Lost for thought

As if the company of Dilip D’Souza, his friends Abodh and Mira, his son Sahir and Sahir's cousin Varun wasn’t enough, there was the experience of walking around Chor Bazaar. It had to be a trip to remember.

(All pictures below have been processed by Azhar Chougule who, along with Samarth Bhasin, runs this superb blog - The Daily Sunrise)


The last time I came to Chor Bazaar was 15 years back, when I was all of 19 years. Tagging along then with a group of friends who wanted to buy car stereos, car dashboards, car everything, I was lost in the crowd. And I was lost now.

Our trip starts at B. Merwaan’s, an Irani restaurant opposite Grant Road station. We soaked khakhras in our chai but were sadly late for brun maskas, mawa cakes and other goodies, all of which were over for the day.


Chor Bazaar spills out on the street. Everything is sold here. DVDs, VCDs, cameras, calculators, porn, furniture, clocks, fans (table, ceiling, industrial, etc. etc), brooms, phones…the list is endless. As are the street vendors, the shops and the people.


The Pepsi crate is acutally full of a soft drink called "Fine". Fine Cola, anyone ? We passed.


I wanted to catch the old man with the shining gramophone in the background. He wasn’t too thrilled, but acquiesced all the same.


We pass two mosques - "ek naya, ek purana" we are told.


We notice a broom of a size I didn’t know existed. This was an instant hit with the kids. Two are bought immediately and the lads go about dissecting them with gusto.


Next up is jeera-golli for everyone. The colours are so much brighter now. But the thrill is the same. Even if you can’t get them as easily now near schools.


We stop for masala soda and Abodh informs me that these are still made, even if one can’t find Sosyo on the shelves. Over this refreshing drink we talk about how photography is banned at Chowpatty. Yet, Abodh said he had argued with a cop at the beach. He's posted some nice photos here.

I talk about the Mumbai Mill Land case, and Dilip reminds me of the passing away of his dear friend, Rajnarayan Chandavarkar. Brief silence.

Moving slowly out of Chor Bazaar, we are now at Kumbharwada and facing Null Bazaar. Just ahead is Ladi Bazaar and further on is Khetwadi to our left and Kamathipura to our right.

As we head towards Gol Temple (literally a round-shaped temple at a junction there), the names of the streets change. We leave Husainaya Marg, and Sayed Lane to move on to S. S. Maharaj Marg and Trimbak Parshuram Street.

This is also the area which saw some of the worst rioting in 1992/1993. I stood rooted at the Gol Temple for some moments, trying to rewind to 13 years back and grasp what must have happened then. I can’t.

This link on the Srikrishna Report informs us that the Gol Temple saw many “communal incidents”. Twenty people - largely pedestrians - were attacked and killed on one day alone - 7th Jan 1993 in this area around V.P. Road.

Looking at the way people were rushing around, pushing carts, driving their cabs, on their way home, selling bhutta, channa…….and to think that for days at a stretch, there was arson, riots, loots, murders. All of it, and much more. I still couldn’t get it. I still don’t.

Cut to the present. Both kids are now tired of walking around. So are we. They leave in a taxi, and I follow soon. The crowds begin fading as I reach Marine Drive.

I never thought I’d be a lost within Bombay but today I was. Lost within the streets of Chor Bazaar, lost for thought at Gol Temple, and lost for the myriad of experiences, that is this city.