City bird : The Flight of the Pigeon

The Pigeon is one bird that has adapted successfully to the of the city.
It is the 'city bird' along with the crow.

It is a delight to see these beauties flap their wings and take to the sky, the sight is both liberating and refreshing.

Fishermen

Fisher-woman returning home.

The Fishermen are the original inhabitants of Mumbai , locally they are known as 'Koli's.

Fishing was once a thriving business in Mumbai but the increased sea water pollution and unchecked construction along the sea front have led to a decline in fish catch over the years.

Fisher folk at work

The Sacrificial Goat

Shakurbhai purchased this goat(he-goat) a few years ago while it was small and vulnerable, it was well fed and looked after over the years.

He takes pride in walking with the goat in his locality and is popularly identified as the " Shakurbhai with the tallest goat" in his neighbourhood.

With time he has become fond of the goat and now he plans to sacrifice it on Eid this week.

Flying High : Going places

Here everyone seem to be going somewhere, albeit the means differ .
Some are on the flight, the others on the bus whereas this man and his son prefer the walk.

India seems to be going places, flying high!

Wirefree in Dharavi

wirefree in Dharavi


The Telecom revolution is here to stay and the increased competition amongst the Telecom companies translates into a lot of smiles for the customers,like this man in Dharavi;even his goat seems impressed.

Religious Tolerance : The true Indian spirit

A Busy Mumbai traffic wades patiently & discreetly to make space for their brethren to offer Namaaz during Ramadan.

Religious tolerance and spiritual freedom have been the hall marks of the Indian way of life.

A true Mumbaikar respects and understands this and has adopted it as a way of life.

Ganesha once Again

Mumbai once again bid farewell to it's favourite Elephant headed god 'Ganesha' with chants of ' Phudchya Varshi Lavkar Ya'.

Children of the Rooftops

                    Munni with brother Raja on the rooftop of their house,its their 'playground' by default

'Open Spaces' in Mumbai are a rare luxury, more so in the shanties.

In the absence of open spaces and play grounds these children play on the rooftops of their houses.They don't dare go on the crowded streets below so are forced to spend most of their free time here.

There is little  care and concern for the need of play grounds for  children; Housing the ever growing population seems to be the priority with one and all.

Consequently many childhoods in Mumbai are being lost forever by each passing day in this mad quest for ' development '.


                                   Playing with the pigeons

Akhara Kusti : a Struggle for Survival

Akhara Kusti or Indian style wrestling was once a very popular sport in India.
But now it is struggling for it's survival.Except for these spirited and passionate wrestlers who work by day in menial jobs to make a living, this fascinating sport will be lost forever.

Two Views

A wise man once said , "Saawan Ke Andhe ko sab Hara Hi Hara Nazar Aata hai."
-- What you 'Perceive' is 'perceived' by your own 'Perception'.

Here are two views, two perspectives,two extremes of Mumbai.
The city has all the colors there that are, its a matter of choice what exactly you are looking for.

Cuffe Parade aerial view





Dharavi aerial view