I have been part of many walking groups in Mumbai for the past few years. Till date I have completed around 60 walks in various precincts of Mumnbai itself. I have exclusively written about some areas in my previous blogs. This writeup in particular, is about few of my favourite ones. Read on to know the fascinating tales of areas such as Matunga,Parel and Mazgaon to name a few.
About two years back, I went on a hunt to explore my neighbourhood. This area we're talking about is Chembur. While roaming the space, I was shocked to see a vast well surrounded by two-storied houses. Having seen only skyscrapers in the metropolitan area for years together, I was amazed by the sight of a well.
Chembur consists of considerable quantities of independent bungalows with lawns and backyards. However, most of these properties have now been abandoned.
Here, you will even find a small lane dedicated to street art. As many film fraternity members have been living in Chembur, the area was famous for single-screen theatres. Examples include Vijay Talkies, Basant Theatre (now Cubic Mall), Natraj and Amar. Natraj continues to function.
Even to this date, Chembur is known for film studios such as RK Studios and Asha Studios.
Only the entrances of these studios remain now. The iconic Sheesh Mahal from the classic film Mughal-e-Azam was exclusively constructed at Asha Studios.
The name Matunga strikes me as amusing for some reason. Well, there are a few theories connected to this name. There was a three-hundred-year-old deity by the name of Marubai who was worshipped here. Another tale goes that the then King of Mahim kept his horses in Matunga. Matung means horses in Sanskrit, hence the name Matunga.
Did you know that till 1970, Matunga wasn’t even a part of Mumbai? The living conditions in Matunga were horrible but started improving after the Bubonic plague. This also led to the development of open spaces, parks, and playgrounds. Matunga is well-known for representing South Indians in their food, temples and even cinema halls.
Aurora Talkies, a single-screen art deco theatre, is also in Matunga. Unfortunately, it closed its operations in 2020 due to Covid. Another reason for its closure is the enormous number of seats. 700, to be precise. The last superhit movie to be screened here was Rajnikant’s Shivaji – The Boss.
Speaking of food, the Udupi restaurants in Matunga are a favourite. During the walking tour, I relished a few delicacies only available in Matunga. One of them, was a sweet bread preparation by the name Mangalore Bun in an eatery known as Amba Bhavan.
Matunga is also where people flock to get flowers and garlands for various occasions. However, it was disappointing not to detect any sweet scents in the air that day.
The next precinct has a history dating to 500 years or so. The oldest inhabitants of this area are mostly Christians. The factory of a famous bread brand, Wibbs, is in this area. Bread, as they say, was introduced by the Portuguese. They arrived in this area in the year 1508. In this location, a fort once stood, but unfortunately, nothing is left of it. The name of this area can be loosely translated as My Village or Mazagaon. While commuting on the Eastern Freeway, I had always seen Mazagaon. Little did I know that it has so many hidden facets. I have already covered one of them in another blog. (https://www.eeshasexperience.com/post/mumbai-s-beautiful-colours)
In Mazagaon, the mango trees gave fruits twice a year, in summers and winters. A spot for which you must surely pay a visit to this area is the Chinese Temple.
While rummaging through my notes, I came across the memos I had been to almost 5 years back. The walk was titled “Queensway Parel.” In this area, Parel- A Trumpet-Shaped flower used to grow. Hence the name.
Another reason is it is named after the temple Pari Vayjanath. The last tram in Mumbai ran on this road. Another fascinating faucet was Parel, which had a castle as well. It was later converted to a studio, where the film Hunterwali was shot. Parel is the first suburb of Mumbai. The hills in Parel are older than the Himalayas.
This area is truly filled with wonders. Once upon a time, Asia's largest bus depot stood here. The biggest-ever festival during Ramanavami, lasting for nine whole days, happens here. The richest Ganpati idol during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival is instilled in this area. Yes, yes, I am describing this wonderful place called Wadala. Back in the day, Wadala had jungles. The name Wadala is derived from Wagh Dola – Tiger’s eye. The name also comes from the Wad or Banyan tree. The production of a typical household item, the hanger, commenced in Wadala.
A movement was started in the 1800s called the Bhakti movement, which said your connection to God is enough. This movement came to Maharashtra due to Sant Tukaram’s efforts. Since he was into salt selling, he visited the Wadala Salt Pan and placed a Vitthal Idol there. People from all over Maharashtra visit this temple during the festival of Aashadi Ekadashi.
Of the walks mentioned above, the most surprising one for me was my walk in Mazagaon. The area has a building so narrow that even the toilet flush is built on the outside walls. In Wadala, an area named Naigaon exists, which means the court of justice. Chembur is full of greenery due to gardens like Diamond and Acharya. Ashtika – a hundred-year-old temple, is situated in Matunga. These few stories inspired me to discover my city by walking.
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