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    • TravelerIndia - a journey to me
      Day 6

      Banganga

      January 11 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      Banganga. An incredibly spiritual place in the Malabar Hills area of Mumbai. Veranasi in miniature perhaps. The Banganga Water Tank forms part of the Hindu Walkeshwar Temple complex; single room dwellings surrounded on all sides by brand spanking new high rise hotels. People live their lives outside - get their haircut, eat, sleep, gather, pray.

      We sat on the steps by the water to draw along with children playing, families praying, inquisitive geese and the odd rat! Despite the heat it was an incredible experience. A sense of calm amongst the brouhaha of humanity.

      A temple lunch - banana leaves and fingers. A fascinating visit to the laundry where the absence of women was noticeable. A mountain of clothes and no obvious system. I don’t know how it works but it does. And a meet up with an old friend. I still can’t draw - but that’s for another day.      Read more

    • RTW Redux ... 2023
      21
      Day 141

      Mumbai Day 2: Hare Krishna Temple

      May 1, 2023 in India ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

      From the market, we drove to our final sightseeing stop — the Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple in Chowpatty. This is a Hare Krishna temple. The website describes it as being “… dedicated to the practice of bhakti-yoga or loving service to Krishna, the Supreme Person (God).”

      The temple is modeled after those that were built by wealthy landlords and kings from Rajasthan. The sandstone exterior is beautifully carved and looks like lace from a distance. I read on the temple’s website that the artisans used pneumatic drills to carve the sandstone, which was brought from Rajasthan.

      Entering the courtyard, Husaina directed us to the chairs where we removed our shoes and made our way upstairs to the first floor. We entered the hall to find it filled with people seated on the floor, listening to a sermon … if that is the right word. Unfortunately, because of this, we were only allowed to go in one door, follow a path along the edge of the room, and exit through another door to return to the courtyard.

      We wrapped up our tour with lunch at Kala Ghoda Café. The menu was simple … the food delicious. Mui and I shared a cheese pizza with basil and a chicken sandwich with lime chutney. The wine bar was closed — a sign proclaiming today a “Dry Day” — thus we ordered mango iced teas to go with our food. We wrapped up with a mango dessert served on a ginger biscuit topped with a delicious crema … the crowning touch to our meal.

      Having been on the go all morning, we all enjoyed sitting around the table — some drinking coffee — and just chatting for a while. Eventually, though, we had to leave for the drive back to the port.

      With all aboard at 4:00p, we didn’t want to risk Mumbai’s infamous traffic delays. There was also the infamous formalities to contend with in order to re-enter the port. Thus, when organizing the tour, I had requested a fairly early return to the ship.

      By 2:00p, we were bidding Husaina farewell and making our way to the ship.

      A bit of time to rest before our 4:30p sailaway, which we enjoyed from our veranda. A quick dinner at the Terrace Café and we were ready to call it a night.      Read more

    • Indien 🌿🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️🐘
      2
      Day 2

      19.01. Mumbai city

      January 19 in India ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

      Nacht war kurz mit 3h, fürs Frühstück aufstehen hat sich aber gelohnt: Buffet auf der Dachterasse mit Flötenmusik live und einer Fußmassage (warum auch immer 😄).

      Für Orga in der Stadt unterwegs: laut und sehr wuselig, verträumt durch die Gegend schlendern wäre nicht zu empfehlen.

      Meine erste Kokosnuss wurde mir von bettelnden Kindern aus der Hand “genommen”.
      Gibt auch ein paar Tauben hier 🙈 wow!
      Learning des Tages: Kopf wackeln heißt “ja” und grüne Fußgängerampeln haben keine Bedeutung      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerJanuary 2023
      1
      Day 42

      Parsi Sky Burials

      January 31, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

      Surely you know the word “incarnation,” but did you know that “excarnation” is a word, too?

      Read on!

      Also, see that pink building? There’s an interesting reason why so many birds are soaring nearby.

      In 1931, Mumbai’s Parsi population, Iranian immigrants who practice the Zoroastrian religion, erected that pink building. It’s called a “Dakhma,” meaning “Tower of Silence.”

      Inside the Tower of Silence, there is a chute leading to a private beach. The Parsi people send their dead down that chute so that scavenging birds can eat the bodies at this excarnation site.

      For many decades, there were plenty of vultures to complete this task. Sadly, since the late 1990s, the birds are extinct in this region.

      As always, there’s some debate as to why the vultures are gone. A likely reason is that the birds died from painkillers in the corpses which are toxic to them. The pain killers came on the market just as the vultures began to decline.

      Our guide, who is with the official Mumbai tourist office, didn’t want to talk much about it, so I didn’t press her, but I’ve read about the issue before our trip.

      These days, there are ravens and kites still swarming over the Tower of Silence, but they are not as efficient as vultures.

      It can now take a couple months for the bodies to fully decompose here, alas. These remains are not easily visible, though, and only Parsis are allowed to visit the excarnation site.

      To make up for the lack of vultures, solar panels have been added to the area. They add heat to the decaying bodies, which hastens the excarnation process.

      So why do the Parsis prefer these “sky burials” over traditional burials?

      To Parsi people, the earth and its waterways are sacred. Letting vultures dispose of their dead keeps them from polluting the earth with a corpse.

      It’s an interesting practice, isn’t it? If it weren’t for the vulture/painkiller conundrum, it seems like a good idea for those who want a green burial.      Read more

    • RTW Redux ... 2023
      2
      Day 141

      Mumbai Day 2: Banganga Temple Tank Area

      May 1, 2023 in India ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

      The same group from yesterday … and once again we joined Husaina for a tour around Mumbai. Our first destination … a Hindu neighborhood in Malabar Hill.

      This footprint is Part I of our visit … it tells the story of the Banganga Temple Tank Area and focuses on the temples and the tank.

      Banganga is a temple tank that is still in use today. A heritage structure of national and historic significance, it is part of the Walkeshwar Temple complex. Originally built in 1127, the tank was rebuilt in the 18th century. Although its heritage status prevents redevelopment, recent construction work has reinforced the concrete structure.

      Rectangular in shape, the tank is fed by a fresh-water spring. Legend would have us believe that it sprang forth at the spot where Rama — the exiled hero of the Hindu epic, Ramayana — stopped during his search for his kidnapped wife. Wikipedia explains further …

      “As the legend goes, overcome with fatigue and thirst, Rama asked his brother Lakshmana to bring him some water. Lakshmana instantly shot an arrow into the ground, and water gushed forth from the ground, creating a tributary of the Ganges, which flows over a thousand miles away – hence its name, Banganga, ie the Ganga created by a baan (arrow).”

      The area became a place of pilgrimage … which explains the 100+ temples in the immediate vicinity. Husaina took us to a couple of different ones as we wandered the narrow streets of the neighborhood. She also explained that these streets — lined with temples, homes, and dharamsalas — religious rest houses — form the parikrama … a holy route around the tank that the Hindus believe affords purification to the true believer.

      Unfortunately, as I later read, the water in the tank has become quite polluted. Not surprising, considering its many uses. Kids, for example, play on the steps leading down to it … we saw a number of them swimming; locals come to worship … some of the rituals requiring things to be thrown into the water. We didn’t see anyone doing this, but there were people on the steps preparing offerings.      Read more

    • Sonia Gelman2023 Adventure ATW
      Day 108

      Mumbai, India. Day 2

      May 1, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

      Our second day in Mumbai started at 6:00am. By 7:45am we were out of the ship, thru terminal, met our tour guide and in the van.
      Today is a National Holiday, so the traffic was pretty light. Lots of people on the streets. Motorcycle with 3-4 people on.
      It is crazy. It is a city on steroids.
      We went to see some Hindu temples, walked where old Portuguese houses still standing, observed everyday life of people.
      We also went to a spice market. The smell was fantastic. We saw different peppers from mild to extra hot, how they roasted them. How they grind coriander for curry’s. Each family has their own curry recipe.
      We stopped at a very nice cafe for lunch.
      Overall it was a wonderful day. A good tour guide makes it all very interesting.      Read more

    • RTW Redux ... 2023
      Day 141

      Mumbai Day 2: Banganga … Part II

      May 1, 2023 in India ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

      (Part I of our visit to the Banganga Temple Tank Area is at this link. It covers the temples we visited.)

      I’m not sure if we followed the exact route of the parikrama — a holy route around the tank that the Hindus believe affords purification to the true believer. But we did get to see the colorful local life on the streets around the Banganga Tank.

      Our steps also took us by the Banganga dhobi ghat — an open-air laundromat if you will. One where all the work is done by hand … by washermen known as dhobis. This one was on a smaller scale than the Mahalaxmi dhobi ghat we visited in 2017 … the largest in the city, dating back to 1890.

      Our stroll around the Banganga Tank Area was just as fascinating as yesterday’s visit to Dharavi (https://findpenguins.com/8pccjefaitoru/footprin…). Once again, we saw a side of the city that few tourists seem to experience. At least that is my impression since we saw very few tourists during this morning’s visit.      Read more

    • Travel with CarlEurope Self Recalibration
      Day 3

      Ghandi, Laundry and my Guide

      July 20 in India ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

      I’d booked the first driver I came across on Get my Guide and hadn’t really paid much attention to what the tour was. The morning of my tour I had 2 different drivers sending me WhatsApp messages about them being my guide. I ended up getting in the car with Fateh who turned up first at the time I actually wanted to leave. What was I taught about getting in cars with strangers….

      Anyway, Fateh asked if I had a list of places I wanted to go. I said no, you’ve got 5 hours show me the best of Mumbai. At first I wasn’t sure if he had got the brief right as we stopped at a laundry… sure it was the biggest outdoor hand wash laundry in Mumbai and all but ummm… yeah. Fortunately it picked up from there.

      Next stop was a Gandhi house which was ok. I wasn’t in a reading mood but got the gist through the miniature models. His advice was “go in and look, take pictures and the read about it online later when you have time.” It’s like he knows me already.

      Went to a few other major sites after that which scored their own footprint before heading back to the hotel. He asked if I minded paying for the toll road to halve the drive time. For $2 equivalent it as an unequivocal yes from me. Alas some of the toll roads are closed on weekends - random.

      On the way we drove along marine drive, home to the mansion of *insert name here of rich guy I don’t know*’s daughter and then 20mins later past slums. India hey. Fateh wanted to do a reel so he cranked up some Bollywood on the radio and did a wave. #wheninrome

      A nice little outing seeing the major sites of Mumbai.      Read more

    • TravelerJanuary 2023
      Day 42

      Krishna Temple

      January 31, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

      One of my favorite restaurants in Dallas is in a Krishna temple, and I swear they have the same statue of Lord Krishna as the one we saw today in Mumbai!

      At the entrance, there was a sign to remove our shoes. When we reached the patio, a group of lovely ladies asked to take my photo, so I took theirs in return.Read more

    • TravelerJanuary 2023
      Day 42

      Sacred Cows

      January 31, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

      In Hinduism, there is a goddess named Bhoomi, and she is often depicted as a cow.
      Bhoomi represents Mother Earth, and is revered for her strength and gentle nature.

      There is even a festival called “Mattupongal” that honors cows for their service to mankind.

      Take all these things together, and you have the reason why Hindis let cows have the run of the place! (I’m sure there’s much more to it, but that’s what I gleaned from our guides, so far. I’m learning as I go.)

      At one point, Larry and I encountered a cow on a sidewalk in Mumbai. When I tried to pass by her head, she just looked at me and would not budge! We passed behind her instead, while she placidly chewed her cud.

      Since Mumbai’s a big city, there aren’t a lot of places for cows to graze. We often saw people sitting in the street next to a cow, offering them food and water they had brought with them.

      In Goa, on the other hand, cows have plenty of grass to munch on. We even saw cows lounging in the grassy median of a busy road.

      As we laughed about this, our cab driver, Nelson, told us that sometimes a cow will decide to sleep in the middle of the road, “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

      “Does anyone eat these cows?” Larry asked.

      “Oh, no, not those,” Nelson told us. “But I’m Catholic, so I eat beef.”      Read more

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