""Bombay meri Jaan" This is Bombay - My Love" Bombay Island by Ranjit662

Probably no other lines can truly epitomize a city as the lyrics of a classic 1950's Bollywood movie where

Aae Dil hai mushkil jeena yehain,

Jara hatke, Jara Bachke,

Yehain, Bombay meri Jaan

(Oh love, It is a such a struggle to live here,

A little different , A little Careful,

This is Bombay my Love !)

Well Bombay itself epitomizes a struggle for the vast multitudes of the people who inhabit it since the early days the Portuguese colonized, the tiny group of islands, that are now all conjoined to form the land mass of the city as it is today. The Portuguese later gave these group of islands to the British as a dowry in a wedding between the the two royal ruling families then, in their countries.

Bombay is what the British called it and the name was derived by conjoining two English words (so much like the islands that forms the megalopolis) Bon Bay- Good Harbour.

Yes, ever since then the city was called Bombay but now called Mumbai (thats another story) has been a good harbour, not just for ships but for men from all over the Asian continent who had either a hole in the belly or fire in the belly or big big dreams . Mumbai is derived from the name of a ancient goddess Mumadevi-whose temple exist till today. And to these many many migrants who over all these years and even today throng here the journey is drawn by hunger, hope, escape, dreams, fortune, or salvation.

Yes Mumbai does make huge life changing promises but it sucks away so much from the soul- making the residents dependent , hooked to its " vile" charms and is thus reviled and loved at the same time.

Majboori ka naam Bambai !

Helplessness ! Thy name is Bombay.

Thus the city is ever vibrant, ever growing , ever renewing and ever dying all at the same time. It can do so since, like a vampire the city draws on the fresh blood that is fed by the thousands that come to it with hope.

And this Hope is what gives this city also a really throbbing Heart !!! It also gives it a vibrancy and drive that many an affluent cities may not possess.

Bom Bom ba, Bom, Bombay Meri Hai, ( is mine)

Bom Bom ba Bom, Bombay Meri Hai, (is mine)

Come to Bombay , Come to Bombay ,

Bombay meri Hai !!! (in mine )

I am afraid I don't remember the beginning stanza of this song but if you meet me in this city I will remember and sing it for you !!!

Frankie Frankly !

I think the Food people eat characterizes them as nothing else.

And so Mumbai food is as the people are- spicy, tangy, fast, potpourri, like the bhelpuri and panipuri, cool and soothing as the dhai wada or the Kulfi , sweet and sticky as the Jaleebii, simple as the wadapav and refreshing as the kalahatta or for the health conscious the narial pani. or simply wholesome like the Frankie* ( registered brand and endemic to Mumbai )

It will be rather difficult to describe this typical fare- it might be easier to fly to Bombay and go to Chowpatty Beach to sample it !

I will be posting the snaps later so watch this space.

Shivaji Park Maidan ( Ground)

India's Cricketing capital has been Mumbai- the greats Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and since the last decade and more Sachin Tendulkar have all be baptized at the Shivaji Park Ground.

So one can see young school and college aspiring Indian test cricketers all sweating it out in the Mumbai humid sun.