Walking Around Matunga

Go Go Go Govinda……

Some  festivals celebrated in India are festivals with mass appeal and are a celebration of human spirit . One such festival is the Dahi Kala or the Gopal Kala celebrated just after Krishna Janmashtami. A festival which replicates the the mischievous aspect of lord Krishna and his Gwala’s in stealing Maakhan or the butter from pots stored at heights in kitchens of the Gopi’s in Vrindavan. An act of total team work and co-ordination and skill.

During my childhood the local man–servants or to be politically correct house helpers would start practicing for this Dahi kala nearly a month in advance. Vargani or donations for the dahi handi and the prize money would be collected from each family in the housing society and the buildings nearby where they worked. A small sum was spent on getting the earthen pot / dahi handi which was filled with coloured water , a little dahi to symbolize the maakhan , some fruits and some flowers would be tied to the matki. This was then hoisted using ropes which would be tied betwwen two adjacent buildings on the day of Gopal Kala. The matki would be hanging from the 2^nd floor of these buildings.

Right from morning various professional Dahi Handi mandals would roam the streets of Matunga to burst these handi’s and collect the prize money. The most expensive and tallest handi would in Aggarwal Nagar a building complex to just next to our building. They would have 3 handi’s with a total prize money worth Rs.15,000/- a princely sum in those days. Professional mandals from as far as Chembur and Parel used to visit and try their hand at bursting them. The dahi handi mandals would arrive in trucks accompanied by traditional dhol –tasha or banjo bands. Dancing to the tunes of Govinda Aala Re , Aala Jara Matki Sambhal brij bala …..It was great fun watching these groups form the perfect human pyramids with 3 or 4 layers . The crowd cheering them , some from their balconies , some from the terraces would cheer and simultaneously throw water balloons or colored water on them to make the task even more difficult. But by sheer determination and will power they would hold on to each other and balance each other to make the human pyramids. Then the most smallest member usually a kid of 7-10 years would climb to the top of the pyramids and burst the handi by picking the coconut from the handi and let the dahi and other stuff flow on his team mates. With the money collected the celebration would continue . From one society to the other these groups would move all day and streets would be filled with sounds of cheers and music .

The small dahi handi which was tied in our society with a small prize money of few thousand would be ignored by these dahi handi mandals . Or some groups would ask us to lower the handi , but we would not lower it. It was a custom that this handi would be burst by our loyal house helpers every year. They would arrive after completing their regular domestics task by around late afternoon. A motely crowd of 10 to 12 would start building the human pyramid. All of us children would rush to the building terrace and throw water filled balloons on them . A loud round of cheer and applause would go around when they completed the pyramid upto 3 layers. Sometimes due to lack of practice unlike professional mandal someone from the in between layers would wobble and then the whole pyramid would collapse. Though no one would be injured a huge and collective sigh would resonate amon the watchers. In true sporting spirit they would start all over again. This time they would get the pyramid right. One of the kids of these house help would climb the shoulders and reach the top. With cries of Hathi Goda Palkhi Jai Kanaihya lal ki cheering along the kid would burst the handi . The rope would be lowered and the small sum of prize money would be equally distributed among the group. Happy at getting this extra money they dance rejoice and then go home.

The tradition has restarted in our society from last year with one of our neighbor's Mrs.Smita Kotak or Kotak Aunty for all in the building egging the children to try their hand at this dahi handi. A group has been formed of all the children mostly girls Soumya , Prisha , Riya ,Risha Khushi & Muskaan and that includes my darling daughter Netra and a few boys Neel and Arav in ages from 8 -12 and encouraged by their super moms Mridula , Foram, Himali and off course my wife Kashmira. The group has been named "Gully Friends" and they practice rigorously few days just before Gopa Kala. And on the day of the Dahi Handi amidst all the shouts of Govinda Ala re ala and  Haathi Goda Palkhi Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki from the parents they form the perfect pyramid of 2 layers and burst the Handi filled with chocolates. And then there is a mad scramble to collect these chocolates and have the largest share. All this is followed up by a nice nashta of Jalebi & Fafda and rounds of Mazaa and Sprite.......A great start to the day and festive season.....

Today the small happiness and the traditional ritual is lost among the highly publicized and politically backed dahi handi’s in the neibourhood. With prize money of few Lakhs the whole affair is taken over by the local corporators . Handis are tied to ropes and hoisted by cranes to reach an impossible height . Mandals need to form human pyramids of 6-7 layers risking their arms and limbs to break these handi’s and claim the hefty prize money. The celebration turning into vulgar display of power and money. Accompanying loud music belting out from those humongous speakers with DJ’s playing out Yo Yo Honey Singh or Mika’s Punjabi numbers  shattering the peace of a small locality like Matunga.

The roads leading to the Matunga Market are totally blocked with the crowds exploding on to the streets.

Some where the fun and the right spirit seems lost. I would rather have the dahi handi celebrated in traditional style of yore.

With judiciary getting into the thick of things putting a cap on the heights of handi’s and restricting the decibels of  sound generated by the accompanying bands / DJ’s this year , lets hope this special festival is celebrated in the right spirit , that of human team work and overcoming of challenges in life by sheer determination.

Go Go Go Govinda……

Walking Around Matunga

Doctor's Land

Human Life as you know begins with birth and ends with death a journey from the womb to the tomb. All in between are the memories that we create and cherish . With family , friends and even our foes. Life should be like the stream or that river pristine and always flowing , the moment it becomes stagnant it starts to rot at its core loosing its spirit and value.

In between the two end points is the journey of life. In this journey one must endure sadness along with happiness, pain along with ecstasy and tears along with laughter.In our journey we are helped , supported and guided by our parents and our teachers. And in ill health by the doctors. World over doctors are revered next only to the Gods , as they are supposed to have the knowledge and power of giving and saving Life.

The very first encounter we have with doctors is at the very beginning of our life itself in the form of the Gynecologist delivering us into this beautiful world or mean world depending upon ones outlook. If you are in Matunga you will notice , quiet obviously this is the land of Doctors . Literally in every by lane there are doctors and very well renowned doctors at that. Specialists in their own field . Practicing medicine for more than 15-20 years. Some coming  from families  who have been doctors for nearly 3 generations.

In the lane near the five gardens close to the corner garden in the clinic of practicing Gynecologist Dr.Ajanta Narvekar. Most of the women in the vicinity from Matunga , Dadar , Sion and even from townside prefer her . Two advantages , she being a lady doctor her patients find it comfortable to discuss their issues without feeling shy , the other being the clinic also doubles up as a small maternity polyclinic in which she performs the most difficult of tasks , that of bringing life into this world by way of delivery of children. A reputed doctor with strong personality. Also very expressive and a little strict at times to errand patients.  Still remember during my wife Kashmira’s pregnancy during my 1^st child Netra’s time. She used to show her displeasure on the gaining weight when Kashmira used to go to her for follow up check up’s. A proponent of natural child birth than C-section , she always advised her patients on minimal weight gain and advocated on staying fit by exercise / yoga. Always giving enough time to her patients to discuss their fears and putting them at ease during their journey from pregnancy to childbirth. Her clinic is full of various category of patients from the shy newly weds coming to understand protection , to newly pregnant and over enthusiastic first timers with their husbands in tow , to the experienced 2^nd timers more calm and mature . She is well supported by her nursing staff who help in check up’s – monitoring BP’s , checking weights , updating the individual patient files and sometimes even administrating hormone injections or iron supplement injections if she is busy in the Delivery room.

Along with her surgeon husband Dr.Narvekar they also oversee a poly clinic at Breach Candy which caters to mostly the rich South Mumbai (SO-BO) crowd.

Once the child is born , the next doctor that one frequents for the next 10 years is the pediatrician. A doctor who specializes in treating the toddlers and young children. He is the savior and the go to person even at 12’o clock  at night or  4 am in the morning . Just across the Ruia college signal close to the Satam Maharaj Mandir or the Datta Mandir is the clinic of Dr.Suhas Prabhu the pediatrician. Most doctors today over depend on technology to diagnose and prescribe anti biotics at the drop af a hat. From my personal experience I can vouch for this. At the time of Netra’s birth , her umbalical chord -navel got infected. The pediatrician attached to the maternity hospital Dr. Joshi prescribed 2-3 antibiotics alongwith the most common medicine, Betadine powder to be applied locally. At the follow up check up date when my wife went to meet him (unfortunately I was not in town) , he suggested that the 3 day old Netra to be admitted to a Hospital. Kashmira was shocked to hear the diagnosis and was completely stressed out. The good part was that we discussed the situation and she then spoke to one of her close acquaintance before taking any decision.  As suggested she scheduled an appointment with Dr.Prabhu. On the 1st meeting itself he got wild with anger on Dr.Joshi , his diagnosis and the thick file that was created in the 3 days.He put us at ease explaining that the issue at hand was normal and needed no other medicine than just the Betadine power and keeping the affected area hygienic and open to dry off. And as per his suggestion Netra’s infection subsided and went away by the time we next met him after a weeks time.

I can vouch that Dr.Prabhu is a seasoned medical practitioner with loads of experience to put the parents especially the new mothers at ease by his calm demeanor. He will always check the child thoroughly ask about the symptoms from the parents and then put you at ease by prescribing minimal medicines. If the mother is the pestering type trying to jump to conclusions and asking for tonics and food supplements. He nonchalantly brushes aside the suggestion and tells that natural foods , fruits and plain milk is the best supplement for children in their growing years. For toddlers he specifically advocates mothers milks till the age of 6-8 months and only then gives a chart for starting of with solids in the form of mashed potatoes , kanji (rice water) , daliya ( dal puree ) etc. The best pediatrician in Matunga.

As we grow we require health  and medical support from doctors for the adult. In most cases this support is provided by General Practitioners or GP’s or the local MBBS doctors . Over a period of time due to the close relationship you form with them they tend to become your family doctors. Knowing exactly your how your system behaves, which medicines suit you what treatment will give the best results. To let you know one such doctor who is our family doctor , Dr.Abhay Parekh. He is the 3^rd generation doctor in his family and has been treating our family from as long as I can remember. His grand father Dr.N Parekh was one of the earliest FRCS (Fellow of the Royal Society of Surgeons) and great GP in his times. His son and Dr.Abhay’s father Dr.H.N.Parekh is a octogenarian (80+) a certified LCEH and still practicing. During our kiddie years I still remember our father taking us to him even late at night to his home right across our home where he practiced. Always available to his old and loyal patients and supportive by correct diagnosis and medication. His legacy has now been furthered by Dr.Abhay Parekh. With his knack for clear communication , his jovial nature and calm attitude he has built a great following among his long list of patients. Catering to the poor and the prosperous without any bias. Another plus point is he has developed lots of contacts in the medical fraternity and can suggest the best of doctors in case you need any of the specialist for specific health issues. Also he is that kind of doctor who would involve senior doctors in case the health matter of a patient demands it. Depending on the nature of illness he will prescribe regular medicine or antibiotics or 

intravenous (IV) , the underlying objective at heart is the recovery of his patients.

Among the other specialists in Matunga are doctors like Dr.Damle the heart specialist and consulting doctor attached with Shivaji Park’s Shushrusha Hospital and King Circle’s Cardiac Hospital . Then there is the Mumbai’s top Nuerologist Dr. Ramani operating out off Hindu Colony and attached with Lilavati Hospital. A renowned name in nuerology ( science of the nervous system ) treating complex medical conditions of Alzheimers and Parkinsons . You also have someone like Dr.Anant Joshi the well know Orthopedic  ,diagnosing and treating  problems related with rheumatology, spine, and sports injuries, and specializes in pain management. One of the unique features of his clinic in Dadar is the facility for musculoskeletal imaging, arthroscopy and rehabilitation.He has treated the likes of Sachin Tendular and Zaheer Khan in their sports career and making them fit to play for India.Another renowned orthopedic in Matunga is Dr. Lad a specialist in knee replacement. Then there is the best know eye surgeon Dr.Kedar Parulekar operating from his clinic in Wadala and from the GSBS trust’s medical centre at their Dadar facility. A gold medalist from Grant Medical College and a trusted name in retinal surgery and corneal lens transplant in cataract patients.

All these are abley supported by para medics like Sonography specialist Dr.Athavale giving hope to the new mother , the experienced radiologist Dr.Savur behind his X-ray machine helping the orthopedics take the correct decision. And Dr. Parikh the pathologist giving the correct lab reports of blood , urine , stool and sputum supporting the diagnosis of local GP’s and helping them in their treatement.

A Salute to all these care givers and hats off to them for keeping the citizens of Matunga hale,hearty and healthy.

Making Matunga truly a Doctor’s Land………………….

Walking Around Matunga

Shravan ---The festive season begins

Its that time of the year when the rains are lashing the maxim city of Mumbai. Roads and rail tracks generally getting flooded like every year .Even when BMC -the richest Municipality shouting from the roof tops that they had cleaned all the drains and fixed all the pot holes and made the city prepared for such fury of the rains. You can see the city coming to a screeching halt like what happened in the last week.

But its also that time of the year which starts the festive season all across India , with the start of the holy and auspicious  month of Shravan. The 5^th month in the Hindu Calendar and month with great festivals lined one after the other. This month is also significant from the point of view of fasts and abstention of non-veg food eating by some people. Though I am a foodie myself, and a non-veg lover.I have been keeping the vow of not eating non-veg food during this entire month and then carrying it over till the end of  the 10 days of Ganesh festival for last more than 30 years . And now ably supported in the non-veg food abstention by my sweet wife Kashmira (salute to her as it is much more difficult for her due to her family food preferences during her growing years before marriage) .

But there is logic behind these little little thing that we take for granted and practice as the Hindu way of life. The reason behind not eating non-veg and specifically fish during Shravan is to help in their breeding and growth so that their numbers don’t dwindle and the fishermen also don’t loose on their livelihood. Then aging there so many other small nuggets of wisdom in all the rituals we follow like the simple example of the bindi that every lady wears on their fore head is to keep the most sensitive spot an amalgamation of the most sensitive nerves ,just between the eyes and on the fore head  , calm and cool and to lower the blood pressure of the wearer. The silver spoon used to feed water or milk to the babies is used so because silver has the least chance of becoming un-hygenic . Ever thought why Savitri laid her husband Satyavan under the great Banyan (Vat) tree. Scientifically this tree has the highest ratio of Oxygen emission into the atmosphere….So Savitri was much smarter not only in wisdom (to make Yamaraj spare her husbands life ,she asked a boon from Yama –the god of death which he readily granted but realized he had to return Satyavan’s soul as Savitri had asked for a boon that she should bear a son from her departed husband. ) but also knew about this oxygen emitting trait of the Banyan tree. So some people who are ignorant and make fun of the rituals as being silly , should know there great science behind them.

For the same reason we celebrate the festival of Nagpanchami the 1^st festival in Shravan. As India has been primarily an Agricultural country , a lot of festivals are related to the farm , farming and cultivation activities. Like Pola (celebrating the cows and bulls that farmers own) , Gudi Padawa or others like Baisakhi , Bihu , Pongal or Onam which celebrate harvesting.

The Nag or the cobra helps the farmer rid the fields of the rodents and keeps their produce in healthy condition. So the snake is revered and prayed to . I still remember from my childhood, a garudi (snake charmer ) would visit the common building compound on Nagpanchami day. He would carry the cobra or the nag devta in his cane basket and stuffed in his cloth jhola ( today’s terminology would be a side bag). HE would take out the basket open it and show case the nag , then slowly blow his “been” a wind instrument on which the nag swayed. The women folk from the neighbouring buildings would descend and pray to the nag devta. Some would offer him milk in small katori some would shower him with flowers. Some money would be offered to the garudi as dakshina. And then he would leave for his vist to the next society. In school also the atmosphere would be festive ,sometimes teachers asking us to come in traditional dress instead of the uniforms. A break for the usual routine. Stories and posters would be put up in the common area or the class rooms depicting the festival of Nagpanchami.

A fond memory and sweet dish which makes this day even more special in our house hold is the making of a the “Patoli” . A special dish made by my loving Aai every year. A recipe handed down from generation to generation in our family. This sweet food item is made by steaming the coconut saran  ( a mix of jaggery , coconut , ghee and elaichi in the right proportion ) stuffed between wheat bater poured over Haldi (Turmeric) leaves. The product so formed has a divine smell and an awesome taste. When you eat this it just melts in your mouth leaving the sweetness and elaichis after taste.

A perfect sweetmeat which can give serious competition to any of the Bengali sweet that the neighborhood sweet shop chain can boast and hype about.

This marks the sweet beginning of the month long penance and the most auspicious period of Shravan

Happy Shravan to all ………….

Walking Around Matunga

Tiny tots today ……………………Learning & Having Fun  or joining Teaching factories

One of the absurd things happening due the fast pace of life is that the destinies of a child are decided even before the step into this beautiful world. Over ambitious parents themselves running in the rat race pre-decide the paths of their children and try to make them fit as race horses to run the course of life. Parents coax , push sometimes bully their children to follow their unfinished dreams rather than let them choose the path the children desire. And all this starts with enrolling the child in the right play school , the classes and other activity centers .

Heard the news sometime back that admission to play school grade of certain South Mumbai education institution or the newest International schools starts when the child is in the womb. The screening is done of the parents to establish whether they have capability to run course financially and otherwise. Background checks are done before confirm the admission to their prescious wards.With so much expectation riding on their tiny shoulders these tiny tots are supposed to out class and out shine every body. The competition is not just among the students but spills on to their aggressive parents. Each trying to out do the other.

And even a small place like Matunga is not immune to this phenomenon.

The Run begins with flag off at the play group chains be it  Poddar Jumbo Kids , Kangaroo Kids , Eurokids , Tree House etc each advertising in leading national dailies with half page colour advertisements every year in Summers announcing admissions to new academic year in their Play groups , Lower KG and Upper KG ( we had junior KG and Senior KG which were much more affable names than Lower & Upper KG when we were small ) . If you visit the local branches of these pre-schools you will be amazed at their professionalism. They will have education councilors to discuss the detailed procedure for the admission , the policies , they will take you for a round of their campus , show you their AV rooms , the play area , impress you with the teaching techniques and mesmerize you with the quality of the teaching aids et all. By the time you are out of the pre-school with their colourful prospectus ( yes they are muti page brochures with multi page forms ) in hand and dreaming of your child being the next big Engineer or a Doctor or a NASA Scientist. You have succumbed to their magic spell.

The manic drill starts , the tiny tots are washed , combed , dressed and packed off to these mini coaching centres. They are not just taught the basic 3 R’s Reading WRiting & ARithmetatics which is all that is needed at age 3 but exposed to syllabus designed to get them into those high profile ICSE & International IB schools which the parents so desire. Not all children are alike but who will tell their parents trying to mold these tiny tots into perfect kids all prim & proper more like robots than human beings.

To get their diction in English correct they enroll these kids as small as age 3 and 4 to English speaking , Grammar and Phonics classes. This even if the parents themselves would have studied in a regular English Medium school or sometimes even in Vernacular schools.The expectation level grows higher the bar is set a little higher . I see kids coming home from the pre-school hurriedly fed , changed and escorted to the same pre-school which turn themselves into these afternoon classes imparting courses like i-Maths , Grammar and Phonics. Kids are tutored on number recognition, counting and simple arithmetic or taught the grammatically correct way of speaking . Such stress at such early stages of their life.

Then trying to keeping up with Jones's , the kids are enrolled for extra curricular activities gymnastics, dancing , hobbies classes , skating and even chess. There are reading clubs where teachers read story books to kids . They are given home work of writing or telling the class what was the book like , the story and what they learnt from the book given. And I thought the Dad’s and Mom’s were supposed to read to their little prince and princesses to take them into the magical world of fairies , kings , queens , the friendly rabbits and wicked witches . Off Princesses being rescued by charming prince’s and talking elves spinning straw into golden thread.

A research done in US of A states that more and more kids are loosing interest in studying by the time they reach 2^nd grade all because of the sit down method of controlled teaching in pre-schools and kindergartens where the kids are expected to learn to read and write before they are even ready to fully recognize letters and numbers. The much accepted way of music and play is getting lost in the worksheets and activities that need to be completed in class and at home.

When we were of the same age all we did in class was sing the nursery rhymes , learn the basics like recognition of letters A to Z , Numbers 1-100 and learning word associations and some simple stories. There was a lot of playing , jumping and having a lot of fun.

I some times feel my generation was fortunate with the only expectation from our parents was of being well educated , choosing a proper career , having a passion in life and over everything else just being a good human being. To think of it that's all that is needed in our journey of life. Being good human beings……………..

What Say you ????

Walking Around Matunga

Chota Packet Bada Dhamaka

They say big things come in small packages or to quote our very own Hindi version Chotta packet bada dhamaka. Ever wondered why the smallest of nimbu (lemon) adds that mouthwatering khatta taste to any of your foods like poha or that spicy bhel. Or the smallest green chilly fried and served with that spicy batata vada gives the zingiest taste to it. The Dus wallah channa –shor garam at the neighborhood channawallah tastes the best and gives you immense pleasure and cuts your boredom while waiting at the bus stop or the railway station. The simplest of toy the wind mill with its attractive colours and free spinning nature never fails to give happiness to your kids when you buy it at the garden. Or the ice cream dolly (duet) with its natural and exquisite taste that comes for Rs.20 gives even more pleasure than eating a Magnum @100 . I still remember the taste of the hot dog served at our canteen in I.E.S School . A simple combination of veg pattie buttered long bread (pav), some tangy and spicy mix chutney and topped up with onions & tomatoes. A hit with the students during recess and after school. The demand was so much sometime we would be disappointed when the Canteen manager would say sorry beta its over , come tomorrow.

I recently heard from the misus that her friend and an ex-student of I.E.S School had celebrated their class re-union and the start attraction of the party was this humble Hot Dog…..

So happiness can be found in  small things or small memories , all you need is a content heart and ability to enjoy life in all its diversities.

If you want to enjoy some simple food and if you don’t fancy a dine in restaurant you can try the “Jayesh Milk Bar” just opposite to Ruia College. In its old glory it was a typical Maharashtrian restaurant with wooden tables , run by its Kokanastha Brhamin owner Mr.Ambdekar. With waiters in uniform and a asal Maharashtrian menu of the best ever batata vada , kothimbir vadi , thalipeet , sabudana vada and sabudana khichadi. Over the years it lost its glory due the owners indulgence in local politics (unsuccessfully tried to get elected as a Independent Corporator twice but lost) and trying yo cash in on the real estate scene by becoming a broker and a travel agent rolled into one.

Had to even sell off his space (gala) used as kitchen to the local wani –Laxmi Stores to recover finantial losses. Now his daughter has taken over and tried to restore its glory. First thing she did was rent the front portion of the space to 2 vendors . One who best in the art of chaat making and the other in sandwhich. Earlier these vendors used to hawk their wares from near the Five gardens , but under constant pressure from local BMC ward officers for hafta (weekly bribe) . Now this new symbiotic relationship was best for them. They were happy to get a place to sell and Ms.Ambdekar got her rent + commission on the food they sold.

Here you get the finest pani puri with its explosive mint flavored pani , lip smacking sev puri with the crunchy mix of spicy fried dal , roasted peanuts , the bright yellow sev , pieces of the sour raw mango to give that tanginess and mashed potatoes and diced tomatoes and onions to make it filling. The Sev puri plates sell like hot cakes among the student crowd from Ruia , Poddar and Wellingkar’s. Sometimes you spot Marathi Television celebrities like Deepak Shirke and Ajay Phansekar of famed Marathi Tele series –Ek Shunya Shunya a Cop –Crime Series in 1980’s on Doordarshan. Then you can spot Sanjay Narvekar Dedfutya of Vastav fame sipping chai and having a hot batavada or a plate of chat. Being a alumnus of Poddar he is seen almost every year during Ganesh Utsav celebrations at the Ruia Naka Ganesh Mandal and participates during the final immersion procession along with the students of these colleges.

At the same eatery the Sandwich wallah makes the finest sandwiches stuffed with fresh cut slices of cucumbers , tomatoes , onions , boiled potato and beetroot . Topped up with yellow sev to give it a crunchy bite. You can also try his Veg Potato Taost sandwich stuffed with potato baji and topped up with green chutney and Amul butter after toasting. Making this sandwich an altime favorite snack of the students hurrying to class or coming out of a boring lecture.

With confidence restored Ms.Ambdekar has stared a take away for the Maharashtrian dishes of the crispy kothimbir vadi , crunchy sabudana vada and even keeps chapatti and usal (moong or matki) during lunch time. You can see people lining up for these during afternoon time.

Another gem is the tiny eatery “Udpi Idli House” at King Circle . Tiny in size but large on options. Its part of the famous Ramanayak’s Udpi Restaurant which is a brand by itself in South Indian cuisine. This one if the specialty restaurants that serves only Idli’s . But every option possible. Looking at the menu you will get confused what to order and what to eat first. A small palce with 4 tables , you see people standing in the area marked for self service and just outside eating away their personal favorites. Even the regular white idli is as soft a cotton and eaten with the tasty sambhar , the feeling is divine. You could try their khotto a cousin of the idli but steamed in Jackfruit leaves giving a special taste and smell. The vegetable idli with dices carrots and tomatoes is colorful and great to eat. My personal favorite is the Kanchpuram Idli , yellow in color and with its unique taste of the chand dal ,cumin and mustard tadka and flovored with dry ginger powder (soonth) and black pepper (kali miri) to give a peppy taste. Another specialty is the mudho , the cup shaped idli steamed in kedki leaves and served on banana leaf served with dollops of butter on top and eaten with Muga podi the spicy dry chutney powder. The other unique dish beyond imagination is their Kakdi Idli made of grated cucumber and giving it a sweet tangy flavor combination. Then you can try their Oondi (small white balls ) , masala idli or the rawa idli.

You would have enjoyed the regular idli with the usual sambhar and coconut chutney but a unique combination here is the Dalitoy , tur dal cooked to perfection and tempered with pieces of ginger , mustard and curyy leaves and dried red chillies in pure ghee. Giving it a heavenly taste. After eating the idli you want to just sip this gravy / dal.

With the belly full , the best after taste still lingering on your taste buds and fond memories you can then walk to the King Circle garden to enjoy the rest of the evening.

So next time you think that only big and expensive things can make you happy , think again and always remember “Big things come in small packages” …….

Walking Around Matunga

The Phenomenon that is Rajikanth …..The Thailva

It is said you have to experience the craze to belive the phenomenon of Rajnikanth .. The Boss .. Thaiva the mega Super Star . Adjectives fall short for the man known as the King of Tollywood Rajnikanth ….No one creates a buzz like he does. His fan following transcends age, language , state and even the country.

Did you know the biggest fan following Ranjikantha has outside of India is in Japan , there they even have a Rajnikanth fan club similar to the crazy fan clubs in Chennai (erstwhile Madras) .So much so that normal producers- directors in the south at the most release their movies in Tamil and if the story has inherent strength in Kannada , Telgu and Malyalam. For fact I can vouch even the standard movie in Tamil land has the story and finnes to beat the pants out of our Bollywood movies. Anyways coming back to Rajnikanth, his directors release their movies not just in the 4 languages of the South + Hindi , but simultaneously release it in Japanese , Balanese (Indonesian) and now even in Chinese with the latest being “KABALI”….

The teaser of KABALI not even a proper trailer released on YouTube a month ago gather 27 million views a feat no actor forget Bollywood not even the highest paid actor in Hollywood be it Daniel Craig (James Bond ) or Russel Crowe (Gladitor) can even come close. The adulation among the fans is because of the emotional bond they have created with not just the actor but the person that is Rajinikanth.

Though his on-screen persona is larger than life,in real life he is a down to earth person with no qualms of a superstar. People very close to him know him as a son of a Marathi couple Ramabai and Ramoji Rao Gaikwad a police constable settled in erstwhile Mysore State now known as Karnataka. . Named Shivaji Rao Gaikwad  after the Maratha warrior king Shivaji Raje. With middle class roots  and values but who had a dream of making it big in film and theater. Worked as bus conductor in Bangalore Transport Service with only his passion for films and dream to make it big ,to take him further. He joined the then famous Madras Film Institue (equivalent of FTII –Pune) and tasted success in K.Balachander’s Tamil Movie “Apoorva Raagangal” in 1975 and there was no looking back.

Initial films cast him in negative roles as village ruffian, or a womanizer or dominating bully . Somewher in 1978 he started being cast in positive roles as a prime antagonist in Mathu Tappada Maga which happened to be his 25th release. Bhairavi released in the same year was the first Tamil film to cast Rajinikanth as a main hero directed by M.Bhaskar It was in this film he earned the sobriquet "Superstar" . S.Thanu who was one of the film's distributor placed a cut-out of Rajinikanth over a height of 35 feet . Which became a trend which continue even today.  His next appearance Ilamai Oonjal Aaddukirathu, a quadrangular love story made by C.V.Sridhar, saw him playing the role of a man who sacrifices his love for his friend, played by Kamal Hasan (another great & intelligent actor)

He had nearly quit the film industry by 1980 , but was coaxed by Tamil film fraternity and his fan made a huge come back in “ Billa” a remake of Amitabh Starer Bollywood movie “Don”. With great dialogues , one liners , fights and foot tapping song it was the front benchers delight. It was in this movie he started his benchmark gestures, stylized mannerisms. Remember the way he flips the cigarette and lights it before he takes a puff or the way he swings the sunglasses before he wears it , totally mind blowing.

But the movie that catapulted him into a demi god status was “Baasha “ in 1995. Later in 2002 he wrote the screen play of “Baba” a movie revolving around the reforming of a gangster is shown as an incarnation of Hindu saint Mahavtar Babaji . The film was hyped and marketed well but the audience did not respond as expected. The film distributors faced huge losses. He took it to heart and even returned money to the distributors to cover their losses, such is the persona of Rajnikanth a humane actor than a superstar in real life . Later he gave super duper hits like , Sivaji –The Boss . For Sivaji ,he was given a remuneration of Rs.26 Cr which made him the 2^nd highest paid actor in Asia and next only to Jackie Chan. During this period his also stared in the critically acclaimed Dalapathi along with Malayalam star Mamoothy and directed by The Nationally acclaimed director Mani Ratnam. The story was a contemporary adaptation of Mahabharta with the story revolving around the friendship between Duryodhana and Karan.

Another anecdote about the power of Rajikanth’s communication skill and his fan following was evident when in late nineties the wily Tamil politician GK Moopanar broke away from the Congress Party and formed his regional party Tamil Manila Congress just a few months before the state assembly elections. Though he tied up with the MK Karunaniddhi of DMK and was ready to fight against Amma J.Jayalalitha’s AIADMK . He shrewdly registered the common man’s mode of transport the Cycle  as his party symbol. At that time a recent Rajnikanth starer the film Annamalai  had him riding the Cycle. He also enlisted Rajnikanth for campaigning who rode the cycle at a few rallies and in a much publicized television interview he dropped a bombshell by saying “ Even God can’t save Tamilnadu if ADMK returns to power”  . The result was a a 2/3^rd majority for the DMK-TMC alliance in the assembly.

The craze among his fans when any of his movie is about to be released, can be gauged from their enthusiasm , the fans pre-book the tickets months in advance. The distributors to make the most out of the opportunity have shows as early as 5 am and around 8 shows for the day in single screen theaters. And around 18-25 shows in Multiplexes. Another thing unique to the releases are the processions and abhishekam of Rajnikanth’s Cut outs at various theaters.

With the release of his latest “Kabali” this craze has gripped our Matunga. Matunga is the only part of India outside of Chennai (formerly Madras) where you have the official Rajinikanth Fan Club. The president of the Maharashtra Chapter Mr. Anand Raj lives on 90 feet road in Dharavi a stone’s throw away from Matunga and runs a CD/DVD store dedicated to all Rajini Sir’s Movies. At the Arora Theater ,the 700-seater Theatre in King’s Circle, a bastion of Tamils settled in Mumbai –there is a semi permanent shrine to Rajinikanth and is run by an ardent fan Mr.Nambi Rajan. It is the only place where each of the Thalaiva “Rajinikanth’s” movies are celebrated with a huge procession of fans culminating in an Abhishek of Rajini Sir’s Poster with milk & Panchamrit. The laltest Kabali cut out has been erected at the theater . To keep up with the craze the first day first show was held at 3 am. with the following shows scheduled at 6 am, 10 am, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm,. It was published in the newspapers the next day that Inside the theater fans gave a standing ovation and culminating their cheering with maha-aarti when the character of Kabeeleshwar came on the screen. 

Such is the emotional connect Rajnikanth has with his fans. A good human being ,a great actor , the larger than life “superstar” , The Boss …….The one and only “ Thalaiva”

Some of the gems - one liners from Rajnikanth’s movies

Idhu eppdi irukku? (How's this?)

See-eeviduven! (I'll lop off your head!)

Nallavana erukallam annal romba nallavana erukakudathu (You can be a good person. But you shouldn't be a very good person)

Naan eppo varuven, epdi varuvennu yarukkum theriyathu. Aana vara vendiya nerathula (No one can tell when or how I'll arrive -- but I always do, when the time is right)

Andavan solran. Arunachalam seiran (God commands, I obey)

Naan solrathaiyum seiven, sollathathiyum seiven (I'll do what I say. I'll also do what I don't say)

Pera kettaale chumma adhirudhulla! (Doesn't everything quake at the mere mention of my name?)

En vazhi, thani vazhi (My way is my own)

Naan oru thadava sonna, nooru thadava sonna maadiri (If I say something even once, it's as though I've said it a hundred times)

Kannaaa Pani Thaa Kutama Varu Singo Singala Tha Varum (Only pigs come in groups, a tiger comes alone)

And the latest joke trending on Whatsapp which is more fact than fiction…

Salman releases his movie on Eid because it’s a holiday , Shah Rukh releases his movie on Diwali because its an holiday , Aamir releases his movie on Christmas because it’s a holiday . But Rajnikanth releases his movie in the middle of the week and it is declared a holiday……

My Salute to Rajnikanth …………..The only Superstar……

Walking Around Matunga

Garden’s Galore

Three things are in abundance in Matunga, restaurants for foodies , clothes and accessories shops for shoppers and the 3^rd and most important thing , open spaces in the form of Gardens and play grounds . In this day and age of high rise towers , maddening crowds , traffic chaos and all that stress we are surrounded with , one thing that brings a smile of the face and a real inner peace is looking at all the tiny tots and children playing and having a gala time in all the Gardens in Matunga.

The most famous and most recognized garden in Matunga is the Five Gardens or the Mancherji Joshi Gardens right is the midst of Matunga –Wadala and Dadar Parsi Colony triumvirate. Even though I have captured the essence of Five Gardens in my very early blogs, you can very well go on and on about these wonderful gardens which act as the lungs of Matunga . A visit here is sure to drive away all that stress and tension you feel in your body and mind. Just a walk around these gardens and breathing in the fresh air brings a spring in your step and music on lips. You can find a whole lot of people of all statures, big , small , tall , short , thin , obese , the athletic type the sluggish type the stressed out weight losers type all walking round and round in circles around these five gardens trying to become fit as a fiddle by burning those extra pounds gained by the frequent hogging on pizzas and burgers with those extra cheese and mayo.

The fun part is that not only are these Five Gardens best for the health conscious types  but they are equally fun for all the kids in the neighborhood . The recently opened play area in one of the 5 gardens is a huge hit with children of all ages between 2-12 years. The garden has a big multi slide section with options for tiny tots and older kids. There are small ladders / steps for these preschooler to climb on , entwining tunnels connecting one section to the other to crawl through and small slopping slides to slide on. For the older kids there are the helical slides and tall towers to climb on. Then there are bridges and rope-ways for all to balance on and have a lot of fun. Towards the other end of this garden there are swings and jungle jims , balancing beams and sea saws . All in all a fun filled wolrd for the kids and their parents. Looking at the kids playing and running around and hearing their screams of joy brings a broad smile from ear to ear to your face.

These gardens are also a paradise for the romantic types or the first time lovers with dreamy eyes and love in their hearts. Best place to meet your sweet hearts , away from the crowds , creating a world of their own in the nooks and corners of these gardens.Sometimes you can get pretty embarrassed if you catch them lovey –dovey couples indulging in rather intimate PDA (Public Display of affection).

Just outside the children's garden the are lot of fun activity options  like the giant wheel , merry-go-round and swinging ship . Other attraction is the Horse cart ride for smaller kids and live horse riding for the older kids. The horse handlers are experts and make the horse walk , trot and gallop as per the age of the rider. Visit this five gardens and enjoy an evening with your kids , you will love it.

If the crowded five garden is not your cup of tea , walk down to King Circle Garden now named as Maheshwari Udyan . This circular garden has been maintained by L&T the Indian Construction giant for last 15 years and has been winning the best garden award from the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gardens department. This garden is well laid out and landscaped to make this small garden appear large from inside . Once you step in you find a clear demarcation of kids play area and space for sitting and strolling.In the kids area again there are clear signage's near play equipment's mentioning age groups they are meant for. So you have small slides and duck shaped merry go rounds for the preschoolers . Then there are larger group of slides inter connected with small bridges and intermittent steps and ladders , where the older kids can enjoy walking up and down and sliding down.

Just near by you have jungle-jim on which the kids can use their motor skills and spend their energies climbing , crawling and hanging from the horizontal bars in between. Or just climb to the top and sit and have a great view. Then there are the regular swings and see-saws to have fun on and some special duck shaped swing for the tiny tots.

Out side the kids section there is a well laid out lawn with soft & green grass. You can just sit on the grass and enjoy the evening or play an game of catch with the flying disc or the Frisbee . Or have a go at football with your kids. There are stone and wooden benches for the grand pa’s and grand ma’s to sit on when they accompany these mischievous kids who play around. Right in the middle of the garden is a Water fountain started around 7 pm every evening . the water looks mesmerizing in the accompanied glow of colorful lights bright blue , pink , orange and yellow. You can sit and look at the sprinkling water and enjoy the serenity.

There are othe smaller gardens across Matunga , like the Samosa garden a triangular shaped garden behind Pramanik stores with garden swings or the metal jhulas on which entire family can sit and enjoy the leisurely swaying. Or right across the Napoo Marriage Hall is the Napoo garden a small but well maintained garden which is another option for the kids. Then there the Padmakar Dhamdhere garden opposite to I.E.S School (King George High School). This one is equally favorite of the kids and the parents alike . Kids can enjoy the slides , swings and see saws and the parent can enjoy a jog or a brisk walk on the well laid out jogging track.

The newest addition to all the gardens present in Matunga is the freshly opened Garden under the King Circle –Dadar TT bridge. Its starts at the Ruia Signal end and ends at the Maheshwari Udyan . It’s the first of its kind, conceptualized by local Matunga neighborhood group, funded by the local corporator Nayna Sheth and the BMC to effective use the area below the flyover which other wise would have become a home to junkies or beggars. Now this space is properly gated and fenced to bar their entry. The interior is landscaped professionally. The concept was to bring out a look of a river bank , in this case the Godavari (made out using blue ticker tiles ) , depicting its flow . The side lines are well lined with green shrubs flowering plants and small palm trees . The sidelines are fitted with small white led lights which shine like tiny stars all across the length of the garden. From a distance it looks like the night sky has descended in Mantunga.  It also has well laid out walking path for the evening walkers , a designated sitting area in the form of steps in the middle , looking like the ghats on the river bank. Then there are mulit coloured lights focused on the flyover pillars which gives a mesmerizing look to this garden. Hues of pink , green , yellow and deep blue makes you feel as if you have entered a dream world. All this despite the garden being in the middle of the ever busy Dr.Ambedkar Road and the surrounding traffic. Hats off to the great efforts by all the concerned people who got involved in creating and implementing this one of a kind garden right in the middle of Matunga.

So come and enjoy Mumbai’s only garden district, the magical place that is Matunga…….