Gorgeous Gorai: Homeward Bound

The old home town looks the same as I step down from the train,
And there to meet me is my mama and papa.
Down the road I look and there runs mary hair of gold and lips like cherries.
It’s good to touch the green, green grass of home.
Yes, they’ll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly.
It’s good to touch the green, green grass of home.
The old house is still standing tho’ the paint is cracked and dry,
And there’s that old oak tree I used to play on.

Down the lane I walk with my sweet mary, hair of gold and lips like cherries.
It’s good to touch the green, green grass of home.
Yes, they’ll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly.
It’s good to touch the green, green grass of home.

Then I awake and look around me, at four grey wall surround me
And I realize that I was only dreaming.
For there’s a guard and there’s a sad old padre -
Arm in arm we’ll walk at daybreak.
Again I touch the green, green grass of home.
Yes, they’ll all come to see me in the shade of that old oak tree
As they lay me neath the green, green grass of home

A great song from one of my all time great-Vocalist : TOM JONES.

The lyrics echo the feeling/sentiments/emotions one experiences as you cut through the congested streets of Malad(Orlem) & proceed towards Marve Jetty & further on towards Manori-Gorai.


Scene 1: Road to Marve

Ever since the Flying Pigeon landed on my lap, i have been under the spell of the weekly migratory path of the Pigeon; as it winds it's way along the Goregaon-Gorai stretch. Early morning or late afternoons are generally when the path is relatively free of congestion ( Mumbai-ishtyle); thereby allowing you to put in some stunning laps along the wide lanes of Link road. As the bicycle winds up along Mid-Chowky, Marve & approaches Marve Jetty; the path narrows down while the surrounding country side opens up. Gone are the city stench, the concrete creepers, the maniacal mayhem & much more. Instead, what lies ahead is wide open spaces all around. As the wind picks up, the salty air engulfs you; An almost primordial invitation by the Deep Blue Sea to visit it's shores & beyond.

There are few roads, streets in a clustrophobic city like Mumbai which has a sense of character. Once such road is the Fork ( or Y ) Junction as u drive down through the mangroves. The Y junction was not created by Men & Machines, but I presume was dictated by the prevailing geography & landscape. To the left of this junction is Mudh Island & INS Hamla; while to the right is the Marve Jetty. It's almost like the Road asking you.." Now, Where to..Honey..?? "

{ The Road to Mudh Island, maintained by the Navy is one of the best stretches in the city & a dream road for cyclists; luring you into Top Gear. The gentle ups n downs covered in thick canopy is a heavenly place to cycle. Arey Rd in Goregaon, was once upon a time a similar stretch; untill MUTP & excessive Traffic ensured that it stays mutilated & beyond repair. }

As the road banks to the right; a few meters ahead is the Marve Jetty & the last stop for Bus. No. 272 from Malad Stn. Over the weekend; this place becomes the most preferred getaway for couples deprived of privacy, mind fucked professionals, hoping to sink in a ocean of CMFL (Country Made Foreign Liquor) with blaring music, & a few climbing/trekking freaks.


Scene 2: Marve Jetty & the Ferry Ride

The Jetty has life of it's own with the Ferry being it's umblical chord. The lives of both are entwined right from the when they start chugging across the stretch from the early hours of Dawn (starting @ 5.30am) to well past midnight ( till 12.00 am). The third & final member of this communion is the BEST bus running between Marve & Malad. These 3 musketeers ( if i may call them ) endure the fishermen, the office blokes, the bikers, the Toddy suppliers etc.. all day through.

On a normal day, it is the locals from across Manori Vilage apart from the Koli's & other fishing communities who inhabit these parts. Sharing space with them on the beach are the Butta walas, selling sweet corn for rs.10/- roasted & marinated with lemon n salt n chilli. However, as the weekend comes, so does the Pani-Puri, Ragada Patties & Bhaji-Pav vendors. Strangely, they never seem to have an off day...I guess, they seem to have the average Mumbaikar under their spell. While the whole of BMC & Govt screams Lepto/Gastro.. these blokes seem to share the common man's take it in the stride attitude..aka " Naseeb Gandu Tho Kya Kare Pandu..!!Khao..Piyo..Aaaish Karo"

Once in a while, u might find the Indian Navy cadets lauching their rafts & sails into the ocean.

After some Chai & refreshments, as u approach the beach, one can find ppl eagerly waiting for the Ferry which by then has left the opposite shore. Though, it is only half a km or about 15min by the Ferry, it is a delightfull journey. As the sea of ppl board the ferry, followed by the Bikers & the lone cyclist along the ramp, it is time for the Ship to Set sail. While the passengers are busy buying tickets ( rs. 2.50/- for Man, Bike & rs.1.00/- for cycle), the engines are already in Reverse Thrust, backing off from the shore. On a rainy day with the tide High, this trip rocks. In fact, during High Tide, the boarding point gets shifted.

No sooner has u'r mind got lost in transit; soaking in the pleasures of a boat trip; than u find the opposite bank fast approaching. Oh Oh..No..PLss..You almost plead to the boatman to move in Slow Motion. The devil in me sometimes, hopes for an engine malfunction; however not for long. Being stranded in the middle for a while should be an interesting proposition. More interesting, would be to cross over in the small rafts used by the fisherman. Though, carrying my pigeon along would be a tricky/risky proposition; given that it is not insured.

( Had it not been for the unabaited reclamation of land, there would have been many more such boat trips. Waiting for the day, when Ferries transport u from Malad to Marine Lines)

Scene 3: Country Road Take me Home ...Manori

As I make my way down the ramp @ Manori Jetty, the woman folks are busy sorting out fish which has been dumped by the boats. Strangely, I could see more of garbage & rubbish..epecially loads of plastic bags. These gigantic ladies had to sort through the mess to segregate the fish. Given that, i have taken a liking for sea food, this definitely was not a nourishing sight. Almost got the feeling; that the ecosystem had long lost being Fragile & instead was Fucked. A few more concrete creepers when constructed along the newly reclaimed mangrove stretch ( after the CRZ rules are twisted; once more) should help the cause.

( Hey...am I getting a bit too cynical about the whole issue; which i guess is the easiest thing to do, apart from suggesting Utopian/Idealistic solutions. The tough part would be to suggest practical solutions & get them implimented. But that will have to wait for another day; for today is to pamper the Pigeon while the solutions can wait for a TOMORROW; if & when it comes. As for the word FRAGILE; it might sease to exist in the OXFORD; except probably in the MOON / MARS edition untill such a day, when Men shall colonoise them too..!!)

Crossing the Manori Creek also changes the character of the place. From the husle & bustle of the mainland, we eneter a laid back place where right from the Autos to the ST buses to the Victoria's are in no hurry. Almost like Goa..but thankfully they don't shut shop @ noon. A bicycle is the safest & cheapest option to roam; provided u can avoid a puncture. The road from Manori to Gorai strewn with mangroves on one side & the sea on other is rather hard on the tyres in patches. The roads are winding & deserted..leaving u all by u'rself.
Life in the village goes on as usual; with folks repairing the nets, boats, drying fish etc. The mainland appears like an eyesore untill the Hills of National Park rise along the horizon.

The Dargah is a cool place to hangout & read a book; apart from ofcourse-climbing. Riding along this place when the rains are heavy & wind roaring..is quite an experience. Being a predominantly catholic area, along the path u find Crosses of varying sizes. Gorai village transports u to some place down south. The architecture is simple but elegant, the lanes dusty but clean , the houses very vibrant with flowering plants & creepers moving all along.

As i went further down the road, it reaches the jump offpoint for Essel World. Proceeding further, i passed the Gorai Beach & further down the road leads to the Bhayander-Mira Rd (Kashmira ) Junction. Though, i couldn't reach the end, it is a well maintained & thickly wooded.

Spending time along the Manori shore, observing the landscape paint a different picture with the Sun & clouds is a delight. To me, the place comes alive @ dusk, when the reddish hue of the rocks amidst the green shrubs, bushes & cacti.

Click Here ---->Snaps of Manori -Gorai _Mudh

Scene 4: From Shangrila to Shanghai ( aka Shanty Town )

The Manori of today would be similar to what my grandad would have seen & admired of Mumbai some 30-40 yrs back. But those were the days of Nehruvian Socialism, symbolised by the gigantic Textile Mills & other Heavy Machinery industries; providing large scale employment for the masses. It was a time, when Middle Class as a concept probably didn't exist & a few skyrises were limited to a few areas in South Mumbai.

In a rapidly evolving political environment, Socialism & it's ideals could probably not keep up with the demands of a democratic state. American Capitalism was seen as the fastest means to Elodrado & most of the developed & developing world were realigning their ideals. The beginning of 1990 saw the demise of USSR coinciding with the Winds of Change ( Liberalisation ) hitting Indian Shores. Free Market & Small Scale Enterprise were encouraged. This was also the time, when the Internet had begun to revolutionise the world after sneaking out of the labs of DARPA.

Liberalisation, Internet/Telecom/Software Revolution, Free Market were the elixir that started the BULL run on the economic front; placing India @ the forefront of the Techno Boom with it's large ready to serve base of skilled Technical manpower. The Middle Class, Sensex & Real Estate were the Buzz words apart from Infy ,Sify & their likes. An increase in the purchasing power of the middle class rallied the real estate boom. As the Yankees say..." There is no business like Show Business ..". ICE aka Infrastructure - Communication - Entertaintment were the BIG daddies responsible for Urban planning & not town planners. Result: The city landscape which had shared a symbiotic relationship with the city dwellers; soon began to change. Rivers n Mangroves gave way to swanky Glass & Metal cages, Mills became Entertaintment Hubs; land became a commodity more precious than gold.

If we were to go by the wise men @ MMRDA, BMC & State Govt & their grandoise plans for Manori-Gorai belt; I dare say, the day is not too far, befr the place might resemble BKC or Andheri with swanky Multiplexes & other means for keeping the dick heads entertained. As if to say, the ZEE driven Essel World & Vipaasna Centre were just the tip of the iceberg.

New Reports :

"Plans to convert Gorai into a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for tourism may have sparked off heated protests from local fishermen and farmers whose livelihoods are threatened, but many Borivli residents are also quite excited at the thought of their suburb’s entertainment quotient going up.

A city newspaper recently reported that the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is looking for a consultant to draw up a development plan for the area, which covers 42 square km.

How will the face of Gorai change?

If all goes according to plan, Gorai may soon resemble Surat and Navsari in Gujarat, where the government has created concessions for hoteliers to encourage tourism."

The grandoise plans of MMRDA can be understood from the following tender document....
http://www.mmrdamumbai.org/docs/Website_Notice_on_Gorai_EOI.pdf

Here's what the locals of Manori-Gorai have to say.... as reported in a tabloid.
"If an SEZ comes up here, the landscape will change. This area will become a commercial hub no different from others

Willie Shirsat points to some negative aspects of an SEZ and how it may affect locals. Gorai’s mangroves and beach could be destroyed once tourists start arriving, he says.

Gorai Village residents, all fourth-generation fishermen or farmers who are objecting to this new plan, second that view. They don’t see why the government needs to construct an artificial complex in an area whose natural locale people have been enjoying for years.

A few years ago, village representatives sent a letter to the then chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde protesting any development plans, if the need arises, they will do it again. Gorai, Manori and Culvem are the only villages left in Mumbai. If destroyed, the lives of thousands will be altered, says Lourdes. "

At the end of the day, the question I might ask is.... Is the Shanghai Dream worthy of being called a dream or a Trojan Horse in the making....!!!

As I ride my pigeon back to base through a downpour, after soaking in the sights n sounds of Eldorado, the DOORS drive me home....Comfortably Numb!!!

Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Into this house we’re born
Into this world we’re thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out on loan
Riders on the storm

There’s a killer on the road
His brain is squirmin’ like a toad
Take a long holiday
Let your children play
If ya give this man a ride
Sweet memory will die
Killer on the road, yeah

Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm