A Toast to the City of Dreams!

Bombay Diva. The goddess that is Mumbadevi who gave her name to Mumbai, formally christened Bombay during the British Raj. She's Mumbai on her passport but Bombay to those born in the days before her name changed. Different names, many masks, a face that launched a thousand ships and still does. The port city made of seven islands joined together to create one. And this unity could once be seen in its people. Different religions, nationalities, cultures, traditions all melded to create a rainbow that dazzled and shone all over India attracting those who wanted to fulfill their dreams, make money, support families.

She's no stranger to you; her fame has reached far-flung shores perhaps in the form of news about her film industry, famous industrialists, cricketers, tourists, government, etc. She's still a mystery...an adventure waiting to begin.

I love living here. I'm lucky that I never had to move away too far. Everytime I hop on a train or a bus that takes me to Bombay, I feel her breath on my face, sand in my hair, the smell of the sea in my nostrils. And then, a vision! The wide roads and old world charm of Churchgate. The shops, cafes and rocky beach promenade of Bandra. The shopping stores, joggers park and Versova beach at Andheri. Dadar and Matunga: visiting grandparents during summer vacations, playing at Shivaji Park where two of the biggest cafe chains have set up shop almost side-by-side. The huge malls and tiny restaurants of Malad. Kemps Corner where Orhan Pamuk, Nobel award-winning writer, signed my book. Lower Parel - a land of mills now turned malls. It's amazing to see restaurants and shopping complexes with extremely high ceilings. Charni Road and Grant Road with Mumbai's oldest jewellers and retailers. Every space and corner of Bombay beautifully unique and with its own speciality. Bombay's the ocean where each suburb is a drop of water that makes the whole. When viewed from really high up, every town and suburb vanishes from view to create the island that's Bombay.

Here's to the Diva - the light - that's Bombay.