Rain, rain go away,

Come again another day,

Little Johnnie wants to play,

Rain, rain go away."


This was a rhyme I had never understood as a child. Who the deuce would want rains to go away? Having been brought up in the arid Saurashtra region of Gujarat, most of us used to replace little Johnnie's whining song with a Gujarati rhyme 'Aav re varsaad' (meaning rains please do come). Rains were always welcome where I came from. The exuberance shown in the Lagaan song couldn't even begin to match the exuberance of people in my sleepy little home town when the first drops touched the earth. After that everywhere you would find people quoting poems, teenagers gazing out their windows; mooning over their latest crush or writing some silly poems, moms busy preparing pakodas and chai, papas having their fill of the delicacies and kids splashing about. It was an unspoken rule not to wear a raincoat or carry an umbrella during the first showers.


Cut to Aamchi Mumbai. Here's where I understood why little Johnnie hated the rains. It doesn't rain cats and dogs, but probably dinosaurs here. And the already bursting city finds it difficult to contain the new migrant - the rain water. There is no place on the roads or anywhere near them because there are too many vehicles already. The rivers and streams have too much muck in them to hold anymore water. So the water finds its way into your house, your garden and wherever else it can stream into.


There is nothing poetic about rains in Mumbai because even the poets here have 'no time to stand and stare.' The moment one spots a drop of rain one starts worrying. When will it stop? Will there be a traffic jam? Will the railway tracks get flooded? Will I reach home safe? Is there high tide today? Oh god, the potholes will be back. Oh god, 2-3 months more of this. I hope 26th July doesn't happen again.


Friends in my home town would start playing rain songs and would start talking of romance. Guys in Mumbai also play rain songs but along with it a commentary of what places to avoid, sound bites of BMC officials saying they have done all they could and grumpy citizens complaining about the messy rain drenched city. There are no croaking frogs here, only groaning men and women. There are no puddles filled with children's boats here, only crater like potholes. There are no rainwater ponds, only streets flooded with mucky, slushy water. And somewhere between all this there is the rubble of collapsed buildings.


Rain is more like a necessary evil in Mumbai. And the authorities don't want to deal with it. Crores of rupees have been spent on various drainage projects; but every year the situation is the same. The government officials took some of us journalists on a trip to the Mithi to show the progress on its desilting and widening, but despite a reported 80 crores spent on it, the river looked just as it had two years ago when I first saw it. The encroachments along the banks are still there, the river still is filled with muck. The roads are as crowded as they always were. And this year, with metros, skywalks and flyovers under construction, the traffic situation is going to be worse during the rains.


As I look out of my window and see the swarm of people and vehicles trying to commute in the pouring rain, I realize that I can empathise with Johnnie today, after all even I have to get to work in this rain!

I SALUTE MOTHER
FOR ENDLSS LOVE

I SALUTE MOTHER
FOR BEING PERFACT POSSITIVE HUMAN FOR ME

I SALUTE MOTHER
SHE WAS POSITIVE N ONLY POSITIVE FOR ME

I SALUTE MOTHER
FOR HAVING DEEP FAITH IN ME

I SALUTE MOTHER
FOR HAVING BLIND FAITH IN ME

I SALUTE MOTHER
FOR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

MY EYES IS FULL OF TEARS RIGHT NOW
AND I AM SPEECHLESS ................................ I LOVE YOU MOM AND ALWAYS

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD ON YOUR SALUTES

Places to visit


Endowed with a rich historical legacy as well as several places of scenic beauty fascinates the discerning tourist.

Gateway of India

Apollo pier is called the Gateway of India. It was built in the memory of the late King George V and Queen Mary to commensurate their visit in December 1911. It is one of the favourite evening resorts. Statues of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Swami Vivekanand has been placed just opposite to Gateway of India. A special launch service is available to go from Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves.


Prince of Wales Museum

Built in 1914, the museum has an Art section besides Archaeological and natural history sections. Paintings of Ajanta, Ellora and other historical places are also on view here.


Flora Fountain

It is situated at Hutatma Chowk. It is named after Sir Bartle Prere who was the Governor of Mumbai from 1862 – 1867. Flora fountain can be called the heart of Mumbai Business as most of the leading banks and offices are situated around this landmark.


Jehangir Art Gallery

The modern and the best art gallery of the city stands just across Kala Ghoda. From time to time, outstanding works of art are exhibited here.


Nariman Point

It was surrounded by water of the Arabian Sea until it was reclaimed to build a series of skyscrapers all over this plot. You will find Air India Building, Shipping Corporation of India etc. reaching high in the skies. It is mini Manhattan of four sq. km.


Central Library

This exquisite building was once the cities Town Hall. Today it houses the central and Asiatic libraries with a collection rich in old manuscripts and old books .

Rajabai Clock Tower

It is the one of the most outstanding landmarks of Mumbai. The tower was famous banker and merchant of the 19th century, the late Seth Premchand Raichand as a Memorial to his beloved mother Rajabai Designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, it is a mixture of Gothic and early ornamental French style. The tower is 260 feet high.

Overseas communication service

Very near to Flora Fountain, this massive structure of stone 250 feet high is a sixteen storied structure for overseas communication, modernized and electronically connected to the satellite at Pune. )

Crawford Market
Named after its founder Arthur Crawford, is Mumbai’s largest and best organized marketing center. Here you get anything from flowers and fruits to fowl and fishes. It is now renamed after the Social Worker Mahatma Jyotiba Phule .

Bombay High Court

It was built in 1874, with fine stone carvings and arcaded verandahs.

Sachivalaya

Built in style, this building houses the offices of Government of Maharashtra.

Marine Drive
Marine Drive is one of Mumbai’s favourite evening resorts. The drive is now called Netaji Subhash Road. It is very refreshing to be here at Marine Drive, flanked by a wide promenade on the west and a long line of luxurious residential buildings on the East. As the night falls, the entire Marine Drive gets lit up. And when the lights are on, the entire road gleams like the ‘Queen’s Necklace’.

Taraporewala Aquarium

This small yet interesting aquarium is on Marine Drive. It has a fascinating collection of fish and aquatic plants. The tanks seem to be literally framed and look like pictures formed in masonite partitions. These arrangements are novel to this country, being modeled on the system followed in the leading aquaria of America for exhibition of miniature forms of sea-life which would otherwise be lost in the large tanks in the main section of the aquarium beyond. Apart from fish, the small tanks display such invertebrate forms of life as corals, worms, coelenterates(sea-flowers) and sea horses which occur in waters.

Mint

The mint occupies an area of 60,000 sq. yards reclaimed from the sea in 1823 extending upto Ballard Road.

Hanging Gardens

This terrace garden built in 1880 is planned on top of 3 reservoirs which store 30 million gallons of water, cleaned and chlorinated for supply through taps. Invariably from this hill-top you always get an enchanting sunset in all its glories .

Kamala Nehru Park

On the crest of Malabar Hill, is the beautiful Kamala Nehru Park. Here none can afford to miss gigantic Old Lady’s Shoe.



Tower of silence

At this place the last rites of the Parsee Community are performed. The bodies of Parsees are offered to vultures specially preserved. Non-Parsees are not allowed in the Tower of Silence.



Haji Ali
This mausoleum built in memory of Muslim saint, is out at sea. During the low tide it is approachable by a narrow causeway.





Babulnath Temple

It is a fine specimen of Indian culture built in 1780. It is shiva Temple.



Mahalaxmi Temple
Mahalaxmi or the Goddess of Wealth attracts large crowd daily. Its highlight is the shrine of Goddess Durga who is represented as partly riding a tiger and partly on the back of a demon.





Mani Bhavan

This historic bhavan is situated at 19, Laburnum Road at Gamdevi where “The Father of the Nation” Mahatma Gandhi used to reside. Now it is used as Gandhi museum and many personal articles belonging to Gandhiji are exhibited here.



Victoria Garden – Rani Baug

This is the only Zoo in Mumbai. It is now renamed as Jijamata Bhosale Udyan. It has various species of animal kingdom.



Sanjay Gandhi National Park

To the east of Borivli station a large green area is developed for the National Park. It is a pleasant weakened resort. Simiriti Mandir built on the top of the hill is the highlight of the park.There is a wooden concrete road from Aarey Milk Colony for the National Park.

Kanheri Caves

From Borivli station to the east a few minutes walk will bring you to Kanheri National Park. It is a pleasant holiday spot. The sculptures in the caves are some of the best in India and are tribute to mans ingenuity. There are in all 109 caves.





Shivaji Park And Shivaji Rang Mandir

This vast stretch of open park in Dadar has its own historical importance. A beautiful statue of Shivaji on a horse back adores the park. There is a play house attached to the park where a number of dramas specially Marathi are often staged.



Aarey Milk Colony

It is the home of the government milk supply system.where the milk is obtained processed, bottled and distributed. There is a light refreshment restaurant managed by the state government. From Goregoan station buses are available. Direct bus service is now available between Opera House and Aarey.



World Trade Center

This complex directed by the government of India is intended to promote Indian industries in international trade. It consists of several beautifully designed shops and offices housed in a building which itself is a good example of modern Indian architecture with the finest interior décor.

Nehru Planetarium



At Worli, this attraction presents sky-gazing programmes and astronomy shows in four languages and draws public from all over the country and abroad. There are three shows everyday.



Vajreshwari Warm Springs

The Vajreshwari temple is surrounded by fortification almost resembling Bassein fort.

This temple with its fort was built by Chimmaji Appa. The warm springs are nearly a mile from the temple. There are 21 springs in all, located in different spots. The spring water is known to be rich in sulphur and has remarkable therapeutic properties for treatment of rheumatism and skin diseases.

Elephanta caves

Elephanta is one of the most picturesque of the little islands in the harbour, about 7 miles north-east of Apollo Bunder. It is famous for the enormous carvings in its rock-cut temples. A Harbour Ferry Service is run by the Maharashtra Tourist Bureau to the Elephanta from Gateway of India.





Vihar And Powai Lake

Situated just 20 miles from Mumbai, this lake district is an ideal excursion spot in Mumbai. Vihar lake covers an area of 1400 acres and extends to a two mile stretch. There is a beautifully designed park by the side of the lake. There are picnic spots, shady grooves, lover’s nooks and such beauty spots which make the visit to this resort a must, not only to the tourist but also to the residents of the city.

Tansa Lake

Only 50 miles away from Mumbai is Tansa Lake. The main source of water supply for the city of Mumbai. It has a capacity to store 3 million gallons of water. It supplies 300,000 gallons of water everyday to Mumbai through specially laid pipelines. It is a pleasant place for a day long excursion.

Bassein Fort

The Portuguese made a city state of Bassein with a strong outer rampart walls which even today in a fair state of preservation.

Juhu Beach

With its attractive swimming facilities and the silver sands of the beach, Juhu is one of the fashionable holiday resorts of Mumbai. There are a number of hotels here and snacks are available on daily rents.



Chowpatty

This sandy pleasant shore is a favourite promenade for Mumbai public. Statues of two great Statesman Lokmanya Tilak and Vallabhai Patel and as a guardians of democracy in the sand. It is famous for its Bhel Puri, Kulfi and Pan.





Esselworld And Fantasyland

These hi-tech amusement parks, a recent attraction in Mumbai for fun. Situated in north-western suburbs, the Esselworld is off Malad-Marve Road, and Fantasy Land is accessible from the Western Express highway at Jogeshwari.

Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station

Popularly known as Bori Bunder, this massive Italian Gothic style building was built in 1888. It is one of the biggest railway terminus of the East. It is the terminus or the last stop or the starting of the central railway trains.



Gowalia Tank

August Kranti Maidan. This park got its name for the passing of resolution of the Quit India Movement. A statue stands in the middle of the Maidan commemorating the 1942 struggle.



Muncipal Corporation Building
Built in 1893,designed by T.W.Stevels, this building creates a very serene effect on the spectator with its domes and 225 ft.high tower. It is just opposite to the statue of Sir Pherozsha Mehta.