Museum Design: Back from Bombay

Traveling by train is an interesting experience in itself, which offers a safe and comfortable way of viewing the landscape of India as if it were a museum. Passengers on Indian trains are very friendly and accommodating, compared to air travel where people are much more in a hurry and anxious. On both train rides from Bangalore to Bombay and back I had great conversations with the local passengers about our travels and how diverse a country India is. This was a very slow train that made many frequent stops, which allowed me the opportunity to taste different foods and teas, which vary significantly by area. My train car was also relatively close to second class (no reservations), which is most common and allowed me to see how rough common travel really is. People line up over an hour before the train arrives and are kept within a very strict line by policemen who hit them with bamboo sticks if they move out of line. It was quite incredible to watch how they pack the people in for such a long ride. There were also individuals who bribed policemen to allow them to jump ahead of the line, which I found disturbing. If one gets the chance I would recommend taking a train in India for sure.

So my train departed Monday night and arrived in Bombay the following night into Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly Victoria Terminus, which is an incredible Gothic structure. I arrived in Bombay without a place to stay but an idea of what hotels I could go to. I called several with no luck, but was able to find one that had a room for that night only and agreed without hesitation. After walking from the station to the hotel area, I struggled to find it because of its location, which happened to be down some back alleys and on the fifth floor of a building where some of the poor were already sleeping on the staircase. It turned out to be a small backpackers hotel with only 8 rooms and one common bath. After dropping off my stuff I explored the area, which was really a great location, and found a local bar where I joined a table of bankers and shared several beers as well as a variety of curries and tandoori dishes with them. I retired to my hotel afterward to get ready for the next day.

I woke up early in the morning to various noises outside. After showering and talking with the manager I headed out to explore the city. I walked toward the Gateway of India and also saw the famous Taj hotel. I proceeded south and walked through various areas and slums till I arrived at Sassoon Docks. The docks were bustling with fisherman and delivery boys running back and forth, shuttling fresh seafood everywhere. It was an incredible sight and the noises and smells added to the whole experience. After exploring the southern part of Mumbai I proceeded to walk north with the goal of finding Nariman Point. On the way I found an interesting exhibit on Mumbai as an estuary in the National Gallery of Modern Art. After meandering through the various neighborhoods I got to the point of the island and saw the length of Marine Drive and the National Performing Arts Center. I relaxed on the pier for a while and then walked back towards Mahatma Gandhi road and found a small South Indian restaurant where I got a chikku milkshake, wadas, and a dosa, all of which were delicious. I returned to my hotel to find out that a single had become available for the remainder of my stay and took the room and its great location. I decided to take an afternoon nap and recharge my camera as well. In the evening I walked along Marine Drive exploring the various shops and vendors that are typical of Bombay. By time I walked back to the center of town it was time for dinner so I hopped into a military restaurant that served thali style meals, which were delicious. Afterwards I met up with some backpackers from Singapore and Japan who decided we should buy beers and relax by the Gateway.

The next morning when I awoke it was raining heavily and I decided to sleep in a bit longer. I was woken up shortly after for breakfast and was elated when I found out it was included and it proved to be delicious. After finishing I walked the surrounding area and viewed the Gateway. I visited the Maharaja Chatrapati Shivaji Museum, which was an excellent museum that showcased the cultural history of India especially the Mughal and Rajasthan eras. The natural history collection was also very impressive and well displayed to visitors. I was supposed to meet up with a family friend afterwards but plans got cancelled due to his demanding schedule, so I decided to try out this modern café which fused Indian food with other international cuisines. I had a wonderful mint tea with raw sugar syrup and masala toast with hummus. I walked along Marine Drive again and discovered the Hanging Gardens from where I got a view of Bombay. On the way back I saw many children playing at the amusement park that gets set up late at night on Chowpatti beach. While drinking chai on MG Road it began to rain and decided I would go eat dinner at a well-known local seafood restaurant, Trishna’s. I tried some delicious baby shark tandoori and ate a prawn curry, which was awesome.

Friday started with breakfast followed by a walk along Marine Drive. I spent a lot of time at the Jehangir Art Gallery, which was displaying local artists work, that varied greatly in style and media. The gallery is a popular showcase of contemporary arts and crafts and it is an artist’s hub. There is a poplar café there, Samovar Café, which has become a local artists hang out space. I then had a nap before meeting up with Uncle Poovaiah, Professor at IIT Bombay in the Industrial Design Centre with a focus in Interaction Design, Environment Design, and Communication Design. I took the local train from VT to Vikhroli, which passes by many of the vertical slums of Bombay and Godrej, one of the largest companies in India. I explored the campus a bit on my own and then met up with Prof. Poovaiah who showed me much of his work and discussed design and how it is taught in the school curriculum and what place design holds in India. I also had the opportunity to meet some of his students with an architecture background who showed me their work and campus facilities. I was very impressed with the facilities and quality of work produced. I then sat in on a lecture by a curator and artist, Mr. Patwardhan, who presented his recent project of creating a mobile museum, that essentially brought local art to a variety of rural cities. It was a very interesting and pertinent lecture for my thesis topic, which I hope to further study. Professor Poovaiah then showed me the rest of the campus and we met up with his wife, Dr. Ajanta Sen, who also teaches and researches with the Institute and is a designer herself in urban planning. She works with many architects and designers on global and local projects that promote sustainability and creating a more efficient and better Bombay. It was great getting opinions and perspectives from such knowledgeable designers who are aware of a variety of issues that face our world globally and locally. I returned early in the morning by one of the last local trains to run and observed many of the poor, a large percentage of the 18 million people that fill the small city, sleeping all over the streets. I awoke early in the morning to catch my train back to Bangalore and arrived safely this morning. I believe that the Ganesh Chathurthi festival processions start today in Bombay and will captivate the entire city.

Mumbai was a wonderful addition to my travels and provided an opportunity to see a big city and how it has grown and flourished. It is amazing to think that 18 million people live in this small area that is home to so many groups and ethnicities. Bombay is a tribute to the people who live there and are able to coincide with one another on a daily basis and keep life flowing smoothly. It is an incredible city with a great public transportation system with buses and trains that with the ban of auto rickshaws downtown reduces congestion. It was a great city to explore by foot because of its compressed size and well-maintained streets and shaded landscaping. It is great to see the wealthy live side by side with the poor and share a chai or pani puri from a street vendor. There is no flaunting of wealth despite being the Hollywood of the east. The city has adapted as a whole to a large population and gone vertical where necessary. The city also carries unique traditions and customs, which I found entertaining such as a system of workers known as dabbawallas who collect workers meals from home and deliver them to the owners' offices based on markings that are only identifiable by the dabbawalla. I hope to return to the Good Bay soon and invite you to join me. I am sure that you can tell from the length of this entry that I thoroughly enjoyed the city and did no want to lose any details.Sassoon Docks Sharks
Sassoon Dock
Taj Hotel
My Hotel
Gateway of IndiaGaudiesque Building

Screening Pattern
National Gallery of Modern Art