Joggers' Park in Bandra
It’s not all bad, however. It is still possible to enjoy a lazy day in Bandra and get a sense of how it must have been before they connected it to the mainland in the 1840s; you just need to pick the right locations, edit out the awful bits and use your imagination – a lot.
Bandra has a long association with the Catholic church. Portuguese Jesuits were in the area as early as the 1500s, and the suburb still boasts six churches, including the superb Basilica of Mt Mary: home to an annual festival that attracts millions of devotees. Given its historical links with Rome, Sunday is a superb day to spend exploring.
Stop One – Candies
Any good day out in Bandra starts with Candies (ONGC Complex), a popular cafe/restaurant that’s a magnet for local students. Inexpensive chicken tikka rolls (50 rupees) and chicken and corn pies (50 rupees) are on offer throughout the day, with a 25 per cent discount after 8pm. Service at the front counter can be surly with a bit of a “what the fuck do you want?” attitude, but this is Bombay, so give as good as you get.
Despite the cheap, decent food on offer, there’s no need to fill up here as there’s plenty of that later. Opt for a coffee and sit back in the breezy restaurant to take in the crowd of young urbanites. Everyone is here: earnest college students discussing politics; aunties on mobile phones organising their families; and that most fascinating of Bombay’s inhabitants, the “Pinky” (named in honour of the elder sister in Bend it Like Beckham). Dressed in the latest fashions, with mobile phones, sunglasses and a whole lot of attitude, they offer a hilarious sight struggling down the uneven streets in their way-too-high-heeled shoes.
Stop two – Sai Saga
When the Pinkies get too much, head across the road past the private Lilavati Hospital (which may come in handy, given the fact that crossing the road in India generally involves stepping into the maelstrom and hoping/praying for the best) and over to Sai Sagar (64 Chapel Road), where it’s time for dhosa, one of south India’s greatest contributions to world cuisine.
A crispy, paper-thin crepe made from rice flour, the dish comes either plain of with a filling, typically a spicy potato mix (otherwise known as a masala dhosa). At 35 rupees it’s the most filling, bargain lunch you ever likely to have. Also on the menu is uttapam, a cousin of the dhosa that’s cooked in batter and comes out looking like a pizza. Washed down with a mango lassi – that more-ish drink of yoghurt, fruit and rose water – it’s a feast that sets two people back less than 200 rupees.
Stop three – Linking Road
No day in Bandra is complete without some shopping so from Sai Sarag it’s into one of the accursed auto-rickshaws and over to Linking Road, the epicentre of shopping in Bandra. Get the driver to drop you off outside the BBC (Bandra Book Centre – yes, the logo is the same as the Beeb’s) and dive into the crowds for some haggling.
The atmosphere on a Sunday is very much that of a family day out, with most people there to browse and hang out with friends. There’s minimal hassle in the street markets here, just the usual “sir, sir, would you like some shoes/towels/coat hangers/saris?!” preceded with a “hiss hiss”.
Stop four – Pali Hill
After a couple of hours of browsing and haggling head back across town to Pali Hill, home to the city’s film set and some of the cleanest air in Bombay, thanks to the prevailing winds that blow in off the Arabian Sea. A walk along the waterfront is a nice tonic after the chaos of Bombay and on a Sunday afternoon it’s full of local couples and families. It’s also easy to spot the homes of the Bollywood stars – they’re the ones with crowds of people standing outside pretty much doing nothing except staring at the building. It seems to be a solely male pastime, a stark contrast to the groupie scene in the west. I wonder how Mick Jagger would react to 50 young men (and zero women) waiting outside his apartment.
Follow the coast north and get lost in the small back lanes, which give a slight view of what life must have been like in the old days. Crumbling bungalows look out to sea and small shrines dot the lane, one complete with flashing halo for the Madonna. The relative lack of traffic means it’s possible to walk the streets and imagine Bandra as that sleepy seaside village that the old timers speak of. Then the incessant buzz and beeping of a rickshaw will shatter the illusion and it’s back to reality.
There is some respite at Joggers’ Park, a green space developed by locals to give them a space to exercise and enjoy a day out without the bother of poor India sharing the space. Entry costs 2 rupees and the scene inside is a bizarre mix of English country garden and an American high school where picture postcard families feed geese in a pond from the small wooden bridge and women in expensive exercise gear run laps (anti-clockwise, by order) on the track. Outside sits a phalanx of private cars with drivers waiting to pick up the happy families and joggers.
Leaving the families and fitness set behind, it’s back into a rickshaw for a sundowner at Olive (Hotel Pali Hills), a swanky Bandra bar/restaurant that’s all white-washed walls and tea lights. With the sun setting Bandra will be setting itself up for another night out.
December 21st, 2008 → 7:46 pm @ jason