Rickshaw!!!

Here i go again... continuing my fascination about Mumbai..

To quote Javed Jafferey's rap about mumbai...." Mumbai such a lovely place where you survive if you got the pace". So it makes me think and wonder who has the pace in mumbai....
AND i think Mumbaites will agree with me here ............... the only one who rules the pace lane in mumbai are the auto risckshawala's ... what say...

These are super human beings living in plain sight without getting noticed...they have the power to race you through traffics at amazing speed and to create traffic jams with equivalent ease.
what can stop these monsters .. potholes??? naah ... speed breakers ??? naahh.... cops ??? no.. they are simply unstoppable. Unstoppable and hard to get.

Although the population is ever increasing for the rickshawala's they are pretty hard to hire.. take my word for it. My day begins with searching for an auto to my office, in fact seeking one and begging them to let me hire them is more like it..

the disgusted look on their face when you ask them " boss (destination) chalega" makes you feel like buddy ..... you have crossed the limit how in hell did u think u could ask me that question.

And on the top of it he wont even reply your query.. it would just be a plain grunt (no) or a nod suggesting u better get in before i change my mind...

Sometimes i wonder if my good freind Sameer Ansari had a very accurate reading of this behaviour... his theory suggested

All the autowala's are millionaires and they drive around only for the fun of it, cos any time u ask them they refuse, they don't mind travelling empty for great distances or staying put till the time they have an consensus on the destination. They dont drive for a livelihood ... its the kick they derive out of it... that keeps them ticking

Yeah that's the autowala's of mumbai for u..... whichever ways one cant even think about not having them around.... as they have formed an integral part of our lives.

"Can't live with them, can't live without them"

Salaam Mumbai

Thought for a long while about what do I write about... sala kya likhu kuch samajh nahi aa raha tha..Then I thought maa ki ankh dur kyon jaane ka, I will write about my city….. Mumbai the city I love... in fact the city that everyone loves............

The city has many unique attributes a few of them are

The aroma of road side food mixed with smog from the traffic is a delight that can only be experienced here.

Potholes the size of craters… inspite of the civil works going on for eons..


as they say “ Bambai main sadak ki khudia to 12 mahine 24 ghante chalti hai mere bhai”… a fact that we all have comfortably adjusted to.

A very pleasant mix of architecture.. from the traditional architectural wonders like the CST, the Gateway of India and many others.. a chapter of history attached to each of them to the modern marvels of architectures. Huge commercial complexes.. tall sky scrappers are all evident of the global power that Mumbai is.

The staple diet of the average mumbaite … undisputedly “ aamcha vada pav” a gift from the lower strata of the society who couldn’t afford a complete meal.

The very well knitted public transport services…. The BEST buses and the Local trains are the life line of Mumbai.

Bollywood…………… Filmi sitaron ka ghar…. The Bacchans, the Khans all hail from the Great city. Some of the biggest film studios are over here… and even the theatre finds its place in the heart of Mumbai.

Above all the “never say die” attitude that this city throws on your face.

God knows what it is but we love our city right…………

Mumbai…… a potent mix of power, riches, opportunities and great lifestyle.

To sum up Mumbai -----
Local Trains / BEST Buses / Traffic Jams / Mumbaiya Basha / bollywood ...are things that one relates to the city of opportunities to, and more recently the sea link.Wow ... just thinking about a few words to describe the city and one has to rack his brain ... I mean how best can you describe Mumbai... say let’s just jot down a few


History

Received as a dowry by the British King Charles from the Portuguese in the 16th century set the pace for Mumbai’s upstream journey to be one of the best cities around. The ascent of Mumbai can be attributed to the fact that it’s a very good port and all the international trades at that time took place via the sea which made Mumbai a very important part of the Portugal strong hold. The Portuguese named it “Bom baia” which when translated means good port hence, the word “BOMBAY”. The locals always called it as Mumbai after the local Goddess Mumba devi.

Wealth
Enough emphasis can never be put upon the fact that we live in one of the world’s financial HUB.
Mumbai has always been the financial capital of India and for a damn good reason. It is one of the biggest and the busiest cities in India. Housing the BSE and the NSE, the Reserve Bank Of India, Some of the India’s and the world’s largest business houses and MNC’s. Even the major jholar’s are from Mumbai….. jhols amounting to thousands of crores have found there origination / execution in MUMBAI.

Cultural wealth
Home to 16 million Indians and one of India's most cosmopolitan cities.
One can find religious worship places at almost every corner, nook and gully.The famous temples, church and mosques are a testament to the very strong mix of cultures in mumbai... temples like the Siddhi Vinayak, Mahalaxmi Mandir, Babulnath etc., also the Haji Ali Dargah which is a marvel in itself, the Mt. Mary Church, all speak volumes about the one thing which hold all Mumbaites together ... that we are a highly cosmopolitan society and that equal opportunities are provided to all. Caste no bar creed no bar sex no bar…. Is something I learnt in school (CIVICS) and is perfectly displayed in Mumbai.

Much more is to be explored and written about my Mumbai…. Time permitting and passion continuing will be adding more to this……

**image courtesy google

My Blog

The age old cliche....a picture speaks a thousand words:-)

I plan to dedicate this blog to things which surround us but do not effect our lives in any way.

this is my 1st blog and i sincerely hope i don't disappoint myself.

Absit Invidia