Mumbai: A City Full of Light

Mumbai: A City Full of Light



The
overall feeling of Mumbai is one of fullness; from
buildings and people to cultures, beliefs, sounds and smells. In
physical terms, constructions of all descriptions snuggle up
against each other – homes with corrugated-metal roofs and a
curtain over their front door neighbour sleek fashion stores with
neon lights skirting their entrance. Every patch of land is filled
and accounted for in this bustling, conflicting city.

Minarets of mosques punctuate the ever-present haze. Rosaries
hang from the front-view mirror of a taxi; statues of Ganesh
decorated with fresh flowers overpower the dashboard of another.
The religious beliefs of the people of Mumbai are on constant
display. Somehow the atmosphere feels fuller and more vital for
it.

Our visit to Mumbai falls during the week of Diwali, commonly
known as the Hindu Festival of Lights. Paper lanterns and fairy
lights hang from buildings and trees across the city. Drawn to a
lantern shop with a particularly beautiful range of designs on a
street north of Crawford Market in south Mumbai, we gather supplies
and return to the raucousness. The throng of the crowd and
illuminated sky overpowers the usual chorus of beeping horns.

We send our fireworks into the inky sky – which tonight looks
particularly full.

@justinetrickett | www.justinetrickett.com

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City Guide: Mumbai, India