Shere Khan

In Marathi, a cat is called ‘Waghachi Mavshi’ or a tiger’s aunt. Well, here is a white cat that is true to his name. Shere Khan hangs around with some hawkers who sell shoes and socks on the P M Road footpath. He loves sitting on the cycle seat and will pose for you when you flash your camera. According to one of the elderly hawkers there, Shere Khan appeared one fine day, five years ago and took to all the hawkers who dote on him and feed him.

So next time if you are on P.M. Road in Fort, look out for this white ‘tiger’ who would be sitting on a bicycle allowing you to pamper and admire him at the same time.

Bombay's Book Stores - Old and New

Today, when I saw Dr Frank Conlon at the Durbar Hall at the Asiatic Society, I remembered where I had seen him last. It was at the St Xavier’s College in February 2007 where he was giving a lecture on The Tramways of Mumbai. This time, he was talking about “Bombay’s Book Sellers and scholars”, a talk organized by The Asiatic Literary Society.

Dr Frank has written many Bombay centric articles including "Dining Out In Bombay", "Industrialization and the Housing Problem in Bombay, 1850-1940” and the book, "A caste in a changing world : the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmans, 1700-1935".

He first came to Mumbai in November 1965 and frequented many book stores and libraries. He remembers book stores like Taraporewala and Sons and New Book Company on D.N. Road, Thackers and Chetana on Rampart Row, Alavi Book Depot and Kokil on Mohammed Ali Road, N.M. Tripathi on Princess Street, New and Second Hand book store at Kalbadevi, Popular Book Depot on Lamington Road and Bombay Book Depot at Prarthana Samaj and the Strand Book Stall in Fort.

He says that the above stores were started by people who had genuine appreciation of books. Real books shops are an ‘endangered’ species today and various compulsions have closed down many including Popular, Bombay, Thackers, Alavi and Kokil.

He added that today’s bookstores like Crossword might be fancy, have sofas, carpets, air-conditioners and coffee shops but the people working there have ‘no engagement with the product’ and going to such stores is not the same for those who feel and have a special affection for books.

Strand Book Stall

He spoke about some of the people behind the stores. Everyone knows about Mr. Shanbhag of the Strand Books Store. He didn’t go into the details but here is an extract from my post on the Strand Book Festival. “It all started when Mr. T. N. Shanbhag (recipient of the Padmashri in 2003) put up a little stall which sold books at a discount. It was located near the erstwhile Strand Cinema (thus the name) in Colaba and opened on November 20, 1949 and was moved in 1954 to its present location. Mr. Shanbhag was telling me all this and added that he was the first one in the world to sell a book at a discount (that too of 20%)”

Popular Book Depot

He then spoke about the Popular Book Depot and G.R. Bhatkal and his son Sadanand. The Bhatkals were seen as the pioneers of the book and publishing business.

I have had the good fortune of knowing Sadanand kaka as I call him and remember going to the green painted Popular Book Depot on Lamington Road as a kid. The store had a long counter and perpendicular to it, at the back were rows of shelves full of thousands of books. I remember going past these rows to the back and climbing onto a steep ladder to go to Sadanand kaka’s office.

Popular book depot was started by Sadanand Bhatkal’s father Shri Ganesh Bhatkal in 1924. Eminent jurist , the late Nani Palkhiwala in a speech rendered for a G.R. Bhatkal Memorial lecture in September 1995, says that Shri Ganesh Bhatkal helped him in three inestimable ways. He used to allow Mr. Palkhiwala to treat Popular as a public library. During his career as an arts student(1936-1942), he was allowed to sit and browse through books at the shop for hours together and also take home books ‘on approval basis’. He also remembers that he would at times continue reading even after the front door had been closed and later coming out by the back door.

I was truly saddened when Popular closed down in the eighties and so did Bombay Book depot which was a leading Marathi book shop. In fact, Sadanand kaka’s brother Ramdas kaka that ran Popular Prakashan, a publishing house was present for Dr Conlon's lecture.

Dr Conlon ended his lecture by mentioning scholars and institutions that have made a big difference in researching various subjects on Mumbai and feels that today there is an upsurge on the number of people who want to research on Mumbai.

Stores that are still around

Mumbai has various books stores where you can satiate your literary appetite. The new age book stores like Crossword with their flagship store at Kemps Corner and many branches all over,Granth at Goregaon and Juhu, Oxford at Churchgate and the newly opened Landmark at Andheri. All these and the various neighbourhood book stores

There are niche book stores like Marine Sports Books Store at Dadar for sports books, Computer Book Shop on D.N. Road for computer books, Sterling Book Shop at V.T. for management books,Gandhi Book Centre at Nana Chowk for books on Gandhiji,Hindi Granth Karyalaya at C.P. Tank for Hindi books , Ideal book depot at Dadar and Majestic at Girgaum for Marathi books, Lakhani Book Depot at Girgaum for text books and Bhavan's Book stall at Chowpatty and Andheri for Religion,History and Phlosophy.

Single books stores which have been around for a long time like Danai at Khar(which also has opened a branch at the Taj Land's end), Nalanda in the Taj Mahal Hotel at the Gateway of India, Shankars outside Cafe Mondegar on Colaba Causeway and Causeway Book Store which sell books left behind by foreign tourists at over-rated prices.

And the old age ones like the Strand , off P.M. Road, FBH ( Fort Books Distributors) at V.T. who supply a lot of books to all the Mumbai book stores and regularly hold exhibitions all over the city. You would get new and second hand books at the New and Second hand books shop at Metro, Smokers Corner at the Ballard Estate end of P.M. Road and of course the road side book-sellers around Fountain, Churchgate, King's Circle, Bandra and at 'raddiwalas' all over the city. All these stores would always give you discounts on the books.

But in the sea of the Crosswords, Oxfords, Granths and Landmarks … the Strand remains my favorite.

Janfest 09 and Strand Book Exhibition

The Janfest 09 conducted by the Indian Music Group (IMG) at the St Xavier’s College is going on from January 24, 2009 to January 26 2009.

The IMG was set up to promote the rich Indian heritage of classical music and to encourage youngsters to carry forward this tradition.

Janfest has seen stalwarts from the classical music field like Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Zakir Husain, Shubha Mudgal, Parveen Sultana, Kishori Amonkar, Rajan and Sajan Mishra and many many more.

This year performances would seen the following musicians

24th January (Saturday) 7:00 pm

Taal Vaad Kacheri

Shri Vikku Vinayakam(Ghatam)
Shri V. Selvaganesh(Kanjira)
Shri Dilshad Khan(Sarangi)
Shri Fazal Querishi(Tabla)
Shri Sridhar Parthasartyh(Mridangan)
Shri Bhawani Shankar(Pakhawaj)

25th January (Sunday) 5:00 pm

Shri Rupak Kulkarni(Flute)
accompanied by

Shri Aditya Kalyanpur(Tabla)
Shri Kalinath Mishra(Pakhawaj)

Pt Channulal Mishra (Hindustani Vocals)
accompanied by

Shri Guruprasad Hegde(Harmonium)
Shri Lalit Kumar (Tabla)

Pt ShivKumar Sharma (Santoor)

accompanied by
Shri Yogesh Samsi (Tabla)
Shri Bhawani Shankar (Pakhawaj)

26th January (Monday) 6:00 p.m.

Ustad Nishat Khan(Sitar)
accompanied by

Shri Yogesh Samsi (Tabla)

Smt Kishori Amonkar (Hindustani Vocals)
accompanied by

Shri Vishwanath Shrodkar (Harmonium)
Shr Suyog Kundalkar (Harmonium)
Shri Milind Raikar (Violin)

The Tall Vaad Kacheri was a rendition of percussion instruments and was very beautiful with the first half having the Hindustani Music , then the Carnatic and then all of them together n a jugalbandi. The ambience of the St Xavier’s college stone building with a cathedral backdrop makes it more enthralling.

Tickets were still available, so do go if you like Indian Classical Music.

Don't miss the Strand Book Festival

The Strand Book Festival is currently going on and will end on January 28, 2008.(10.00 am to 8:00 p.m.) Like every year, the venue is Sunderbai Hall, near Churchgate Station. Don’t miss it.

And Mumbai ran again

Every year in January, Mumbai runs in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. This year too, WSD volunteers and supporters ran along with hundreds of young and old who were running for various causes and companies.

The Dream run which chugs or walks along the V.T. – Fountain-Marine Drive-Flyover-Metro stretch always attracts the maximum participants. There were people running for various causes for NGO’s like Akanksha, Aseema, Unmeed, Magic Bus, Unmeed, CRY, Friends Of Tribals, Asha, Nanhi Kali and many more.

It was a quiet moment when we passed the Trident and the runners applauded the staff that was standing outside for their courage during the Mumbai Terror Attacks.

Every year, our Regalwala Kalu gives us company. We have spotted him at various places during the Marathon. He really likes people and this year one of our volunteers who was at Chowpatty running the Half Marathon called and told me that Kalu was giving her company.

Luke Kenny, who starred in Rock On lent WSD his support and ran in the Dream Run.

The WSD - "Strays Of Mumbai" Calendar 2009

The Welfare of Stray Dogs for the first time has brought out the “Strays Of Mumbai” WSD Calendar 2009. The calendar features strays from various parts of Mumbai and catch them in different moods that show what an inseparable part of our lives they are. All the photographs have been taken by WSD volunteer, Rohan Mukerjee.

They are available for Rs 150 at the WSD- Kala Ghoda office and other outlets/vet clinics listed below who have been very kind and generous to stock them.

Proceeds from the sale of calendars go towards WSD’s sterilization and other programmes.

South Mumbai
1) Dogy Articles, Shop No 4, Daulat, Near Colaba Post Office, Colaba, Mumbai Tel: 22162869
2) WSD, C/o Mr F. Broacha, 2nd Flr, Yeshwant Chambers, B.Bharucha Marg, Near Fab India, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai – 23 Tel : 64222838
3) Dr Leena Dalal’s Clinic – Green Fields, Opposite Oval Maidan, Churchgate, Mumbai – 21 Tel: 66153497
4) Ibrahim’s Pet Shop, Kemps Corner, Mumbai – Tel: 23806278
5) Tog Dog, 45, Husain Manor, Petit Road, Breach Candy, Mumbai- 26 Tel: 9820070992
6) Dr Tina Rustomji’s Clinic – Gamadia Polyclinic, Gamadia Colony, Tardeo – Mumbai - 34 Tel: 23519105
Dadar
Dr Makrand Chavan’s Clinic – Shop No 1, Matoshree Tower, Kohinoor Mills Lane, Shivaji Park, Dadar – Mumbai- 28 Tel: 24380756
Bandra
Paws and Furs, Shop No 3, Kailash,156, Waterfield Road, Bandra, Mumbai. Tel: 66990858
Tailwaggers, 16th Road, Behind Hawaian Shack, Bandra, Mumbai. Tel: 9820127572
Khar
KPS My Pet Shop, Shop No 5, Shivanjali, Dr Ambedkar Road, Khar, Mumbai. Tel : 65913333
Chembur
KPS My Pet Shop, Shop No 27, Opp Wasan Motors, Sion-Trombay Rd, Chembur- Mumbai 71 Tel: 6591444
(Please telephone the respective outlet for their timings and availability)

Datta Temple at Chowpatty – A Dabholkar Family Heritage

For many years whilst passing Gamdevi towards Chowpatty in a double decker bus, I used to see this old heritage house just before the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and wondered who it belonged to. Many years later, I knew that it was not somebody’s home but a Datta(Lord Dattatreya) temple belonging to the Dabholkar family and that it was kept open to the public once a year on Datta Jayanti day.

For years I wanted to visit it and finally, yesterday when I saw the lights and open windows, I asked the watchman standing outside and he said that Datta Jayanti was today and to come early at 7 am to beat the rush.

I am glad that I went there today at 7 am as not only I got to see a 110 year old temple but also had a long chat with Mr. Sachit Dabholkar, the grandson of Shantaram Narayan Dabholkar who built it in 1898 for family use and not for the general public.

The history goes as such… Narayan Dabholkar (the same gentleman after whom a road has been named off Nepean Sea Road where the rich, famous and our ministers live) came to Mumbai from Vengurla with his parents and lived at Sardar Griha, opposite G.T. hospital. (The same place where Lokmanya Tilak used to live). The family was not very well off and after he lost his father to the plague, he had to earn a living. He loved horses and so he started training people on horse riding. He was helped out by a British woman who he was training. Her husband was a Captain in the British army. He got him a job at P & O shipping company where after a lot of hard work and dedication rose up the ranks. Later he started supplying material to the shipping companies and thus became very rich. He used to own a lot of property in Bombay including the place where Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan stands today(their family bunglow was at this very place), bunglows in bhuleshwar and hundreds of square meters of land in Matunga. He also bought a house for 60,000 rupees at Nepean Sea road (on the same road that has been named after him). He had a premonition that he would die at 41 and thus made a will. He died when he was 41 in the same Narayan Dabholkar road house during an inspection of its restoration and repairs when it collapsed on him.
Due to the immense wealth left behind and due to his immense faith, his son Shantaram Dabholkar built the temple in 1898. The exterior of the temple is built with soft Porbunder stone (now covered with white-wash) which was ideal for carving. The interior has Italian marble floor and Burma teak wood doors and windows. The nine feet tall Devhara (main shrine holder) was ordered from Italy and is made of grey Italian marble. This was ordered by Shantaram Dabholkar in 1897 based on the architectural design made by him in Mumbai. It had to be shipped in nine parts and assembled here.

This temple was restored in 1998 in its centenary year and was awarded an urban Heritage award (for religious places).

Mr. Sachit Dabholkar who is seventy six years old has been looking after the maintenance of the temple for many years. He estimates that around 14,000 people come on the Datta Jayanti day and he remembers that one year when there was so much rush, even his wife (who is no more) had to wait in the line to get in. He attributes this to the absence of too many Datta temples in the city and also to the immense ‘shraddha’ that people have for Lord Dattatreya and the temple. He knows that there have been many regulars who have been coming there every year for the past 30-40 years and also from far and wide.

When I was chatting with him, I could sense that people had huge respect for this humble gentleman, who was an advertising professional having worked with JWT. He seemed to know everyone who was lining up. They were bowing down at him and he kept telling them pointing towards the Devhara, “bow at Him and not me”.

And Mumbai Came Onto The Streets

On Wednesday, December 3 , 2008 at 6pm, lakhs of Mumbaikars congregated at the Gateway of India to protest about the Mumbai Terror Attacks and also to vent their anger against the politicians…. to convey that Enough Is Enough

.

There were young and old, college students and office goers, homemakers and senior citizens, common Mumbaikars and celebrities, people from far and near, children and toddlers …. All their doing their own thing. It was democracy at its best and may be my father's generation would have been reminded of the freedom struggle when people would congregate to demonstrate against the British. There were vocal protests and candle light vigils, huge placards and small ones, signature campaigns and T-shirt declarations, spontaneous Jana Gana Mana renditions and Vande Mataram chants, politician bashing and Pakistan bashing.

The spontaneous outburst was overwhelming and it was amazing to see everyone come there and show that they cared.

The photos below speak more than what I have written above….