Anything is possible in India. I have been writing about the Chaos theory and the traffic but then i came across the traffic on the newly constructed bypass bridge in Mumbai. Looking at the picture it is hard to believe it is India....as I said everything is possible in India, even the lanes and cars following the lanes .
During morning excursion to the Elelphanta caves I saw all my childhood favorite fruits in one basket. This is all poor man's fruits and used to be sort of a no no while we were growing and there for I loved these fruits. Too bad my stomach does not allow experimenting with them on the day of Mahayatra back.
Gateway of India is on the southern tip of Mumbai and a gateway to the ocean path ( Arabian sea) to Europe and beyond. It was constructed in 1911 to welcome the queen Mary and King George VI. It is where we took the ferry to the Elephanta caves
Taj hotel was constructed few years before the Gateway of India and is still one of the landmark and five star beauty. Recently it has been in the news due to the shootings by the kid from Chicago. This area of Mumbai is filled with tourists and has big squares, old British style ( Hence European style) buildings built during the time of English rule and in general is a good tourist hangout. Nice restaurants and trendy shops.
We took the boat from here to Elephanta caves , built on an island one hour boat ride away ( 40 km). Ritu and Rhea came along. Ritu is 37 years old, born and brought up in Mumbai and had not seen the caves before and neither had Rhea. The caves and the sculptures there were built from 2nd century BC onwards and a carved in a mountain. The carvings are mostly of God Shiva and tell the stories of his life. It is interesting to see that 3000 years ago, people not only found this island but ventured there to build these amazing temples and caves. The sculptures of women even in those times looked lot more liberated even by today's standards. The path to the caves and the caves themselves are clean and well worth a day's of half day's trip. It is a WORLD HERITAGE SITE now ( may be that's why it is so well maintained now)
One example of the statues inside the caves. There were scenes of Shiva's life but it was dark and the pictures did not come out nicely. This statue shows three moods of Shiva.
Monkeys are every where in India true to the Indian philosophy of live and let live. In this case, they were very interested in eating the new flowers of the Palash tree.
After coming back from the caves , we had lunch in a very trendy restaurant , where most of who's who and the "foreigners" gather and this is where the shooting also took place. We witnessed the bullet holes as well as restaurant packed with tourists ( as it was on the day of shooting)
Haji Ali Dargah is one of India’s most famous and prestigious landmarks situated about 500 yards from the Mumbai shoreline in the middle of the Arabian Sea off Lala Lajpatrai Marg. The structure was erected on a set of high rising rocks and was given its present day shape in 1916. We decided to visit this famous landmark that no one in our family ( living here for last 60 years have bothered to visit). It is beautiful inside as well as outside and is filled with people asking God for different things. There were beggars lined up...no different for many other Hindu Temple. The location itself is beatutiful
We witnessed a good example of brain washed child when Rhea ( 11 years old) kept saying she is scared and does not feel good about going there without even knowing why she was feeling that way. I gently, tactfully and slowly talked her out of her fear ( at least temp) and in the end she even went in the Mosque and asked for something secret :) I hope she realized that the people going there were no different from her...
So, the Mahayatra started with a Mosque and ends with the Mosque without even planning that way. We fly out of India tonight and get HOME in 24 hours. I am counting on all of your good wishes to get us home safely.
This has been a long journey full of all sorts of wonders and excitements. I am very fortunate to have friends and family in India and in Dubai who made this Yatra such a pleasure and I really have no words to thank them. I will miss them but am looking forward to welcoming them in my home in California. ..good night and happy journey...saroj
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