Walking Around Matunga

Long Walk Home

Just to let you into a simple perspective a good place to live ones life is a place where you have great  community support and a secure & harmonious atmosphere. Matunga is well ranked in both of this.

Live example being the NGO’s operating in Matunga . If you walk towards King Circle in one of its by lanes near Bhaudaji road is the Shradhanand Mahila Ashram. A NGO with vision of “To help Create a world free of  destitute women and children”

This Hindu Women's Welfare Society was started in the year 1927 in memory of Swami Shraddhanandji(Munshiram).He was disciple of Maharshi Dayanand,the founder of Arya Samaj in 1875.    Swami Shraddhanand felt the need to have shelter for Hindu women who faced problems due to social,cultural circumstances prevailing at that time and he expressed this to his contemporaries, Shri B.G. Kher, Barrister Jaykar, Shri R.D.Birla and Shri V.L.Napoo,etc. They established the Ashram & within 2 years many women sought shelter in this.Currently it is working with 180 orphans of aged 0-18 in balgruha and also run a shelter for women.

The Ashram is a Home for needy children including court committed ones. It Provides education, training in home making, tailoring and embroidery. The organization runs a Special Care Center for abandoned babies and children are given in adoption. Girls stay till they are self supportive or married. The organization also arranges marriages at the Ashram. What donation it collects from the donors they spend on Sponsorship  to the needy students from rural areas. They also run an Orphanage for boys aged between 0-5 years.

The boys are referred to other Ashram after attaining 6 years of age if not sent in adoption.

The Ashramkanyas from 6-18 years attend different schools in the neighborhood. They are also coached in many co-curricular activities such as music,dance and sports.They are taken for educational tours.In house competition are organized for them.Workshops in handicrafts,ceramic painting and mehandi are organized for them.

The Ashramkanyas are grouped in houses and housekeepers are there to supervise them.There are qualified social workers who nurture them and look after their educational & emotional needs.

The shelter and Balgruha are registered with the Commissioner of Women & Child Welfare Office,Pune,Maharashtra State.Grant-in-aid(Non-salary) is received from them. The Ashramkanyas above 18 years attend college,vocational courses.They are also married through the Ashram on receiving suitable proposals.Some of them undertake vocational courses and work outside.

The Ashram also run a women's hostel for the working women. And gives them a safe environment to live and work in Mumbai till they find an alternate accommodation on their own.

Just ahead is the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy home for the children . The Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Home for Children was founded by late Sir Rustom P. Masani and late Sir John Wardlaw-Milne in the year 1916. It is the oldest institution in the city of Mumbai devoted to the work of protection and care of destitute children, irrespective of caste, colour or creed. It started its work in 1917 with a small shelter at Grant Road. It was felt necessary to form a Society for the purpose of solving the problems of destitute children satisfactorily and thus The Society for the Protection of Children in Western India was founded.

Later it was shifted to its present premises at King's Circle, Matunga, Bombay in the year 1921. The Home was named after the late Hon'ble Mr Byramjee Jeejeebhoy, C.S.I, in 1916, after a donation of Rs. 50,000 was received from his grandson, late Rustomjee Byramjee Jeejeebhoy.

Most of the children admitted in the Home face a common problem: they are either parent less, unwanted in their own family, from broken families, lack care and protection or have irresponsible guardians. These factors cause them to take to street life which results in them either associating with bad elements or falling victims to adult criminals.

The home provides facilities for physical fitness, sports and games, recreational activities, outings, library, etc. Our children are encouraged to observe National days on all important religious festivals to foster a spirit of brotherhood, love and tolerance among children of different communities.

The main activities of this Home are to work for the overall welfare of children and  protest against exploitation of children. To provide home for the destitute children and to impart formal education in an ambient atmosphere.

One of its objectives is to take action for the enforcement of the existing laws for the protection of the children, and if necessary, to suggest new laws or amendment in the home. The society proposed legislation towards protection of children and as a result, the Bombay Children Act 1924 came in to being.

A true home for the marginalized children in the society, nurturing them and giving them wings to fly and rise up in the society.

As I walk back home , I am engulfed by the memories of the year gone by. A year back I started a walk around the neighborhood of Matunga , that quaint place between Dadar and Sion with its small town culture still intact . Clinging to the core values of inter –community peace and harmony. But also having a liberal outlook and the adaptability required to change with the times. I have been fortunate enough to stay in this magical place and grow up here enjoying all it has to offer. From the foodie joints in every nook and corner to the community centers , sports clubs to the chaotic market area , beautifully landscaped gardens to the secluded yet quiet by lanes . The night hot spots for those mid night hunger pangs to the highly regarded educational institutions. All crammed in this small yet magical place.

Over the last 1 year I have been reliving my childhood memories be it watching children play Lagori or Andhali Koshimbir (blind mans bluff) , visited the numerous restaurants famous for South Indian , Chinese and , Italian. Hogged on the lip smacking fast food on its streets. Enjoyed finding out newer joints that have spring up and spicing up the mundane life.

Hope you enjoyed the journey with me through my blogs….

Happy Reading……

Zindagi Ek Safar hai Suhana ……Yahan kal kya ho kisne janaa

Chand Taron se chal na hai aage ….Aasmano se badhna hai aage

Pichhe reh jayega ye zamana….. Yahan kal kya ho kisne janaa

Haste gate jahan se guzar …. Duniya ki tu parwa na kar

Muskurate hue din bitanaa… Yahan kal kya ho kisne janaa

Maut aani hai aayegi ek din.. Jaan jani hai jayegi ek din

Aesi baton se kya ghabarana … Yahan kal kya ho kisne janaa

Zindagi Ek Safar hai Suhana ……Yahan kal kya ho kisne janaa

Par is zindagi me ik baar Matunga zaroor aana…..

Walking Around Matunga

Big Fat Indian Weddings…

They say the knots are tied in heaven. And if you are the crazy mushy type like me you will also believe in the fact “For each person on this Earth there is a soulmate sent by the creator himself“. You need to find her / him and when you find that special person you will want to settle down in life and be with her / him for the rest of your life.

But before you can settle down in life you need to go through that biggest event called Marriage to start your new life. As Indians we like everything large so how can the weddings be not humongous and bigger than the biggest affair. After all for the guys its the end of their Singledom , end of the care free life and time to take on the responsibility of his sweet heart , his bride …the family. And enter the Grihastashram….For the ladies its about leaving ones safe heaven (her maika) and entering a new household which will be her home hence forth. To Party to banti hai na yaar….

Getting hitched is easy but getting married is tough . Ask the bride , the groom and the immediate family . So much preparations , functions and the food everything has to be just right. It all starts with the hunt for that exclusive wedding hall or banquet hall where the marriage is to be solemnized.

In that regard Matungaites are blessed with many options . For the affluent types you have the King George School Grounds or the Dadar Parsi Gymkhana. For the upper middle class you have the newly renovated Napoo Hall – Ramwadi ,The Gujrati Samaj Hall or the Bhagini Samaj Grounds and for the middle class you have the Palamkot Hall , the Andra School hall and the Wadala GSB Hall.

As they say “To each his own”. At the Dadar Parsi Gymkhana grounds the weddings are like big glamorous events. Orchid lined entrance gate and red carpet entry. Soft Music played over professional music system over huge speakers placed in the corners. Huge LED Displays showing live action on the stage or reeling away events leading up to the wedding like the mehndi or the Sangeets. You could catch the bride , groom and the whole family dancing away on the screens much to the amusement of the visitors. But the bride , groom and their family are enjoying and no one complaining.

The one complaint that everyone dreads is the complaint of the food being served in these weddings. Because after all the taam-jham all you remember about the wedding is the food you ate and the wide variety of options is the talking point years to come. To this regard the caterer you choose becomes the ultimate decision which make or mars the occasion.

At the Dadar Parsi Gymkhana this is managed by one of the specialist in this field M.D Caterers. On the big day the food court area is filled with live counters for Delhi and Indori chaats , Italian wood fired pizza’s Cheesy or Penne pasta. Mexican Taccos , Lebanese wraps and succulent Kebabs.

The main course is a lavish spread with Mughlai , Indian , Chinese and Continental fare. The dinner plate feels small when you want to taste the delicacies. You have to do multiple rounds of the food court area in order to completely enjoy the food.

Some counters like the chaat are always busy with all the ladies making a bee line for them to satisfy their cravings. Others like the Pizza or wraps are crowded with children and their fathers either loading their own plates or taking orders for their better halves. The Indian food counters are always a hit with elderly who are more frequented with the items on display and are sure of the tastes and quality. For the others there is a lot to explore.

The one thing that defines such weddings is the number of desserts made available. I still remember we had like 30 plus sweets kept by our caterer in the Sweet Khazana a sort of open box displaying the goodies. You had the malai sandwich , Rosogulla , Gulab Jamun , barfi’s , angoori rabdi …the list went on. I still find many relatives and close acquaintance’s vividly remembering the sweets and telling me and my wife that the Sweet Khazana was the real highlight o our wedding. And when I tell this to my Father-in-law he beams with pride at having organized the best wedding that is still remembered even after 10 plus years.

On a little less lavish scale you can have the wedding of your life at the Ram Wadi –Napoo AC Hall which is now used as banquet hall on split levels. The main function takes place in enclosed environment at their 1^st floor AC Hall where as the food is served on the ground floor . Here the you can select from 2-3 impaneled caterers depending on your budget. The Hall itself is recently renovated which looks great with professional decorations during the function. Wide enough to hold a guest list of 200 -300 people .

The food served here is more Indian Cuisine with little chaat and Chinese thrown in for variety . The traditional fare dished out can be , the all time favorite tawa bhaji with potatoes , egg plant (bhaingan) , cauliflower etc simmering in the oil on the edge of the tawa and fried and mixed with the masala to make a great dish. Then the most liked veg dishes served are the paneer tikka masala or paneer palak , yellow dal either dal fry or the tadka dal or if some thing rich is require people opt for dal makhni. To go with all this veg affair you have the variety of India bread or the tandoori rotis. The standard tandoori roti  ,the soft kulcha , seasame sprinkled naans al serve hot . The  sweet counter usually host the rabdi –jalebi or the hot gulab jamun with vanilla ice cream.

As guest you enjoy the food ,bless the couple , click some photos and move on . The couple and the immediate family stays on till the end soaking in the arclights of the photographers and the video graphers. Eats the last and finally leave the venue to go home. The bride bids fare well to her parents and immediate relatives and goes off with the groom to his home to start a new life. The bride’s parents leave with heavy heart to their empty nest lost in the thoughts of their cute little princess who grew up so fast.

Long after the wedding is over  the expenses are calculated while paying the bills of the various service providers , the caterer , the decorator , the marriage hall manager, the photographer / video grapher etc . As parents you think what was all this expense for ? But then again you think of all the smiles that it brought on your daughters face and it melts your heart.

After all you live once , you love once and marry also once…..

Walking Around Matunga

Medical Trusts in the vicinity.

Life in our city is getting more and more expensive. To quote the latest finding Mumbai is the ranked 17^th among the most expensive city to live in behind London at #1, New York at #2 and Hong Kong at #3. At #17 it is still ahead of well-developed cities like Berlin (Germany) and Johannesburg (South Africa). Not only is it becoming expensive in terms of cost of real estate (rental or purchased) but also in terms of cost of food, travel and medicines and in comparison to purchasing power parity (PPP). For e.g. what you get for 1 Rupee is far far less to what you can get for 1US Dollar. This means you need to spend much much more to get your basic necessities fulfilled in a city like Mumbai. And on top of that if you fall sick then you would end up spending even more to get back to normal. What with the trend of 5 start hospitals like Lilavati’s, 7 Hills and Kokilaben and the doctors charging a bomb even for just checking with consultation fees hovering around 1000 to 2000 per visit. This does not include the diagnostics tests or the medicines prescribed.

But all is not lost, you still have the vibrant charitable trust culture in our great city and more so in Matunga. Trusts set up by philanthropist communities like the Jains, Gujarati’s and GSB’s or charitable clubs like Lions and Rotary.

The oldest among these charitable medical centers is run by Lions Club near King Circle. Here you have Dr.Parikh the affable pathologist heading their laboratory facility and serving the patient referred to by the various specialist doctors and general practitioners (MBBS). They have great in-house facility for all the blood tests, urine tests, sputum and stool test required for proper diagnosis of the diseases that a patient may have contacted. He is well assisted by 2-3 interns who take the necessary samples, label them correctly for the required test. They also do the test along with him and then the reports are provided on neatly printed sheets. Over the years some of these interns after their training have succeeded in starting their own practice in the localities where they come from. This pathological Lab even has tie up with bigger Laboratories like Metropolis to whom they refer the samples for test which require specialized equipment’s.

Then there the visiting doctors and specialist who attend to patients in their allotted timings. You have Dr. Mrs.Ojha a leading general practitioner experienced for more than 30 years and attending to routine diagnosis of cough, cold, fever, nausea, diarrhea etc. Soothing the nerves with her clam demeanor and correct diagnosis. Then there is Dr. Mistry the old Parsi doctor and a well renowned Cardiologist taking care of the patient complaints from poorer section and providing them affordable medicines. They also have a fully equipped Physiotherapy department with UV and other equipment’s which help in fast recovery of patients faced with fractures or older patients whose joints get frozen due to muscular deterioration and lower joint activities. This is headed by Dr.Kinjal Gala. They also have a dedicated dentistry department for attending to cavities, root canal and dentures or implants for old patients. Few years back there was this Tamilian doctor Dr.Mani who used to head the dentistry department. I remember having my cavities filled with silver by him when I was I college. He was a gem of a person with art for communication. He would keep you busy with his general talks and stories while operating on you and you would never feel scared of the whirring drill machine in his hand. A lot of the interns trained under him today are operating their solo clinics in the vicinity of Matunga. Case in example being Dr.Mamta Choksi daughter of the Local Chemist “Matunga Kmist” who operated his pharmacy at King Circle from as long as I can remember. Now his daughter has turned it into her Clinic.

These and all other facilities are made available to one and all at very nominal rates. Not only the poor but middle class families living in Matunga take the advantage of these facilities as they are assured of best service with great equipment’s and correct diagnosis and treatment from the visiting doctors. As a result of the great demand for their medical facilities they have started a new center at Dadar TT opposite to Dadar Parsi Gymkhana. Here they have started consultancy facility with doctors in the field of Cardiology, Dermatology (Skin Disorders) and Orthopedic

Further towards Gandhi Market there is another famous charitable institute “The Manav Seva Sangh”. This center is run by a registered NGO and provides facilities to Senior citizens and underprivileged children. It was started in 1924 as a modest facility with minimum support staff. Today it has a 7floor building with a residential facility acting as old age home for senior citizens on its 4^th, 5^th and 6th floors. With clean and hygienic 30 AC rooms, fridge in each room, nutritional food and round the clock medical support, it offers the best experience for old persons who are left behind to fend for themselves when their own family and relatives fail to support them in their twilight years. On its lower floors there is a medical center providing medical facilities like Sonography, X-ray, Dentistry and other pathological tests at very nominal rates. Besides this they have visiting doctors in the field of Cardiology, Endocrinology, Diabatology and Physiotherapy.

It also hosts a club for senior citizens with entertainment facilities like Carom, Chess and cards. They also arrange excretions to religious places for small groups two three times a year. Sometimes they have special bhajan Sandhya where well know singers present Bhajans in their well-equipped hall to entertain their members. The same hall is leased out for Marriages which earn them additional income to run their facility. They also run a creach for children aged between 2 and 8 years staffed with ECCEd trained teachers. A boon and peace of mind to working parents in the locality.

It also runs an Industrial vocational center imparting training in courses like Architecture, Computers, Electronics (Repairs) and Mechanical for students just out of college to prepare them in their journey towards self-empowerment.

Another specialty medical center offering high end facilities to the middle class and underprivileged people is the GSBS Medical Centre at Dadar TT in the lane going toward Dadar CR Station and next to Hotel Ramee. This well-equipped center provides facilities like Sonography, Color Doppler, X-Ray both traditional and Digital (MRI), a dental department for implants and root canals. An Orthopedic department with facility for buddy strapping and ankle strapping for minor or hairline fractures and plastering services for major fractures. A special lab for complete health check including ECG , stress test and blood test with lipid profile , hematology, bio chemistry ( for blood sugar, Creatinine , Bilirubin and Culture test ). They operate a consultancy service center with reputed doctors in each field like Cardiologists –Dr.S.G.Karmarkar & Dr.Kachwalla, Oncology (Cancer specialist) Dr.Satish Rao & Dr.Sanjeev Karmarkar, Plastic Surgeon –Dr.Maksud Davale & Dr.Charudatt Chaudhary, Urologist –Dr.Manu Sobti & Dr.Prawal Biswas, Pediatric Surgeons – Dr.Sarita Bhagwat & Dr.Prashant Joshi and many more such renowned doctors are available for consultancy at very nominal rates.

With such facilities available at their doorstep people living in Matunga are lucky and well equipped to face any medical emergency better than any other part of Mumbai.

Kudos to all these medical trusts, their organizers, their support staff and the doctors who give their precious time and knowledge and salute to their dedication to serve humanity at large.