DHARAVI SLUM TOUR

One of the best things I did on this, or any other trip, is visit the Dharavi slum with Reality Tours and Travel. Asia's largest slum, Dharavi is infamously home to over a million people, many of them migrants, all living on less than one square mile of reclaimed marshland on the edge of Mumbai. Prince Charles and Bill Clinton have both visited these slums.

The living conditions look terrible and they are terrible. Some estimates state there is one toilet for every 1,488 people. These people are not hopeless, however - indeed, they are the most energetic people in the city, and most homes, when you look inside, are spotless.

Dharavi is much more than cold a statistic. What makes it special are the extraordinary people who live there, many of whom have defied fate and an unhelpful State to prosper through a mix of backbreaking work, some luck and a great deal of ingenuity. Inside Dharavi, covering 530 acres near the airport, goods worth over $600 million a year are produced. Alleyways a few feet wide lead to bakeries, metal workshops and sheds that recycle discarded plastic goods ranging from medical syringes to telephones. Workers in a series of tiny workshops spray-paint, cut and press strips and sheets of leather and vinyl that eventually finish up as cheap wallets and bags plus, in some cases, upmarket luggage (often fake international brands). Few of the workers earn more than 100-200 Rupees ($2-4) a day, and families often live in overcrowded lofts over the workshops. Yet there is progress, and hope.

I hope the following pictures convey what an amazing place this is.

MUMBAI TRAINS

I stopped by Church Gate station, where on an average day, six million commuters struggle to get on trains that can only accomodate 2 million passengers. To say it gets physical when a train approaches is an understatement. Traveling down the tracks, people hang out the open doors for space and fresh air, and it's not uncommon to see guys riding on top of cars. To make things fair for women in the rush to get on the trains, a number of cars are designated Ladies Only...

Believe it or not, this billboard is a advertisement for coffee. A Mumbaikar is a person who lives in Mumbai.

Mani Bhavan is a simple old-style, two storied house in Mumbai. The house belonged to Shri Revashankar Jhaveri, Mahatma Gandhi’s friend and host in Mumbai. Whenever he was in Mumbai between 1917 to 1934, Gandhi stayed here. It was from here that he initiated the Civil Disobedience movement. Mani Bhavan stood witness to the important movements of Indian freedom struggle. It is now converted into a museum and research centre. Unfortunately, it was going through renovation when I visited. Some exhibts were still open, and a picture of a letter Gandhi sent to Hitler in an attempt to prevent the war is below.

On the second floor in Mani Bhavan there is a room that contains many dioramas portraying Gandhi's life. This one depicts the moment of his assassination.

The Adishwarji Jain Temple in Mumbai. Jainism is a religion and philosophy originating in the prehistory of South Asia. Jainism has significantly influenced the religious, ethical, political and economic spheres in India for well over two millennia. Jainism stresses the spiritual independence and equality of all life with a particular emphasis on non-violence. Self-control (व्रत, vrata) and vigorous asceticism are the means by which Jains attain moksha or liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

Mumbai street scenes...

The University of Mumbai (known earlier as University of Bombay) is one of the oldest and premier Universities in India. It was established in 1857 and it is one amongst the first three Universities in India. The stained-glass windows are considered the jewels of the building, but the guards don't know how to throw a shaka.

The Prince of Wales Museum of Western India. It was established to commemorate the Crown Prince's visit to Bombay in 1905. The future George V laid the foundation stone and work began on the building which was designed and built to represent the ancient and medieval architectural styles of western India.

MUMBAI SKYLINE

Some images of Mumbai, taken from the room I used to interview in on the 24th floor of the Express Towers, headquarters of the Indian Express media group.

THE GATEWAY OF INDIA

This is the view from my hotel room in Mumbai. The Gateway of India is a momument located on the waterfront, and it is traditionally the first thing visitors arriving by boat would see of Bombay. Behind the Gateway steps lead down to the waterfront, where boat trips can be had around the harbor, or to locations such as Elephanta Island. The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay in 1924. The last British troops to leave India passed through the gate in a ceremony on February 28, 1948.

1962 CALLED - THEY WANT THEIR AIRPORT BACK

Interestingly enough, once a traveler passes through the Indira Gandhi Domestic Airport in New Delhi, they never complain about another airport experience in their lives. How do you start to explain this experience...first off, think what a Greyhound bus station looked like 25 years ago. Now, don't upgrade anything in 25 years, only use a few watered-down cleaning products from time to time, and you are starting to get the idea. No one needs to show any photo identification to board a flight here. I wish I was kidding, but it turns out that the overwhelming majority of travelers in India still purchase their tickets through travel agents. The thought is, they had to show ID to purchase tickets, so why duplicate the effort? The first picture shows Gate 1 of a total of four gates at the airport, the balance of which you can see in the second shot. The only monitor in the airport is right next to Gate 1, which displays....yup, you guessed it; four flights at a time. You go through the gate to board a bus that takes you out to your aircraft. And may God be with you if you need to use the bathroom... I arrived at the airport after a long day of interviewing, and my flight to Mumbai was delayed by an hour. I'm sure it was pennance for some transgression of mine.

I LOVE THE SMELL OF SHAKAS IN THE MORNING!

Throwing shaks with the doorman before I head off for a day of work in Delhi...

INDIA GATE

This landmark was not too far away from my hotel in New Delhi, and was designed to honour the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War. Another additional 13,516 names engraved on the arch and foundations honor the British and Indian soldiers killed on the North-West Frontier in the Afghan War of 1919. Also, a flame burns day and night under the arch to remind the nation of soldiers who perished in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971. People are everywhere, and an assortment of vendors offer great snacks like fruit chaat (fruit salad with hot, spicy dressing), bhelpuri (puffed rice, spices and hot, sweet and sour chutney), chana jor garam (spicy chickpeas), dal ka pakodas (fried lentil-flour dumplings), potato chips, ice cream, and cotton candy.

Jackpot, at India Gate...