Trip to India and Surrounding Areas - Mumbai (Bombay), India - April 12, 2017

Today, after eating breakfast, we went outside to watch us come into Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay).  This was another day we were really looking forward to! 

 Arrival in the Mumbai Cruise Terminal

As we were leaving the boat at 10:00 a.m., there were so many men holding signs for all the buses and cars that would be taking all the tourists from the ship.

 We got an older gentleman who, just like so many of the other tour guides we've had, spoke British English combined with his Indian accent, and was very difficult to understand.

 Mumbai has over 20 million people who live there.  Originally, this city was called Mumbai, then the British who occupied it couldn't say it correctly, so they called it Bombay.  Now it has been restored back to the original name of Mumbai. 

As we came us to this beautiful building, it was difficult to believe, but this is the central train station of Mumbai.  It was named Victoria Terminus in 1887 during Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Celebration, and as a Gothic Victorian style, it shows the influence the British had when they formerly ruled India. Today it is called Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and is the headquarters of India’s Central Railway company.   In 1996, the terminal's name of Victoria was renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji, for a great King of India. 

The columns of the entrance gates are crowned by figures of a lion (representing Great Britain) and a tiger (representing India). 

 

 The sign states that this railroad terminal is actually a World Heritage Monument completed in 1888.

 

With 2 to 3 million people going through this main terminal  a day, you must go through a very heavy security to get in.

The terminal is gigantic and is very beautiful inside!

In the train station are many shops along the sides.

 Throughout India, there are cricket fields as cricket is the most popular sport in India.

 We next arrived at the Gateway of India, also known as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai.  It is the city's top tourist attraction and was a structure erected to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary when they visited India in 1911.

(FYI this pic was taken by one of the many photographers in the area who literally take your picture and print it off on the printer which is in his backpack and can hand it to you almost immediately when you pay him your negotiated price.) 

We then had some pics taken on our own.

 The last British troops to leave India following the country's independence, passed through the gateway on their way out in a ceremony on 28 February 1948 signalling the end of British rule.

 Behind Sam, me, and George, is the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel built in 1903, with an additional tower built in 1973.  It had to be repaired extensively after terrorists attacked it in 2008 and killed 167 people there. 

The Gateway of India lies on the Mumbai Harbor.  A beautiful location for a beautiful landmark!

We, also, saw the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), formerly Prince of Wales Museum of Western India where 50,000 artwork and talents of their Indian Artists are displayed, their history, as well as objects from foreign lands.  

The museum was founded in the early years of the 20th century by prominent citizens of Mumbai, with the help of the government, to commemorate the visit of Edward VIII, who was Prince of Wales at the time. 

The museum building is surrounded by a garden of palm trees and formal flower beds, which are just beautiful!

We couldn't take pics inside, but we really enjoyed our short time there at the museum, as Jessi and Pam agree.
 There were street vendors everywhere!
 

 They even tried to sell us things through our windows on the bus!
 

 Driving through Mumbai, it was hard not to notice the extreme poverty the people live in.

We thought this was pretty funny--I guess people love ice cream everywhere!

As we reached what is known as Chowpatty Beach on Marine Drive, we saw a beautiful place that the people can come to get away from the crowded conditions they live in. 

It was beautiful there!

We next visited the residence of Mahatma ("high-souled") Gandhi who was the leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India.  Gandhi resided here in Bombay (Mumbai) from 1917 to 1934.  It was fascinating to learn more about this nonviolent man who was unofficially called the "Father of the Nation" who inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

 I snapped this pic as we were going in of a tree growing there.  It was so interesting!

  Once you enter the residence, there is a library with a statue of the Mahatma where people offer tributes.

 Then you climb a staircase, which is dotted with Gandhi's pictures depicting his life.  The staircase leads visitors to the first floor which has a photo gallery with photographs from his childhood till his assassination, along with press clippings. 

 

 The room that Gandhi used during his stay here is on the second floor, where through a glass partition, people can see two of his spinning wheels, a book, and his bed on the floor. 

 On the next floor are dioramas telling the story of Gandhi's life.  I have posted just a few of them.  They were made with amazing detail!  The one above showed him seeking permission from his mother to go to England to further his studies.  She granted the permission only after he took a vow not to touch wine, women, or meat.

Gandhi's life was filled with causes that he felt would further India and his beloved people there.  He inaugurated the campaign for the boycott of foreign cloth by kindling an immense bonfire in Bombay for the economic emancipation of India.

 Gandhi's famous salt march protesting the tax the British were placing on salt which he felt was unfair to the poor in India.

 To Gandhi, India's ability to free itself from British rule began with ending the historic division between social castes.  After six days without food and mounting social pressure, Gandhi successfully forced the hand of the British government, which reversed the separation decision and accepted the principal terms of a settlement between higher-caste Indians and the untouchables -- or as Gandhi called them, the "Children of God."

 Gandhi made this speech to help India gain independence. 

 This showed the death of Gandhi's beloved 74-year old wife, Kasturba, who died on February 22, 1944, because of pneumonia.  This ended their 62-year-old companionship.

 On 30 January 1948, Grandhi was with his grandnieces on his way to address a prayer meeting, when a man named Nathuram Godse fired three bullets from a pistol into Gandhi's chest at point-blank range.  Godse was a Hindu nationalist with links to an extremist organization who felt that Gandhi was guilty of favoring Pakistan and who strongly opposed Grandhi's doctrine of nonviolence.  Godse and his co-conspirator were tried and executed a year later.

 All of India, as well as many in the entire world, mourned Gandhi's death.  On his pyre was the message:  "Lead me from the Unreal to the Real, From Darkness to Light, From Death to Immortality."

 

 I LOVE this plaque which stated Gandhi's feelings about prayer and service.

 Such an educational experience!

The Malabar Hill district is notably the most exclusive residential area in Mumbai.  However, stopping at the Hanging Gardens in that district which was built over the top of a water tower was a bit disappointing after the gardens we saw in Singapore.

What a difference a few miles made!  From one of the most expensive areas in Mumbai, we then drove about half an hour to the area known as Dharavi Slum where "Slum Dog Millionaire" was filmed.  The poverty, filth, number of people, smells, just made us all feel a pit in our stomach. 

People just put out a blanket and their items to sell, anywhere, even if it's right out on the street!

Under the viaducts are very popular places to sell items.

Carts loaded with items for sale are right in the streets with all the cars.

Women and children not only have items for sale on the streets, but this is probably their place of residence, as well.

This area of Dharavi has over 6 1/2 million people in it!

A baker with bread for sale.

Young men are scavenging items they have found in the river that can be recycled for sale.

 And there are always plenty of items to scavenge through.

  

 

Walking through the streets was just unbelievable that people could live in conditions like this!

We saw how everyone was working--no beggars--just the little kids would tag along and one asked me if I had any money, but that was all.  The people were getting things from the garbage and dumps and then recycling them like cardboard, plastic, metal, as well as putting together different pieces to make new washers, etc.

 

 Very interesting to see many sewing factories--all the seamstresses were men!

Some  of the seamstresses were making leather items--never out of a cow.  To kill a cow could mean life in prison.  George got him a new sheep-skin wallet for $8 which is of the finest quality. 

All of a sudden, a goat was walking along with us.
 
 

He found his way back to his owner, I guess. 

 

A lot of us had taken candy for the children, which they loved.

A couple of little guys became George's best friends!
 




George and I were so relieved when we had almost lost our way in the slums when we were distracted with the little kids, but out of nowhere a man came along (not Indian) and pointed us to the group who were going totally the opposite way we were headed.  This was truly a miracle!   With no cell phone and absolutely no idea of where we were or how to get back to the bus, there is little chance that we could have ever found them without this miracle happening!

We saw a small laundry.

Dogs were running rampant and found food in the garbage.

This was an interesting little shop that was so fancy among all the other shops that were so run down.

Even fish and seafood are for sale . . . un-iced, of course.

As we were leaving the slum area in the evening, we saw the train passing--it was absolutely packed with people!  Many of them hanging out the doors because there was no other place to stand.
 

People were starting to make their dinner and lie down on their blankets.  And the sad thing is, the next day would be exactly like today . . . and the day after . . . and the day after that.

As we were traveling back to the ship, all of us felt so much appreciation for the many blessings we enjoy each and every day.  We stopped to see a huge laundry place--much larger than the one in Sri Lanka, but those people all work so hard--4:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. at night--16 hours a day. 

Thinking back of the day, I will say the people fascinated me the most - they all seemed to be busy with their day's work.  Like I said, absolutely no one came up to us to ask for a handout.  Amazing!  I will never forget this place, but especially the people.  Thanks to Jessi and M'Lisa for, also, adding to these pics of the people we met today!

We were happy to see a little open area where there were children playing and having fun--with their stick bats and stone bases, and rocks used to see who can get closest to an object.

  

We got back to the ship and fortunately, there was no trouble getting back on because the ship had given us the right landing card.  We ate dinner on Floor 10 because it was 7:30 p.m. and we had missed our dining hour in the main dining room.  We went back to our room and put all our laundry away that the ship's laundry people had done for us.  Then we went to the Illusionists show in the Celebrity Theater.  He was really good, but I slept through part of the show because I was so tired.  This truly was one of the most interesting days of my life!  There was a feeling of helplessness at what we saw today.  However, each day if we can help out people around us in their needs, we can at least start there.  Such a great life lesson we observed today!

  Tonight we had to turn our clocks back another 1 1/2 hours.  This seemed so strange, but at least we were gaining time each time we made the change!