Taraporewala Aquarium....

On the way to Marine drive is Taraporewala Aquarium- one of the best in India. The aquarium took its birth in 1951. The aquarium has a good collection of sea and fresh water fish and other marine life. The aquarium is named after Mr Taporewala, a Parsi philanthropist who was instrumental in setting up the aquarium. The initial grant of Rs 200,000 from Mr Taraporewala paved the way for setting the aquarium. The aquarium is now supported by the Maharashtra State Government.
The main hall has two sections. The first of 160 cubic feet and the second a miniature section with 2 cubic feet. In all, over 100 species of marine and fresh water fish are on display, including sharks, turtles and morays. It also includes seven varieties of coral fish from the Lakshadweep Islands which were added to the collection recently.

The aquarium is open to visitors between 11am.to 8p.m. on weekdays and between 10 a.m. to 8p.m. on Sundays. It is closed on Mondays. Photography is prohibited.

Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai.

The Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai houses the offices of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. It is also known as the Bombay Municipal Corporation Building, or BMC building for short. Construction of the building began on December 9, 1884, with the laying of the foundation stone by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Rippon. The design of the building, based on the Gothic Revival Style, was presented by Fredrick William, which was selected over the Indo-Saracenic design submitted by Robert Fellowes Chisholm. Completed in 1893, the building is known for its 255 feet tall tower. The building can be found just opposite the famous Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus .

Mumbai Taxi's.....

The Black and yellow taxi’s play a major role of public transport in Mumbai other then auto rickshaws, trains and buses. In New York they are yellow, in London they are Black and in Mumbai they’re both yellow and black.
These metered taxis ply throughout Mumbai. Almost 99% of the black and yellow cabs are Premier Padmini by FIAT, FIAT does not produce these cars any more so all the cars on the road are 20/30 years old. They run on CNG which is why the taxi fares have not been hiked with the petrol prices.

Though there are new air conditioned taxis on the road which are yet to become mainstream. These will be air conditioned and fitted with GPS, cordless phones, electronic meters with printers. These new taxis will charge a little extra than the traditional black and yellow taxis because of the luxury frills.

Recently one Cab Company has decided to employ ladies drivers, catering mainly to lady passengers, this service should start by November.

Crawford Market....

Crawford Market (officially Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market) is one of South Mumbai's most famous markets. It is named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of the city. The market is situated opposite the Mumbai Police headquarters, just north of Victoria Terminus railway station and west of the J.J. flyover at a busy intersection.

The market houses a wholesale fruit, vegetable and poultry market. One end of the market is a pet section. Most of the sellers inside the market nowadays sell imported items such as foods, cosmetics, household and gift items. It was the main wholesale market for fruits in Mumbai until March 1996, when the wholesale traders were relocated to Navi Mumbai (New Bombay).

The building, completed in 1869, was donated to the city by Cowasji Jehangir. After India's independence, the market was renamed after Maharashtrian social reformer, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. In 1882, the building was the first in India to be lit up by electricity.

The ducks and chicks...

white rats...

lil' bunnies...

Dalmatian pups...



Pigeons...


The Pet market, cruelty to animals....



In the middle of the market is this structure, now covered with sacks, baskets and people.

A T-shirt in Cloaba....

One of the T-shirts on Colaba causeway, wonder what he was on when he thought of that....

The Asiatic Library- Town Hall...

With its old parquet floors, spiral staircases, wrought iron loggias, and exquisite marble statues of forgotten city fathers, the colonnaded Town Hall is perhaps the most regal and elegant of Mumbai's heritage buildings. It houses the Asiatic Society, a library with a collection of 800,000 antique volumes. One of them is a priceless first edition copy of Dante's "Inferno." There is also an impressive numismatic collection of over 1,000 ancient coins and a rare gold mohur belonging to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. You need permission to look at these treasures, but the public library is open to all and usually draws a large number of senior citizens who pore over the local newspapers in the fading grandeur of its reading room.

Auto Rickshaws in Mumbai

Auto rickshaws are one of the most popular means of public transportation in surburban Mumbai. Little black and yellow bugs that zip through the traffic like busy beetles. The ride can be hair-raising, but the drivers are pretty skilled. Rickshaws are cheap and cost about half the taxi fare; however they don't ply beyond the nearest suburb, which is Bandra. If you're new to the city its best to check both taxi and rickshaw rates on the driver's Tariff Card.

We cannot impose smoking Ban says BMC...

MUMBAI; While the rest of the country stubs it out, at least in public, from October 2, in Mumbai you can carry on smoking. That’s because the BMC, which is supposed to implement the smoking ban, has thrown up its hands.

“We simply cannot do it with the current infrastructure and manpower,” says civic health executive officer Jayaraj Thanekar.

Besides, the BMC’s health department has other issues on its priority list. “We have been dealing with monsoon-related illnesses so far and have not even had the time to think how we will implement the smoking ban,” he added.

But he was hopeful of being able to partially enforce the ban. “We might be able to strictly impose isolation of smoking areas in restaurants,” he said, adding this is the best they can do till penalty is hiked.

Thanekar says they have not got any intimation from the state government either.
Sources in the state health department confirmed that though the Union government has already sent the draft, the order was yet to reach the BMC.

DNA Correspondent

Monday, September 29, 2008 11:27 IST
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1193994

Smoking Ban, Mumbai, Oct 2nd, 2008....

If you think, you will not encounter smoke when you walk into a pub or a restaurant, now that the ban is in place, think again.

For it may be too early to expect a miracle. Restaurants and pubs in the city have adopted a wait and watch policy, and are yet to make arrangements to implement the ban on smoking in public places.

While many of the restaurants have prepared the necessary signage, work on completely segregating smokers from the non-smokers is yet to begin. "That is because we haven't received any circular or notification explaining the details so far," said Suhas Vishwasrao, manager, Hawaiian Shack, a pub in Bandra, which has restricted arrangements to keeping a board with an 'anti-smoking' message ready.

"As far as business is concerned, there may be a problem for the initial 10 to 15 days of implementation of the ban. But we are not very worried about it," he added.

"There has been no intimation from the authorities. We know about the ban only from newspapers and advertisements in the media. We have no about who these so-called authorities in whom the power to implement the ban has been vested — is it the BMC, the FDA or the police?" asked Romi Chaddha, Khar-based hotelier, who runs a restaurant called Kosmic.

That's not all. There are so many things that are unclear. For instance, are seating arrangements in garden restaurants considered as 'public places'? What about the area outside restaurants? Can people smoke there? asked another hotelier.

"The law is not clear about hookahs either. Hookahs are not like cigarettes, that can be carried in one's pocket. They are bigger, and need to be refilled with coal. One can't go to another room to smoke a hookah," pointed out Chaddha.

Lack of clarity has resulted in misinterpretation of the law. Cafe Mondegar, a popular pub in Colaba is yet to make fresh arrangements. "We already have an a/c section which is a non-smoking zone, with a seating capacity of ten," said a spokesperson.

However, people who want to access this section will have to walk in through the smoking section of the pub.

Café Leopold, another popular pub, has prepared a board which proclaims smoking restrictions. "We will place it prominently,”said the manager who did not wish to be named. With no clarity about the law, it is wait and watch policy for now.

Deepa Suryanarayan

Thursday, October 02, 2008 03:44 IST
DNA India.

The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai.

The Palace.

The Tower

The Taj Mahal Palace hotel resort was commissioned by Jamsetji Tata and first opened its doors to guests on December 16, 1903. Tata allegedly decided to build the luxurious hotel after he was refused entry to one of the city's grand hotels of the time, Watson's Hotel, as it was restricted to 'whites only'.
The side of the hotel seen from the harbor is actually its rear. The front faces away to the west. There is a widespread misconception that the architects' building plans were confused by the builder so that he built it facing away from the harbor. This is not true, as the hotel was deliberately built facing inland rather than to the harbor. This was probably a deliberate snub to the British king by Jamsedji Tata due to nationalist feelings. Some people believe that the front of the hotel had to face inland because the horse carriages, in which guests came to the hotel, could easily approach the hotel from the city. The carriages were then taken to Wellington Mews. Five decades ago, the old front was closed off, and access is since then through the seaside (former rear)

Since it opened in 1903, The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai has created its own unique history. From Maharajas and Princes to various Kings, Presidents, CEOs and entertainers, the Taj has played the perfect host, supportive of their every need.

Built in 1903, the hotel is an architectural marvel and brings together Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles. Offering panoramic views of the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India, the hotel is a gracious landmark of the city of Mumbai, showcasing contemporary Indian influences along with beautiful vaulted alabaster ceilings, onyx columns, graceful archways, hand-woven silk carpets, crystal chandeliers, a magnificent art collection, an eclectic collection of furniture, and a dramatic cantilever stairway.

Over the past century, The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai has amassed a diverse collection of paintings and works of art and is a veritable showcase of artifacts and art of the era. From Belgian chandeliers to Goan Christian artifacts, the hotel incorporates a myriad of artistic styles and tastes.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (छत्रपती शिवाजी टर्मिनस ), formerly Victoria Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजी टर्मिनस ), formerly Victoria Terminus, and better known by its abbreviation CST or Bombay VT) is an historic railway station in Mumbai which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India, and serves Central Railway trains terminating in Mumbai as well as the Mumbai surburban railway.

The station was designed by Fredrick William Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887-1888, for the princely sum of 16.14 Lakh rupees.
The final design bears some resemblance to St Pancras station in London. It took ten years to complete and was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the reigning Queen Victoria.

In 1996, in response to demands by the Shiv Sena and in keeping with the policy of renaming locations with Indian names, the station was renamed by the state government after Chhatrapati Shivaji, a famed 17th century Maratha king. Nevertheless, it is still referred to as Victoria Terminus or VT by almost everyone living in Mumbai today.

On July 2, 2004 the station was nominated a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.

Cafe Mondegar, Colaba!!

The Jukebox..

Cafe Mondegar is a convert of an Iranian restaurant. It is situated about 200 yards from Gateway of India, in South Mumbai. Cafe Mondegar, or Mondy’s as it is popularly known, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Colaba. You just can't ignore the wall art when you visit. The famous big lady in the polka-dotted dress is unmistakable.
Situated near Regal Cinema, it serves as the perfect afternoon hangout before, after or even as an escape from a boring movie. It is usually filled with college students, tourists and just about anyone who wants to take a trip down memory lane while enjoying a leisurely meal. Most of Mondegar’s menu comprises snacks like burgers and other continental fare, so breakfast is faboulous. Though, beer is the most popular. You can't go to Mondy's and not have beer. A trip to Mondy’s is easy on the pocket and provides a welcome relief to the foodie from the expensive upper class restaurants nearby.