MISCELLANEOUS, Mumbai

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Whilst visiting the Haji Ali Mosque in northern Mumbai, I noticed loads of people clambering on top of the rocks that lie at the end of the causeway that connects on the mosque to the mainland. I've no idea why there were so many people here or what they were doing so if someone can fill me in then let me know!

During my stay I was guided and guarded by my host and friend Aadil so no danger occured to me nor I have warnings to give. The usual and not harsh at all interest, curiosity and begging shown towards tourists, were reserved to me in the other parts of India I visited without a body guard ;-) so I reserve more particulars for the tips of those pages.. Anyway I heartly think that when you visit a country with traditions and habits which look different from your usual ones, why not to approach them with a friendly curiosity and willing to learn by them instead of judging and thinking yours are the best..

A punjabi is a salwar-kameez where salwars are pyjama-like trousers drawn tightly in at the waist and the ankles. Over the salwars, a long and loose tunic known as a kameez.
A churidar can be worn instead of a salwar: a churidar is similar to the salwar but is tighter fitting at the hips, thighs and ankles. Over this, one might wear a collarless or mandarin-collar tunic called a kurta.
But the traditional clothing of Indian women is the sari (also written saree or shari) : worn in varied styles, it is a long piece of flat cotton, silk or other fabric woven in different textures with different patterns.

The majority of Indian women seem to wear traditional Indian dresses while most men wear shirts and trousers.
However the traditional men outfit seems to be a long pieces of flat cotton worn under a shirt, sometimes covering both legs, sometimes wrapped like a sort of short pants.

On my second to last evening in Mumbai, a section of street was closed off near the Prince of Wales Museum.

Throughout the pedestrianized area, stands were set up with different crafts on display. There was also live music, paintings on display and a lot of visitors. I'm not sure if it was an annual event, or something more frequent than that, but it was a great opportunity to take another look at handiwork and techniques similar to that which I had seen in Gujarat.

Bombay has given inspiration to many a writers imagination, hence becoming focal point of many a novel.
To get a good feel of Bombay and get under its skin, touch its under-belly, feel its pull you might want to read the following works of literary acclaim.
Salman Rushdie - Midnights Children, The Moors Last Sigh.
Rohinton Mistry - A Fine Balance, Tales from Firozshah Baugh.
Adarshir Vakil - Beach Boy.

It is a feature of most cultures that indirect speech is the most polite form. "Would you mind if I looked at this?" is considered more polite than "Show me that." This is also true in Indian languages but not all Indians speaking English are versed in the full form of the language and may inadvertently seem abrupt in their speech. The touts that have only learned a bit of English on the street aren't intentionally putting tourists off by barking rudely at them. Similarly, you may find it useful to simplify your English to get your point across. Saying "Where is the post office" may be clearer to someone than asking" Could you please tell me where I could find the post office?"

Art buffs will like the art galleries in Bombay. The Jehangir art gallery shown here is one of Bombay's premier galleries and features the works of several artists. It depicts the fusion of modernity and culture which is what life in Bombay is..

The Hindu King Jadav Rana of that time, CE, granted them refuge in his kingdom. He gave them fertile land to live on and the Zoroastrian pilgrims called their new abode Sanjan, in memory of the place they originally came from in north-west Khorasan. These Zoroastrian immigrants came to be known as the Parsees.

More than a hundred years afer the defeat of the last Sassanian King, Yazdagird III, by the Arabs, a group of Zoroastrians from the Iranian province of Khorasan (ancient Parthia) decided to leave Iran because of religious persecution. They made their way south, to the port of Hormuzd on the Persian Gulf, where eventually they secured a ship to take them overseas. They sailed from Iran and landed on an island known today as Diu, near the west coast of India. They lived on that Island for 19 years, after which, they set sail once again to reach mainland India. At sea, they got caught in a fierce storm and they prayed for divine help. They promised to build an Atash Behram if Behram, the Yazata of Victory, saved them from the ferocious storm. Their wish came true and they landed safely in Gujarat, the west coast province of India.

Over the years, these great fires, as well as others were moved to various places or co-joined with one another and it is impossible to trace their whereabouts through the centuries. Most of the fire-temples were destroyed through successive conquests of Iran by Arabs, Turks and Mongols.