Behold, the Elephant Lord approaches

Regal grandeur: This idol was at least a good 8 feet in height, and was accompanied by a smaller version at its base.

It is widely proclaimed that he people of Bombay are a festive lot, and can come together to celebrate at the drop of a hat. However, nothing puts them in a more jubilant mood than the festival of Ganeshotsav, the arrival of the Hindu lord Ganesh on earth. While I am not particularly religious myself, the festival is certainly a spectacle to behold, irrespective of your religion or nationality. Spanning for a duration of 12 days, preparations for the festival begin months in advance. As early as January, sculptors and artists begin to hone their skills and create masterful idols in different postures and sizes. While some may choose to depict the lord in dance, others go big, and create larger-than-life models poised upon huge thrones. It is said that the demand for these idols is so high, some sculptors make their entire year's bread and butter by this one festival. 

While these photographs do very little justice to the sheer extravagance of the festival, I hope they will convey perhaps a small feeling of what it was like to stand among the masses. For much better photographs, you can go here.

The Sifting Winds

A wind blew through the snow covered Kashmir hills, as it passed through the Himalayan ranges, twisting and coursing through the minute gaps, it split into two- Raging above the craggy peaks, blowing through the deep crevices. Drifting onwards, ever ahead. The wind crossed the high mounts moving onto the sifting dunes of the Thar Desert, finally blowing by the western coast, creeping towards its final destination.

Through the bottomless depths, the wind surged ahead, onto the sea-green plains of Bengal, undulating through the grasslands. It blew on, towards the southern states, carrying with it the dreams and hopes of a billion souls. Softly as a wave it moved ahead, now climbing up, again going down, ever inching ahead. And then the two became one, the many partitions coming together in a fiery conflagration above the city of Mumbai. Blowing with renewed vigour, it coalesced into one, forming the soul of Mumbai, made up of the hopes and aspirations of countless Indians. Unifying into one, the great soul of the lively city was formed – A merger comprising of all facets of India - thrumming with vibrance, drumming with fervor.

This is the heart of the Nation, the spirit which defines our being. This is Mumbai- one among millions, like no other to be. Once the crowning jewel of the queen’s reign; now the pulsating heart of a grand nation destined for greatness.

The Bollywood Dream

We've all had dreams of stardom and fame at some point in our lives. Dreams of stepping out of limos with gloved chauffeurs holding doors open for us as we make your way down the red carpet into a premier screening of our latest silver screen appearance. As one gets older and somewhat wiser however, our feet come crashing down to earth when we realise that some dreams only remain so in our minds. However, in this city, you will find no shortage of amateur actors and models aspiring to make it big and see their name in lights someday.

Bombay has a thriving television and film industry, and to be honest, the people here love it. I might have distanced myself from Indian cinema at an early age and yet, I am still in awe of the fan following that movie stars receive here. Everywhere you go, you see popular movie stars on posters and billboards, in TV commercials ranging from Pepsi to plumbing, and now, most recently, even in politics. Movie actors achieve a demigod-like status after starring in a hit and overnight, your small-town average Joe turns into a superstar.