a “white” train car, Gandhi commited his life to relieving oppression. In India, Gandhi encouraged peaceful protests against British rule. The Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930 was marked by the Salt March – a 26 day, 241 mile march to the sea which succesfully abolished the British Salt Act. Gandhi gained national and international respect for his commitment to equality.
Despite his non-violence commitment Gandhi was shot and killed in 1947. He was quoted perviously saying, “If I am to die by the bullet of a mad man, I must do so smiling, there must be no anger within me.” The end of the exhibit stated: “he was the victorious one in death as in life” – he died saluting his assassin.
No Bombay experience can be complete without Bollywood. We ended up seeing an American movie (all the Bollywood flicks are in Hindi) including the Indian National Anthem with the previews and a mandatory 5 minute intermission.
