Recreation in Mumbai

Marine Drive

This seaside promenade has joined the long list of Mumbai attractions that have been rechristened in a fit of nationalist fervor.  It is now called Netaji Subhashchandra Marg.  Stretching from the glass skyscrapers at Nariman Point to crowded Chowpatty Beach, Marine Drive offers a rare oasis of calm accompanied by uninterrupted views of the Arabian Sea in Mumbaikars’ otherwise frenzied lives.  Popular with locals who stroll or jog by, the best time to visit is during sunset when rows of twinkling streetlights transform Marine Drive into what is appropriately called the Queen’s Necklace.  To truly enjoy this spectacle, grab a drink and sit at one of the more exclusive restaurants in the neighborhood while you gaze out at the glittering arc of lights beyond.  

Chowpatty Beach

To Mumbai’s north and close to Marine Drive, Chowpatty Beach is the place to head for those who want to watch the Great Indian Family in action.  Its polluted waters are far from tempting, but the place truly comes alive at nights and weekends when families throng to picnic, get a massage, or just people watch.  Street stalls do brisk business, astrologers ply their trade, and children flock to the Ferris wheels set up on the sands.  Although Chowpatty street food - a mix of noodles, puffed rice, and fried puris slathered with sauces and known locally as “bhel” - is renowned throughout the country, it doesn’t win any major points on hygiene.  Fortunately, there are juice shops and “bhel” outlets just across the street that serve up authentic street food flavors.  To witness fun loving Mumbaikars at their riotous best, drop by Chowpatty during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival held in honor of the beloved elephant-headed god, Ganesha.  The merriment is spread out over a period of 10 days which climaxes in a grand procession when thousands of Ganesha idols are immersed in the seas.  

Dhobi Ghat

This is where Mumbai’s laundry aficionados, known locally as dhobis, pound the dirt from the city’s clothes.  Supposedly the world’s largest outdoor laundry, the Dhobi Ghat is home to more than 200 families who collect clothes from doorsteps, wash, iron, and then return them for a nominal fee.  Rows upon rows of open washing spaces, each with its own slab of stone, are the setting for some very effective, if basic, cleaning methods – stains are removed by dipping clothes in large cauldrons of boiling caustic soda, and once they dry, are perfectly pressed with traditional wood burning irons.  At the very least, it’s a unique photo op that helps capture one more facet of the city’s culture. 

Bollywood

You can’t say you’ve done Mumbai until you’ve taken in a Bollywood film.  After all, the city is to Hindi films what LA is to Hollywood.  Newspapers offer daily listings of the latest melodramas being screened.  Catch a flick at an old world style cinema hall with art deco touches and vintage posters on the walls, or head to one of the city’s many multiplexes where you can choose from a selection of the latest movies playing.  To avoid missing the point, hire a guide to fill you in on all the intriguing plot twists and turns.