Sightseeing - Victoria Terminus (VT)

VT (Victoria Terminus) usually didn't figure in our bunking plans, unless we were headed to Sterling (a movie theatre) or McD's which is in the area.

But if you really take the time out and look around, VT (which has since been renamed CST) has some of the most beautiful neo-classical architecture and monuments in Bombay. Here are a few shots of the area.





Photos courtesy Ben Salins.Ben Salins is a professional globe trotter and an amateur photographer. To learn more about VT go here

Sightseeing - Marine Drive

It's been raining non-stop here for the fast couple of days after a disturbingly dry couple of weeks in July. Rain makes me all nostalgic (unless I have to travel, then I just get swicked out). For the past five years, rain compulsarily meant bunking lectures and going for a walk at Marine Drive sans umbrellas or wind-cheaters.






I'm sure we must've looked retarded.....three 21-year olds soaked to the bone, hair plastered to their skulls, jumping in every puddle to make a splash, but we didn't care and we had a blast!! We used to even wave at random people sitting in the bus (most of whom, I'm happy to report, smiled and waved back!!Maybe Bombay-ites aren't so jaded after all :P)





After one particular episode, we were so soaked, you could practically wring rain-water from our bones :P :P LOL.

I miss those footloose and fancy free days, sigh. Life got complicated after that and that's the image I hold on to when I'm feeling blue. I wanted to share some pictures of Marine Drive with you, which were taken from the Hilton Towers by Punit. Read more about Marine Drive here

Sightseeing - The Taj Mahal Hotel

The Taj Mahal Hotel is located in Colaba, opposite the Gateway of India. Built by Jehangir Tata, this magnificient hotel costed Rs. 4.2 crore to build (which will now fetch you a smallish 650 sq ft one bedroom apartment in the same area!). This picture was taken from a ferry to Alibaug (a small holiday island off the coast of Bombay)



In the days of the Raj, the Watson Hotel (for those of you who know it, is now the crumbling Esplanade Mansion) was the swankiest, ritziest place in town. It was the first place to screen a movie in India, and it had a sign out front that said "Indians and Dogs not Allowed". This prompted Mr. Tata to not only build a hotel which blew the Watson out of the water, but also allowed people of all races.





He apparently said that he didn't want to stoop down to the level of the British and wanted to use it as an opportunity to teach them some manners. The front of the hotel is actually the back, which was a deliberate snub on the part of Mr. Tata since he wanted to signify that he was turning his back on the royalty which arrived from Britain through the Gateway of India. (Read more about it here. Pictures courtesy Punit Joshi, check out his blog)