It is hard to fault Bandra West. Each time I visit this part of the city, I wonder why I feel intrigued by it a little bit more. Even though there are many things about the queen of suburbs which seem almost inaccessible to many of us, the premium real estate, expensive eateries and fashion houses which make this sound like an elitist, gentrified neighbourhood.
But even then the charm of Bandra continues to live on. I regularly enjoy walking through the various villages, the gaothans – the urban villages where the original inhabitants of this island have been living for centuries together. The overall atmosphere in Bandra is hard to classify as one because every corner has its own unique identity.
Whereas Hill Road and Linking Road draw scores of shoppers for their affordable fashion, there are several places of worship which will welcome the devout from all corners of the city. The gaothans reflect the spirit of community and the posher neighbourhoods are symbolic of the affluent.
Nostalgia and More
Growing up, I had heard stories of Bandra from my father. He used to work as a delivery boy at a grocery shop and would take the train to work after college. He was responsible for delivering goods on a cycle to the neighbourhood buildings. Once while climbing down the slopes of Pali Hill, he lost balance and ended up breaking all the cola bottles he was ferrying to the customer. That was his last day at that shop.
Many years later, he was stationed at the office of Additional Commissioner of Police, Mumbai – West Region at Carter Road. Back then he would tell me stories of how couples would get stranded on the rocks during high tide, lost in their own worlds. He often remembered Mac Ronnel’s, a popular bakery, which then turned into the famous Candies eatery.
As a schoolboy, we would travel to St. Stanislaus School for all Hockey tournaments. I still remember the chicken burger which was sold at the canteen of the school. Delicious. But my proper forays into Bandra only began with junior college in 2006. Bandra offered a wide variety for exploration, long walks and of course cheap food.
At the Hearsch Bakery, one could grab a burger and sit in the rocky compound with it for hours. Now, the bakery is still around and is immensely popular on social media but there is no eating allowed in the compound. There was also Stomach – Chinese, offering really cheap and hearty Indo-Chinese varieties for the college gang. Walks on Carter Road were memorable and so was the midnight mass at the Mount Mary Church.
Any old timer from Bandra will say that Bandra of yore was much better. And indeed I believe them. But that’s true for any part of the city, even Kandivali where I grew up. As population increased the urban dynamics have shifted greatly.
Now, the only way to experience that is to walk about the lanes in search of remnants of an era gone by forever. Or catch glimpses of old Bandra lanes in old movies. Take for example, the famous scenes from Amar Akbar Anthony – all shots with Amitabh and Parveen Babi were shot in the Mount Mary Church, Vinod Khanna first meets Shabana Azmi at the the Bandstand Road. You can even spot glimpses of Bandra shown in Hrishi Da’s Baaton Baaton Main and other movies. I could go on.
Bandra’s Gaothans
The leafy lanes and broad footpaths in most places in Bandra encourage you to walk everywhere. And that is what I do every chance I get and getting lost in the urban villages is my favourite pastime. As per various historical records including the writings of travellers like John Fryer reveal that Bandra used to be a collective of about 20 hamlets known as Pakhadis. The pakhadis or villages have retained their identity in varying degrees as the names of the neighbourhoods continue to live on.
If you take the narrow lane next to Lucky’s restaurant, you will enter Bazaar road. It will take you through the heart of Bandra west with small shops on either side. And it will take you to the offices of Bandra Times, known of the quirky messages written on their blackboard. Beyond that lie the various pakhadis.
Prominent among them is Ranwar. The records of Ranwar can be found in the church of St. Andrews. The brightly painted cottages have often been photographed and now reeli-fied making Ranwar one of the most famous gaothans. Its two roads – Waroda and Chapel road house many cafes, graffiti painted walls and small establishments.
But the inhabitants of the houses who navigate and tolerate the steady stream of traffic and curious visitors make the place even more special. A small pop-up at Abigail’s every evening guarantees yummy potato chops. At Kalpana’s in the morning you are treated to a wide variety of baked treats. Good sausages at the various cold storage places and some nice fresh pav at the numerous bakeries make for a good breakfast.
Not so far away, when you wander off and come out at the St. Andrew’s Church – you spot the oldest cross of the city. The church is older than the Taj mahal and it is indeed a good landmark. One maybe tempted to walk to the left and onto Bandstand, but I prefer walking through Chimbai. When you are in Chimbai, the sea keeps peeking through the various gullies, which house the fisherfolk. It is a nice walk with old houses on either sides with a vibrant, thriving community. The access to the seafront can take you to a rocky patch, where you can watch the sunset in peace.
Beyond Chimbai, lies Carter Road, but if you skip that connection and enter Old Kant Wadi followed by the New Kant Wadi, two beautiful enclaves, you will see the old east Indian houses nestled between towering buildings on either side. If you are lucky, you may hear some live music being practised and if you are luckier, the cats of Kantwadi might consider playing with you.
Beyond Kantwadi, passing Boojee Cafe (they are not even pretending anymore now), you will reach Palli Malla road. You can now climb up and walk through the steep Pali neighbourhood or climb down to the right and onto Nargis Dutt Road and reach Pali Village. A more structured housing enclave offering a good quiet thoroughfare to the 16th road.
It is at this corner where you will find many classic eateries located next to each other. Soul Fry for Goan food, Ashmick’s Snack Shack for Parsi food, Jai Hind for all things sea food, Punjab Sweet House for chat and of course the good old Toto’s Garage and Janta for drinks. From here, the road takes you to Shirley Rajan villages, these two villages again house numerous quaint houses which dot the landscape amid new towers of Carter Road.
I always imagine how nice it would be to sit in the balconies of one of these house and watch the world go by. The trail continues as you reach Carter Road, and take the right turn onto the Union Park road. Opposite Union Park, the small left takes you into Chuim – the last of the villages which adjoins the nearby Danda. Another small enclave housing expensive coffee places and small but beautiful houses. As you walk through Chuim, you find yourself blending almost seamlessly into the Koli neighbourhood of Danda. Smell of dried fish punctuates the air. At a distance you can again see the sea shimmering, now the horizon is obstructed with the coastal road coming in sight.
All of the gaothans have their own unique way of living. They are essentially grounded in the ethos of community and collective welfare. Even though there are urban pressures of redevelopment, property disputes and of course, high maintenance, these villages are remnants of what the erstwhile Bandra would have been.
Bandra Address – A distant dream for many
For many of us Bandra will probably remain a neighbourhood of interest. Not of residence. Considering the real estate boom in the city, the pressures of urban city living continue to increase. Though it is still a fascinating neighbourhood to explore from any lens that one choose, as a tourist, as a social scientist, even as a curious city slicker, as a student.
There is a lot to do in Bandra, and those who call Bandra their home are lucky souls. To me, Bandra remains a place of escape, of nostalgia and of good memories. And I visit every chance I get.
Sometimes to stroll through the bylanes, sometimes to just sit by the sea and play with the cats of Carter Road. Occasionally, I also like to climb up the mount and spend time at the church where devouts of all religion come to pray together. Though evenings by the sea are best spent at the Bandra Fort of the Castella de Aguada, which offers a commanding view of the Mahim bay.
It doesn’t matter if you call it Bandra your home, it is enough if you visit once in a while.