Jehangir Gallery, Wayside Inn and Victory Stall.

Jehangir Art Gallery looks a ghost of it's past glory. Tattered, ramshackled, badly kept, paint peeling and looks like it is coming apart.

There were days when Masters like Hebbar, Ara, Hussain, Raza et al. would line up to show their work. Rameshwar, better known as Ram Chatterjee held sway as the Secretary of the Gallery and ran extremely successful workshops with the who's who of painting.

And Mrs. Usha Khanna ran Cafe Samovar, with warmth, elan and a touch artistry too.

Across the road, on Rampart Row was Wayside Inn with it's scrumptious Mixed Grill.
You could drive almost upto the Gateway of India, Apollo Bunder, to.....NO, not to the The Taj Mahal Hotel (without the tower then) BUT to the Victory Stall, on the waterfront, This wonderfully quaint little eatery was run by the Time and Talent Club, mostly wives of Parsi retired Defense officers. They also ran Horseshoe, Colaba. The best Dhansak, Brown rice and Parsi Dairy Kulfi then. After a delicious meal at the Victory Stall, we tread down the stone slope and negotiate a five rupee sail boat ride around the harbour. The boat was for your family.

This bit brings back beautiful memories of my mother Amiya, Aunt and Uncle Marie and Dr. PK Sen and my sibling, Supriya Banerji.

Bom Bahia to Mumbai.

Mahim in "town"??? Was spoken….
Let’s try and sample Bombay or Mumbai……
My "town" begins at Tardeo and extends to Fort and then Colaba. Where the Chillia, Parsi and Irani eateries () still exist. Baba Ling's is here too along with Olympia- great Chillia food. Rustam's ice cream sandwiches at Brabourne stadium. With Pyrks at one end and Asiatic Irani, Gourdon and Purohit's at the other end of Veer Nariman Road. Interestingly, Kamlings has evolved from a small family run restaurant to a regular eatery. My first three course there cost my a princely five rupees. The coastal food now. Kori gassi and prawn gassi are delicious at Fort. Kerala cuisine is best at Tulsi at Gunbow Street. At an Irani, do ask for Brun maska chai or “pudding”. It has it’s own signature.
Mohammad Ali Road meanders along past the Crawford Market and it’s food, meats and shops, past the whole sale markets pitching in with it’s own Bambiyya chchap Muslim brands of food which is scrumptious. Even for vegetarians. Minorities are vegetarians too. Bohri Biryani near Minara Masjid. Daal tadka or chaawal tari maar ke. Authentic Kutchhi muslim food in that area too. Sarvi kabab rotis and paya soup at Nagpada. Bhuleshwar has Khau Galli and vegetarian Gujarati fare. The crossing of JJ hospital offers mouth watering kheema pao, kheema ghotala or baida ghotala at any hour. By lunch onwards sup on tandoori chicken, seekh & boti kabab. Relished by daily workers and the well off. Matunga East, The place to savour Udipi and Tamil food. Yes, the sambar differs. Mani's (coin idlis for breakfast, Ram Ashray and Arya Bhavan- try the Iddyappams) serve piping hot breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Dadar houses the Malvani fiery food joints, Sindhudurg that has mutton or chicken sukka, bombil fry, paplet masala, sol kadi a must try. Finally Aram at Mahim, for Kutchhi vegetarian world.
Buses No.1 and 4 Ltd ran through the night. The latter, till Andheri west, depot.
The seven islands of Bombay were Colaba (Kolbhat), Old Woman’s Island (Little Colaba), Isle of Bombay, Mazagaon (Mazhgaon), Worli, Parel and Mahim.
The nearby islands of Trombay and Salsette were merged to form Greater Bombay. Bandra, Khar etc. etc. are parts of Greater Mumbai.
Bhau Daji Lad Museum, formerly Victoria and Albert Museum, walks you back in time to these islands.
Bombay’s pre- Independence architecture is a confluence of two brilliant designer minds. The intricate gargoyles and bejeweled columns of the city show the Italian jeweler at work. And perfect execution by the British mind.
That, my friends is the Bombay I was born in. A truly compolitan city. The Island city of Mumbai. Where Dadar is too; the husband, whilst putting on his black topi would tell his wife "Me Mumbai la challo…" (I'm going to Mumbai), meaning Fort, and walk out with his black umbrella. Still happens in parts of Girgaum and Dadar.