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By Root 1894 0

rupees. Locals will tell you that these poverty performances are Mafia-style rackets, with protection money going to gangs, and sickly babies being passed around to gain more sympathy for their “parents.” In the worst of these tales of horror, children are maimed to up the ante by making them appear more pathetic (a reality, you will recall, that is dealt with on quite a visceral level in the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire). Begging is now officially outlawed in Mumbai, and for anyone returning to the city there are noticeably fewer taps at taxi windows—sadly, though, nearly all begging that happens at traffic lights involves children. Many of the kids who might otherwise be outright begging for money are now selling low-priced literary paperbacks at intersections; surely you can spare a few dollars for a good book? But, if it’s just a hollow-eyed face staring through the glass, the choice is stark: Either lower the window and risk having a sea of unwelcome faces descend on you, or stare ahead and ignore them. To salve your conscience, tip generously those who have made it onto the first rung of employment.

3 What to See & Do

Mumbai doesn’t have the wealth of historical attractions of, say, Kolkata or Delhi. Rather, it is a city that revolves around its commerce, its manic pace, and the head-spinning energy exuded by the millions of diverse people who have settled here. This is a city you experience rather than sightsee, and sampling from the fantastic restaurants (and trying a few recommended street food stalls) described later in the chapter should be highest on your must-do list. Mumbai does have some one-of-kind attractions you should make time for; and be sure to set aside time to explore at least part of the Colaba-Fort area, described below, on foot—do this at the beginning of the day before the heat becomes suffocating. Another good area to explore on foot is the Marine Drive/Chowpatty Beach stretch, possibly after a boat trip to Elephanta Island. You may also wish to visit Malabar Hill, also in the South Mumbai area and home to two top attractions (see below), as well as the Hanging Gardens (also known as Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens). Laid out in the early 1880s, the terraced park at the top of Malabar Hill covers (or “hangs over”) the city’s main water reservoir, but unfortunately it fails to live up to its spectacular-sounding name. The best reason to visit here is to wander over to Kamala Nehru Park (across the road from the Hanging Gardens), from where you have a great view of Nariman Point’s skyscrapers and the sumptuous curve of Marine Drive.

For a time trip experience, and a taste of a much-older Mumbai, head towards the center of the city and check out the Worli fishing village, populated by descendants of the original Koli community that inhabited these islands when they really were still islands; they still eek out an existence in much the same way as they’ve been doing for centuries. Well, almost. Ironically, this idiosyncratic peasant colony—often abuzz with foul-mouthed, hot-tempered fishwives—occupies the northern tip of Worli Sea Face, a stretch of prime real estate and part of one of Mumbai’s hottest emerging neighborhoods. At the southern end of Worli, the strikingly designed Nehru Centre houses the city’s unexceptional Planetarium, as well as an exhibition covering the entire history of the nation in fairly absorbing detail (even if its displays are very old fashioned). Not far from here is Mahalaxmi Race Course, an alternative place to hobnob with certain kinds of Mumbai socialites; it’s in close proximity to the Mahalaxmi dhobi ghat, the world’s biggest open-air laundry, and one of the city’s most fascinating scenes—you can watch the laundrymen for hours from the bridge above the railways of Mahalaxmi Railway Station.

Finally, although not necessarily for the squeamish, it must be said that perhaps the most eye-opening insights into Mumbai life are to be garnered from a tour of Dharavi, recognized as Asia’s largest slum, and likely to change your way of looking at the world forever