Mumbai: Parsis, Gandhi and Marine Drive

Today I started the day trying to visit a place where the Zoroastrian Parsi community lives. But I had little luck, access is restricted to members of the community; inside is the last Tower of Silence (Dakhma), which is one of the most mysterious and sacred places in Mumbai.

Instead of burial or cremation, the Parsis practise the ancient rite of Dokhmenashini, in which bodies are exposed to sunlight and to vultures to return naturally to the earth, without polluting the sacred elements of fire, water or soil.

On site I saw several vultures flying over the area and still circling when I went for a walk in the lovely Hanging Gardens, right next door.

Then I went to the Shri Walkeshwar Temple, where the Banganga Tank is, which is considered a sacred place, but empty it was a rather unwelcoming spot.

The morning wasn’t going as I’d hoped, so I decided to play it safe and went to the Mani Bhavan house and museum, which was Mahatma Gandhi’s residence between 1917 and 1934, serving as his headquarters for political activities and the movement for India’s independence, and has several photos and important documents on display that remind us of the importance Gandhi had for India’s independence from British rule.

Then, I was wandering through the old Portuguese quarter of Kotachiwadi when I came across a house with the name Baptista, in a small Portuguese neighbourhood. I had lunch there on the street, a fried bread you dip in a hot and spicy sauce before putting it in your mouth and a sweet ball you mix into a cold chocolate sauce.

Then I stopped to buy underwear and socks, because with this backpacking thing you can’t bring everything, when you need something you buy it, and off I went with my shopping in a hessian bag kindly given to me by the kiosk owner.

On the way I passed the Wankhede cricket Stadium, which is one of the most iconic cricket grounds in India. Founded in 1974, it has witnessed countless historic moments, such as India’s victory in the 2011 World Cup.

Then I stopped at one of the terraces on Marine Drive, at Café Dayem, facing the sea, for a little snack, before another stroll and a few more souvenirs and a t-shirt at the street markets and finishing the night grazing at Café Mondegar, where I ordered mushroom tikka with tandoori bread.