Walking Around Matunga

Nature’s Paradise

Growing up in Matunga I was fortunate to be in midst of nature in all its glory. Right in our building compound we still have so many trees in all sizes and shape. There is the short but ever flowering “tagar” more a shrub than a tree, with its short branches and deep green leaves and bright white flowers .The color combination so beautiful and the flowers so delicate and pure. Even to day I pluck them and offer them to the gods placed in our small but serene mandir at home. I remember “Patti” my Tamilian friend’s Sriram’s grand mother always smiling and dressed in traditional cotton saree , every morning plucking these very same white flowers and making small garlands and offering to the gods in their home . Though short in stature she would bend the small branches till she could pluck those tagar flowers and every once in a while if we were around she would ask us to help her pluck more flowers if their were some special occasion in their home like Pongal or Satynaryana , mini trees. 

You could see deep red Hibiscus (Jaswand ) flowers hanging from the branches. The bright red flowers were plucked to be offered to Ganesha as they are supposed to be his favourite after the sweet Prasad of Modak and the durva (grass).

Do you know the story behind the offering of durva it is said many many years ago a demon was born out of  a love relation between the great Yamraj and a dancer he fell in love with. This demon was known as Analasura. He was the most fierce and menacing demon who had red eyes oozing fire and would destroy any one who came across his path. He started harassing the gods and holy men . The gods then appealed to Ganesha to help them. Ganesha took the form of a small child Bal Ganesha and went to vanquish Analasura. Finding the small Bal Ganesha , Analasura , laughed and threatened Bal Ganesha that he would swallow him . But instead Bal Ganesha appeared in his huge incarnation and gulped Analasura. But as soon as he did this Ganesha fell down on the ground clutching his tummy as the heat from Analusara was unbearable. He became restless and started rolling in pain. All the gods became worried , Indra offered the Shital (cool) moon to Ganesha to put on his head but it did not help , Lord Vishnu offered him the Lotus flower , but this too did not help, Lord Shiva removed his Cobra and tied it around the belly of Ganesha , but this to did not help finally some sages made bunches of 21 durva’s ( tips of grass) and put them on Ganesha’s head. And magically all  the burning sensation was gone and Ganesha felt better. From that day onwards Lord Ganesha said since the lowly grass could help subside the burning and made him alright , anyone who offered Ganesha the durva with devotion would be blessed and get Punya of a 1000 puja’s or equivalent of visiting all the religious places on earth………..

From the same earth in our compound we saw the great big Mango tree rise above our small building . It was a 3 storied building before it was redeveloped into a 7 floored tower. From the terrace of this 3 storied building we used to pluck the green raw mangoes (Kairee) during the summers in the most ingenious ways. We used to take an old badminton racquet remove the strings , fix a small knife at the base of the elliptical ring , tie a plastic bag to the ring and finally tie this racquet to a long wooden pole and then pull at the kairee. The kairee would be perfectly caught in the plastic bag. The loot was then equally distributed among the friends. And the raw mango or the kairee would be washed and then eaten with sprinkling of salt and lal mirch. What fun that was.

Then there was a great big Peepal tree right across the compound in the neighbouring building. It was host to great bunch of Sparrows. Yes those small but sweet birds who made the chirping sound so sweet to hear. Early in the morning all these Sparrows would make a whole lot of noise and we would come to know that the Sun has risen in the sky. There was never a need for an alarm clock. And to think we are now talking of Sparrow conservation as they are vanishing from Mumbai. We grew up hearing their melodious chirppings. Some other birds which can still be sighted in Matunga are the Salunkhi or the Indian Mynah , a small brown coloured bird with a bright yellow beak and a melodies voice . Found perched on the nearby trees or simpley hopping around on the ground pecking at the bit and pieces of food on the ground. If we are talking about Mynah how can we forget the traditional rhyming Jodi of Raaghu Mynah. Yes Raaghu meaning the green and vibrant Parrot with a eye catching color combination of red beak and green lean body looking so royal sitting on a branch or alive and sprightly when flying in flocks across the evening sky. You can find these parrots in droves on the trees in the Five Garden just behind from where I live.

If you happen to walk around the Five Gardens during late May or just before the monsoons in June , the fiery red Gulmohars are sure to catch your eye. These tall brown trees line the Five Gardens all across its perimeter and are in full bloom with the red and orange flowers . If you look at them from far it looks like as if trees are on fire with flames erupting from their tops in hues of bright crimson red’s and flaming orange’s. The same is the case if you walk thorough the Hindu colony by-lanes. It gives a wonderful feeling walking thorough these by-lanes away from the scorching sun during hot summer afternoons , with pavements lined with the fallen Gulmohar flowers. Then there is the Pangara trees or the Indian Coral tree with their spindly leaves ,prickles and unique “Shenga” or long dark brown pods filled with maroon seeds . On these perched are the reverse hanging bats in hordes all across the stretch from Five gardens to the VJTI Engineering College , turning Matunga into Gotham City at nights with bats flying across the night sky looking scary in the moonlight above.

Then again these bats blend in like the new tall towers mixing in with the old heritage building in the Parsi Colony. Walk the by lanes here and your nostrils will be filled with the sweet smell of the Jasmines (Chaffa) in various colours, white with tinge of yellow or pink , in small or big sizes . The flowers falling down and  covering the pavement near the Dadar TT circle.

To sum it up I would like to recite the famous lines written by Sufi Poet Aamir Khusro for Kashmir

“Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast,Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast”  It means “ If there is a paradise on earth it is this , it is this , it is this“

I would like to rephrase it as “if there is a natures paradise in Mumbai then it is in Matunga , it is Matunga ………it is in Matunga “