Mumbai - The City of Dreams

                                    

I am Mumbai.. The city of cloud-cuckoo-land for millions of populace including the trivial children, hot-blooded adolescents and eager grown-ups flooding in with thrill and exhilaration with every single sunrise. It’s me the pin-up of all the aspirants who look up to me to get their ambitions fulfilled. It’s me that people call the ultimate hub where lives are full of activity and leisure is a far-fetched expectation. I am a well-renowned entity known for the qualities of perseverance, determination and high degree of grit. I teach everyone to face failure and stand up again and yet again after thousands of falls. I am made of people from varied lifestyles and an array of backgrounds but the universal truth that shall gloss forever is that I love my people and I support and guide them when faced by ups and downs and so do they when I fall down with political or terrorist attacks, natural calamities or day-to-day difficulties. This is the glorious relation we share and will be sharing for many more years to come.

Since I am a city categorically known for new beginnings and people with traditional values and beliefs every fresh start in my boundaries happen with the blessings of God Ganesha. The idea is to give a touch of serenity to the start-up and keep it away from the odds and evil deeds. So let us all get together and shout it out “Ganpati Bappa Moraya”.

Busy lives, hectic work hours, deadlines, time constraints are words which revolve in the minds of all my dwellers. “Reach at a place in a particular time duration or loose the deal, get fired, feel disappointed and other such consequences are well-understood by all the individuals.” Roads with traffic jams, potholes and other such reasons force people to choose public transport. Then comes the additional parameter of a “speedy public transport”. And this is exactly what distinguishes me from the other cities. You say I give that’s my motto. You asked for a speedy transportation mode and I gave you the local trains. Can you imagine a life without local trains? The answer is an obvious NO. The unique mode that takes you from one place to another, from one corner to other corner in the most convenient and fastest way.

Life is going easy. There’s joy everywhere. I am happy and gay to see my children leading a fulfilling life and then the worse happens. The terrorist attack. The trains get bombed. The life support system of my people comes to a standstill. There is death, blood, loss of life and property. Smiles fade and frowns replace them. There’s mourning everywhere. The earning member of the family, the young son, the hard-working daughter, the loving mother, the dedicated father are lost from some families. But the city bounces back. They speak up. It’s a punch in the face of the evil-doers. The life line of the city the trains start refunctioning. People start traveling again. “Defeat” is replaced with the word “Fight”. And here I am and my people in the same position as we were before fulfilled, joyful and content.

Spice Rush

                               

Spice Rush a holding of Saffron Spice is an ultimate destination to rush for all the gourmets which along with Andheri and Powai now also serves at Churchgate. It is a place where they celebrate food and have introduced an exceptional concept wherein they have fused old Indian cuisine with the continental style. Along with the enticing cuisines the cherry on the cake is the seating sequence wherein the ground floor caters quick service to the fast moving youth of Mumbai while the upper floor is tailored for corporates with a cross continental buffet.

                  Mouth-watering burgers, pastas, hotdogs and sandwiches are served on the ground floor with Horizon burger, Farmhouse burger, Texas hotdog, Northwest samples being the key highlights. The upper floor serves a buffet lunch which includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian salads, soups, starters, main course and deserts while on-menu dinner is served at night. The signature dishes are Lucknowi Gosht Masala, Prawns Malai Curry, Chilly Charcoal Prawns and Dal Bukhara. The Executive Sous Chef for Spice Rush Mr.Sohan Singh Negi introduces Chest Salad which is a dish from his surreptitious basket which is completely lip-smacking. The youth dishes on the ground floor would come in a range of Rs80 to Rs215 while a lunch buffet per head would cost Rs 299.As compared to the upper floor fewer crowd is spotted on the ground floor as the price seems a little high for a college going student but considering the taste the prices are justified. The Mexican burger that I have tasted is absolutely yummy and would cost you Rs129 inclusive of tax.

                 Spice Rush defines itself with a unique panache which is a combination of scrumptious food, magical ambience and welcoming staff which makes you visit Spice Rush often.

                 

Eatbest..!!!!

                                              

Krishna Palace is a three star hotel at Nana Chowk, the parent hotel in which is situated “The FLUTE” which is a fine dining restaurant. The Flute which is located on the first floor of Krishna Palace is making its presence felt for many years now this being the successful 6^th year. The FLUTE is a multi-cuisine restaurant that has a perfect blend of scrumptious food and tranquil ambience to ensure that every meal makes a memorable experience.

        The FLUTE offers a wide array of dishes which includes Punjabi, Chinese, Mexican and Italian both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian. The FLUTE is very famous for its mock tail and cocktail concoctions which help to lift people’s drooping spirit. Other than this there are certain fruit dishes which act as a cherry on the cake. Every section has certain signature dishes with Pasta Salad, Hawaiian Salad being highlighters of Salad house while on the other hand the mouth watering soups include Tom Yum soup, Prawn Bisque and Jade soup. The unique starters are Vietnamese spring rolls, conjee crispy and paper wrapped chicken. There are certain special dishes from every state such as Kerala’s Allepy Curry, while Goa’s Prawns Balchao and Konkan’s Malwani curry. The rates of all dishes lie between Rs115 – Rs250 on an average which is value for money considering the quality and taste.

       Besides the flavorsome food the focal point of The FLUTE are the recreation activities undertaken by the restaurant to lighten their customer’s mood. The FLUTE has “GHAZAL NIGHTS” by Mr. Monishlal Chheda every Tuesday and Wednesday which begins at 7.30 and continues after mid-night. Besides this “Karaoke Nights” are held every Thursday and so also for Sunday lunch whereby the customers can dedicate songs to their loved ones or also themselves go up on the stage and sing or at times even Antakshari is played. “Karaoke Nights” are hosted by Mr. Chopra. Both the events are well appreciated by the customers and so also a wide response is noticed. However all that can be said is The Flute is an apt place for delicious food with a combination of complete groovy entertainment. The FLUTE is an ultimate destination for all Gourmets.

Jai Ganesh Sandwich Corner

                                

Sydenham College, Churchgate I feel has the best canteen with variety of dishes available at nominal rate but still the students are seen rushing out of the college when hungry. This is because of the “Sandwich Corner” that has been serving delicious sandwiches to students those have the taste of a kind. This Sandwich Corner has been here for 12 years now. Be it the scorching heat or the heavy rains students are always seen crowding at this eatery.

       The Sandwiches which are available include a wide array from Plain Vegetable Sandwich to Balaji Sandwich. Bread Butter or Bread Butter Jam is served for breakfast. However the USP sandwich is the Vegetable Cheese Chilly Sandwich which has the best stuffing that I have ever tasted. The price of the sandwiches range from Rs12 to Rs30 and I must say its value for money. Plain Vegetable Sandwich costs Rs10 while Vegetable Toast Sandwich and Masala Toast costs Rs15. On the other hand cheese Toast Sandwich is for Rs25 while Balaji and Samosa Sandwiches are for Rs30 each. The taste of the sandwiches is enriched by the orange colored garlic chutney which has a peculiar taste and students are seen craving for it.

       Besides this the cheapest item available is the “Slice” which has potato stuffed in slice bread with pepper and salt sprinkled on it. The ultimate dish when your pocket is empty as it costs merely Rs7. This corner opens at morning 8am and shuts at 8pm. And not to forget if you are a regular customer at this corner then you have added benefits like the credit facility and at times a “Slice” free of cost. I recommend you to get a bite of sandwiches of this corner and you shall always cherish the taste.

Vidyuth

                     

VidYuth is an organization which was established in November, 2008 to raise voice against the wrong and so also help individuals to be the change by being a part of the process. The members of Vidyuth rightly state that the sole aim of this association is to provide the masses with a platform to bring social change. Mr. Anshuman Sinha is the founder and initiator on Vidyuth while his colleagues Mr. Somesh Kamra and Mr. Varun Verma assist him in the day-to-day affairs and overall management of the association.

      The main objective behind formation of VidYuth was to involve the Youth in the process to initiate change. The activity carried out by VidYuth is patrolling of South Bombay area to locate any untoward activity and report it to the cops. The areas covered include Churchgate, Dhobitalao and Fashion Street among others. Their aim is to fight against a huge range of grievances and troublesome activities which include violence, theft, eve-teasing, ragging and so on and so forth. At the moment there are 40 volunteers with Vidyuth moreover college students who are striving hard to take care of the problematic areas. VidYuth volunteers are seen once a week on the streets of South Bombay on bikes, cars and foot working selflessly to contribute to the society.

      Vidyuth has come up with a martial arts firm “Knockout” where free style martial arts and self-defense techniques are taught. Paying attention to the increasing ragging cases VidYuth in support with Mr. Milind Deora has sent a letter to the State Minister to give priority to this issue and is also backed by Mr. Kachru father of the deceased ragging victim. Till now Vidyuth has been successful in the activities undertaken by them.

“We aim to make our organization bigger and wider and create fear in the minds of people engaging in any illegal activity” as told by Mr. Anshuman Sinha.                       For more details on Vidyuth or to join as a volunteer visit the “VidYuth” group on facebook or visit www.vidyuth.org.

Intercollegiate Festival

                 

Population First is an NGO situated at Fountain which has been striving hard to create awareness regarding the “Save Girl Child” issue. The youth wing of this NGO is coming up with a grand intercollegiate festival for the very first time. The main motive is to sensitize the youth about the issue. The objective is to have a fiesta by the youth, of the youth and for the youth.

        The event would be based on the NGO’s Laadli Campaign that has been in action for quite some time. The event is still in its preliminary stage and the full-fledged working would start in the month of June. The organizing committee would consist of students from more than 30 colleges in order to reach a wider audience. The members of the NGO state that they are lucky to get a great response from the youth and the surprising part is that out of the total number of volunteers who have signed in the majority of them are boys. Besides this talks are on with certain big brands in order to get sponsors and partners.

      The interviews for the posts to different departments would be conducted in the month of June. After the committee is laid down a gender sensitization workshop would be conducted for all. Then July and August the plan would be bought into action by immense hard work and dedication as quoted by one of the volunteer. The event would happen in the month of September. Till now the South Bombay colleges have been active and responsive to this event however the members believe that reaching the suburbs won’t take them much time. The venue of the event is not fixed and different events will take place at different colleges. The members are optimistic that the event would be a great success and promise to become bigger and wider in years to come.

Mani Bhavan

         As Gandhi Jayanti is approaching I felt the need to bring to your notice this interesting place in Gamdevi which manifests life of Mahatma Karamchand Gandhi – Our Father of Nation to whom most of us look up to. Mani Bhavan is that ultimate Gandhi Memorial where one can have a peek-a-boo in Gandhiji’s life and understand history in its simplest form. I assure you that the moment you step inside you will be mesmerized by the display and be carried away in a world where you would assume that things are actually happening in and around you.

  As you enter Mani Bhavan straight inside is the Gandhian library where books by and on Gandhiji and Gandhian Thought as well as allied subjects can be found. Besides this it subscribes to 50 periodicals on Peace Research and different social sciences. Then on the first floor is the Picture Gallery which gives an account of Gandhiji in Mani Bhavan and important events in his life. It includes certain significant letters, articles and documents written by and about Gandhiji. One can also find a few replica’s of Gandhiji’s belongings and so also places which have been closely related to Gandhiji like Sabarmati Ashram, his prison cell among others. On the second floor is the Museum where different events on Gandhiji’s life are portrayed with the help of puppets. At the entrance of the Museum is the place where Gandhiji worked and lived which contains his belongings such as the spinning wheel, his aasana, books that he read and his stick.

     On the terrace a bronze plaque with an inscription now marks the place of the tent in which Gandhiji was arrested in January, 1932. This is the place where he use to sleep and hold prayers. I strongly suggest at least a one time visit to Mani Bhavan to pay homage to such a great freedom fighter. This is an ultimate source of inspiration for all freedom and peach loving individuals all over the world.