Mumbai, a city where I spent my youth, had many a crush, went on my first date, fell in love, popped the question, got married…you get the drift. It is a city I am biased about and often fondly say “Mumbai Meri Jaan” (Mumbai My Love). I lived in Mumbai during my high school, college and initial work years. My dad served in the Indian Army and we constantly moved across the country, finally settling in Mumbai, which happens to be my longest stay in a city growing up. Many fond (and some forgettable) memories are hidden in pockets all over Mumbai.
So during our August 2023 vacation, when I floated the idea of formally touring the city with a guide, my family (Yash and Chitra) was perplexed, but in agreement. I thought they were simply being nice or didn’t care much. I had been planning this for Yash, who was born and raised in the US and has only visited India for vacations. In prior trips, we would use Mumbai as a base and travel further to other cities in India. We typically gravitate to vacation spots that get us closer to nature and wildlife. So this “only” Mumbai vacation was a first.
As I explored options for the city tour, I got connected with Deepa Krishnan, the owner of Magic Tours Of India. Their team had multiple tour options for Mumbai and were consultative in their approach. Touring South Mumbai was a given and I added Dharavi to the itinerary. I’ve always wanted to experience Dharavi with a local and Deepa’s team did just that for us. Another motivation, was that 100% of the proceeds from our Dharavi tour, supported a non-profit, Dharavi Art Room, and some students focused on getting through college. The finalized itinerary was for us to experience South Mumbai Local and Spirit of Dharavi tours.
When I shared this plan with Chitra, she was sure about joining us for the first half (South Mumbai), but very averse to participating in Spirit of Dharavi. I don’t blame her for it. It was the monsoon season and perceptions of Dharavi are very hard to shake off. Drum roll please and enter Smita Krishnan or Ma’am, as I address her. She was my professor in College and someone we already had plans to meet. I floated the idea to her and she was super excited about spending her time with us, on both the tours. For those who don’t know ma’am, her excitement is hard to contain; whether in a classroom, in a train, over the phone or on WhatsApp! So with ma’am’s participation being a firm ‘yes’, Chitra agreed as well, with a caveat, “I can bail at any time”.
As we got closer to our tour date, we were assigned guides for both the tours. Parveen was our guide for South Mumbai Local and a tag team of Amaan and Adnaan for Spirit of Dharavi.
Part 1: South Mumbai Local Tour
We started our South Mumbai tour with Parveen, from Gateway of India, meandering over to Regal Circle, Prince of Wales Museum, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai University, Oval Maidaan, Municipal Corporation Office and Chatrapati Shivaji Terminal (CST). This we did on foot and taking the famous, and now vintage ‘Kala Peela’ (Black Yellow) taxi.
As we approached the Prince of Wales museum, we could hear a constant buzz, very different from the typical street cacophony. It took us a while to realize, but there were hundreds, if not thousands, of fruit bats just flying over the tall and large trees by the perimeter of the museum. They looked awesome and for any Christain Bale – Batman – fan, it was a treat. You simply had to play the Batman background music in your mind. Least to say, Yash and I were both enthralled, while ma’am (a Zoology professor and head of the department) was trying to understand why the bats were displaying this active behavior in the morning. As far as I was concerned, Yash already had his “paisa wasool” (worth the money) moment of the tour. During our walk, we also ran into Hitler, reincarnated as a cat, which was a good laugh for all. Getting out of Oval Maiden, we decided to take a quick pit stop, slurping up ‘Ganne ka Ras’ (Fresh Unadulterated Sugar Cane Juice). It certainly took Chitra and me down memory lane, when this drink used to be a treat and a welcome reprieve from the summer heat. Yash too enjoyed this experience and spoke non stop about how his parents were subjecting him to diarrhea. Just to be clear, the street vendor was clean and none of us had any unpleasant experiences during or after the tour! Before I forget, Ma’am did zero down on why the bats were super active in the morning…the municipal corporation employees were ‘smoking out’ areas adjoining the museum, to deter mosquitoes (I guess), and that smoke had disturbed our nocturnal friends.
We took a double decker bus ride from CST to Churchgate and boy was it fun. This ride was not remotely similar to our experience while commuting in Mumbai for college or work in the 90s. These buses were fully air conditioned and our short journey was very comfortable. By now Yash was beginning to whine about how “tiring” and “long” our walk had been. He was the first to take a seat on the bus and ma’am sat next to him. Soon Parveen, our guide, pointed out that Yash was sitting on a reserved section for Senior ladies or Pregnant women. That triggered a banter between ma’am and him, leading to loud laughs and a few stares from other riders.
Next, we got into another Kala Peela and took a ride to Mani Bhavan, temporary home of Mahatma Gandhi in Mumbai. As soon as we stepped into the building, the temperature dropped (which was God sent) dramatically and a sense of calm pervaded each one of us. It seemed like everyone spoke in hushed tones of reverence while walking through this historical property. The restrooms were clean and we all freshened up there. Talking about restrooms, when we met ma’am in the morning, her first conversation with Chitra was about restrooms and how Chitra had used one, at the Taj Hotel, before the start of our tour. Upon hearing this, ma’am pulled out something called a Pee Buddy from her bag and gifted a few to Chitra. For ladies traveling to parts of the world, where finding clean restrooms is a challenge, this product is brilliant. More power and flow (OK, that was cheesy) to Pee Buddy.
We continued our tour, making our way to Swati Snack and were astonished we had never visited it earlier. Most of the snacks were unique (Parveen ordered for us) and we were also able to get nut free items for Yash. He has severe tree nut allergies and it is a constant fear in India. With full bellies, we made our way through a sabzi mandi (vegetable market) to Grant Road station. Hopped into a Mumbai local (train) and made our way to Mahalaxmi Station. Then a short walk to Dhobi Ghat (community laundry area). It was interesting to note, that the Shiv Sena government had built a small lookout point for tourists. We could get a good view of the Dhobi Ghat, along with Parveen’s voice over. Later we headed back to the train for another quick ride to Mahim station. This is where Parveen ended her tour and handed us over to Amaan and Adnaan for our Spirit of Dharavi tour.
For Parveen: You were great as our tour guide and such a good sport. It is challenging to lead a tour for people who are from the same city and yet make it interesting. We also got to learn about your life story and are amazed at how you have prioritized and managed your family. We are certain that your kiddo will grow up and celebrate your life. You are an inspiration!
Part 2: Spirit of Dharavi
Everyone living in Mumbai would have experienced Dharavi, from the outside looking in, during some part of their life. It was no different for me. We form a perception about a place and the people living in it. I was influenced by many popular Bollywood movies like Nayakan, Agneepath, Slum Dog Millionaire, Gully Boy etx. So when Amaan and Adnaan, who were our guides, introduced themselves and a gave a quick overview to Dharavi, all the hyperboles went out the window. They were both born and raised in Dharavi and were very balanced, grounded individuals. There was no dramatization of our surroundings or their experiences. We were also coached on photography, that it was OK in the industrial zones of the tour, and to refrain from it in the residential zones. This was not an issue at all, because we had already decided not to use our cameras. My objective was for Yash to experience Dharavi and how humans thrive in different ecosystems.
“Dharavi is a city within a city” remarked Amaan. He went on to state how Dharavi, the 3rd largest slum in the world, produced an annual accounted revenue of $1 Billion. Yes – USD 1 Billion. This came largely from four industries; textile, recycling, leather and pottery. He mentioned how Dharavi became a cluster of integrated people working in these industries. Religious and regional divides faded out, with a laser focus on industrial output.
We started walking from Mahim station and entered Dharavi. The surroundings were initially uncomfortable, but soon our focus shifted to life in Dharavi. Spread over approximately 500 acres, with a population of around 1 million, there were over 20 schools, multiple hospitals, dozens of clinics, banks, theaters, gyms, shopping centers and more. An out of state laborer can earn, spend, save and also transfer money, without leaving Dharavi. Hence it was ‘a city within a city’.
As we walked through various alleyways, the first major industry we witnessed was textile. Many major brands from around India sourced their products from companies with manufacturing units based here. It was interesting to observe their operations and how workers, largely single men, were given accommodations on the upper levels of these units. Amaan also emphasized how every byproduct (even shreds of textile cuttings) were recycled or reused within the industries operating in Dharavi.
Yash was born and raised in the US. His outlook of India is through a protective lens, from his multiple vacation trips. Also, he has seen Bollywood movies and definitely drew inferences. That was very evident to us, when he asked his first question outside a textile facility “Why do I see so many Pakistan flags?”. To my pleasant surprise, both Amaan and Adnaan, calmy answered, they were not Pakistan flags, but represented a muslim festival. In my American son’s defense, these were green flags with multiple stars and the moon! Phew…now I was beginning to worry what other questions he was going to spring on them.
Our next stop was the recycling industry. Apparently, 80% of Mumbai’s discarded plastic makes its way to Dharavi. We witnessed how a wall clock, a washing machine and music player were dismantled to their tiniest parts. Later handlers would, by touch, classify materials into various bins. From these bins they would be taken to further reuse or recycle. We also saw how a single use plastic water bottle is shredded, with a machine, into fine plastic thread and minute plastic balls, used in soft toys, mattresses and sofa cushions as filling. We have all seen videos, which talk about plastics never leaving surface of earth, but witnessing the volume in a small industrial shop is impactful. Unskilled laborers, would typically start their work journey in the recycling industry. You gain experience and move to higher skilled activities. Answering my question, I was informed that workers, who were doing the sorting of materials, including plastic, were highly skilled. Not everyone could touch and feel a plastic byproduct and know what type of recycle/reuse ability it had. The volume and velocity of this work is mind numbing.
The leather industry operations were vast and elaborate. We walked around giant washing and compressing machines. How they functioned, what would be the output and again how every byproduct was reused. On a hot and humid day, we visited an air conditioned leather products factory outlet. It was fascinating to see the final products on a beautiful display, especially, because we had just walked through the dusky and at times smoke and dust filled manufacturing facilities. Answering my question, tanneries were no longer located in Dharavi, they had been moved out to other cities and towns.
I almost forgot to mention that a bulk of the machinery that we witnessed were manufactured in Dharavi. A few exceptions were the giant washing and compressing machines. To keep these factories up and running,
a sub industry for parts and maintenance, has also flourished. As a business process expert, I would be very fascinated to capture, on a workflow chart the inputs and outputs from each industry and visually see how many of the flows would start or end within Dharavi.
Yash’s next fascination was with the number of goats he got to see. Adnaan was forthcoming, telling him they were being fed and raised for an upcoming Muslim festival. And to my surprise, Yash was not all gloom and doom. He took that information well and carried along. For most of this tour, he was walking ahead with Amaan and at times with Adnaan. He learnt how Amaan grew up and had over a dozen goats in his home. That, for sure, triggered thoughts of envy and how incompetent his parents were!!
We moved over to the residential zones and learnt how 5 to 7 people lived in a 100 square feet room. I have to mention, we never entered any home. We walked outside and understood how people managed their sanitation needs. Answering Smita Ma’am’s question, they spoke about how COVID-19 was managed during the pandemic. To my recollection, Dharavi was in the news for the protocols deployed to curtail the spread and how successful they were, given the population density. Having gone through the tour, I was amazed at how people survived and remained hopeful.
Our last part of the tour was the pottery industry. None of us were correctly able to guess where the textile scraps and cuttings were being used. To our astonishment, the pottery industry was its final destination. They were used as fuel in the baking process!
For Amaan: I never mentioned this during our tour, but you have an impressive personality. It came as no surprise, that you were disciplined in your workout routine. You took pride in your roots and what your family had accomplished. My best wishes to you, as you expand your denim apparel business to the international market. Your parents should be very proud of you.
For Adnaan: As Yash mentioned to you, your spoken English was great! He later also shared, that your written English was good and nothing to shy away from. He looks forward to interacting with you over WhatsApp. You are a well grounded individual and will do well in life. Also, in Amaan, you have a good mentor.
In closing, this was our first, only city vacation and my most memorable moments come from the two tours we participated in. No offense to any of our friends and family, whom we visited, but none of your homes had bats or goats! I want to sincerely thank Smita ma’am for investing her time on these tours, tolerating the Menons (all together). I am certain, during our next visit she will politely meet us for coffee! Until next time, Mumbai Meri Jaan.
Related data points:
- Magic tours of India (https://www.magictoursofindia.com)
- Dharavi Art Room (https://artroom.mystrikingly.com)
- Article on Dharavi’s response to the pandemic (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7832248/)
- South Mumbai Tour short video (https://youtu.be/L-v5iixYexk)
SHANT ATMAN 