Where I live

I live in Bandra. A little suburb (11.5 sq kms to be precise) in the north-west of Mumbai. I have no idea when and how it earned the sobriquet “Queen of the suburbs” possibly after we moved into our permanent home here more than ten years ago! The city itself finds a poetic place in some great literature like Shantaram, the novel by Gregory David Roberts, Suketu Mehta‘s Maximum City and most recently in a novel by Jeet Thayil called Narcopolis. Queen bee Bandra is nestled inside this great city and is home to some of the biggest Bollywood stars, old and young. It has a history that dates back to the 16th & 17th century with a Portuguese past. In many ways its like an extension of Goa. The unique cosmopolitan nature of Bandra makes it an ideal setting for writers, poets, journalists, actors, designers and musicians. The photos here serve as my compendium of outtakes from my life in the city, the suburbs and my home.

I just sensed a tremor from an earthquake while working on this post. This is what was swaying for about 8-10 seconds as an earthquake measuring 4.6 erupted in a district about 260 km from here.

01. Home

On days I have nothing to do I watch the sunlight streaming in through the windows of my house. In this case my daughter’s room.

Dazzling sunlight at about 9 a.m illuminates everything. I love the light at this hour in my home and around Bandra.

I enjoy experimenting with recipes. This one is a meatball recipe I followed from a popular website called allrecipes.com. When in doubt google the ingredients!

Whether I read all of them or not, I’m happy to be surrounded by all the literature my husband piles up in the house. They make for some interesting compositions juxtaposed with my passion to collect art posters and artefacts.

On my travels, i pick up all kinds of things. This is a colorful handmade dragonfly from a flea market in Byron Bay. It seemed to come to life in the midst of all the plants.

Bo Concept maybe an European luxury brand, but the fact is that the vase I bought from there turns my banana inflorescence into a fusion concept.

The shops in Bandra are winking with stuff teenage dreams are made of. From street shops to branded fare you can spend a lifetime hunting for some cool deals.

A gift that traveled many miles…made in China..bought in Washington…gifted in Mumbai!

You are what bread you eat. Though the humble Paav is staple in Mumbai, I prefer these professionally packed 6 grain breads available at outlets like Regal Plus in the main market.

I like to surround myself with memories past & present, my sister comes alive with the roses that surrounded her picture frame.

A thorough understanding of Chemistry begins with experiments conducted on Toenails!

The Gulmohur tree blooms for just 80 days in a year , illuminating our living room in warm summery colors.

Shells collected from our visits to various beaches are a constant design inspiration.

During the monsoon you will find little frogs jumping in the most unexpected spaces both outdoor and indoor. I prefer them in graphic expressions such as this object than the live one.

The concrete jungle is an apt descriptor for a city that allows builders to build indiscriminately. This is a view from the ugly concrete grill on our staircase.

Grills/ Lattice work are a part of traditional Indian architecture since kingdom come. The beautiful Moghul motifs seen in the grills of Rajasthani homes or historical sites like the Taj Mahal are lost to factories that produce these terrible concrete ones.

The view from my window may not be what dreams homes are made of but I can see the sea between two buildings. Bandra’s very popular Carter Road Promenade

Dust, the enemy of all things white is impossible to be rid of, what with the kids playing football in the park.

The Malla Residents cooperative had to put up a big fight with the municipal authorities of the city to have it beautified. We were happy to give the swing and slide.

Some gifts that come with the Mc Donald’s happy meals are adorable. This one dates back at least 7 years! The clay pot hand-made and painted by my daughter when she was 13.

It’s highly unlikely to find a modest home at a modest price in this megalopolis. I’m lucky that only one window in my house faces some buildings at a distance. Mumbai is the city of peeping toms, so watch for those curtains!

The Gulmohur (Mayflower) tree seems like it is old, very old. It comes to bloom very slowly, one flower at a time and then booms rapidly one fine day in May. It is home to some little yellow birds, mynahs who sing and of course the Mumbai speciality, the black crow & pigeon! I have seen some hawks (maybe eagles) visit too.

Related articles

• Featured In DNA Around The Blog, 9Jan2011: Bandra No Longer Queen Of The Suburbs (ideasmithy.wordpress.com)
• Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil – review (guardian.co.uk)