Goodbye Premier Padmini!

On 28^th May the state government passed a resolution which may spell the end for one of the city’s most iconic landmarks – the Premier Padmini taxis or what we lovingly refer to as kali peeli.

Picture by blogs.reuters.com

Let's Ban It!

We Indians have found the sure fire solution to all problems that plague our society. And it’s such a simple solution that I wonder what why this didn't strike us earlier!

R.I.P. Lingerie Mannequins

The Week Guide

Wondering what to do post office hours this week? Need a midweek break from your mind numbing work? We have curated for you a list of events happening around the town this week. From comedy to drama to music and dance, here's our list of events that will keep you in shape this week! Why wait for the weekend?

Colaba Causeway Shopping!

What happens when you take a fashion blogger with a brand new camera to one of Mumbai's most famous shopping streets? Read on to know -

Hello to all the fashion lovers out there!  I was feeling really bored and useless the other day, and decided that my new camera needed some exercise, and my soul, some shiny stuff! And that's when you head straight to Colaba Causeway!

A Very Fine Food Walk

Our expat blogger BombayJules went around Dadar on a food walk to savour Maharashtrian delicacies. Here's what she discovered -  

For an expat dining out in Mumbai, it is all too easy to only frequent well known restaurants and Sunday brunch locations. Ones which can be considered 'safe options' that cater well to our western constitutions. But what about trying out some of Mumbai's more traditional eateries, the kind of places that are part of the very fabric of the city?

Mumbai is without doubt, the most cosmopolitan city in India - but it is also the most itinerant.  Over many decades, millions of people have flocked to the city from rural villages all over India, each one bringing their own traditions, faiths and recipes.  Nowhere else in India will you find such a variety of regional cooking; rich meat curries from the Punjab; coconutty prawn curries from Kerala; vegetarian thalis from Gujurat; Irani influenced Parsi berry pulaos; the Portuguese balchaos of Goa.  The list is endless.  The most well known of these food styles can be found at the best Indian restaurants in town. But in order to get right under the skin of itinerant Mumbai you have to dig a little deeper - by going right to the soul of the community.

Event: Knock, Stork and Baby

What: Knock, Stork and Baby

When: 1^st and 2^nd June 2013; 10 am to 10 pm

Where: CIDCO ground, Sector – 19, Sanpada, Navi Mumbai

Parents take note and mark the dates 1^st and 2^nd June in your calendars for a one of a kind event – a comprehensive kid’s carnival ‘Knock, Stork and Baby’!

Samved - More Than A Fusion Band!

Music these days is all about experimentation, about crossing over the boundaries of your genre, your style and collaborating with other styles to create a marvellous new kind of music. Fusion bands are a rage these days. But there are fusion bands and then there is Samved. Their music is a blend of classical Indian music with modern electronic music to create a fusion which will leave you spell bound with its soulful feel and refreshing sound. Samved recently got nominated for Radio City’s FreedomAwards from among 700 bands. We went behind the scene to understand how a six month old band has scaled great heights in such a short time!

Samved (L to R: Kirti Das, Sangeet Mishra, Ritwik Joe, KK, Zeeshan Khan)

Expat Corner: The Mumbai Dabbawalas - Dabba Dabba Do!

We have a new blogger on Discovering Mumbai. The ever inquisitive British expat blogger and columnist BombayJules. Recently she travelled all the way to Churchgate Station in south Mumbai to observe the famous Dabbawalahs in action (Dabbawallas, Dabbawallahs, or Tiffin Wallahs). Here’s what she has learned about the famous Tiffin delivery service of Mumbai!

You can follow her blog - here 

For the readers back home, a Dabbawala is a person whose sole job it is to collect home cooked 'dabbas' - basically packed lunches - from the homes of office workers and deliver them to said office workers via different modes of transport. After the packed lunch - or tiffin - has been consumed, the Dabbawala will re-collect the empty box and take it back home to the person's residence. Each tiffin box usually contains two or three containers - mostly carrying traditional Indian foods such as rice, veg curry, chapattis and vegetables. No doubt with a fraction of the calories of a Pret-a-Manger sandwich.

Dabbawala in his pristine white uniform

The Train Species!

Daily, the Mumbai local trains carry millions of people to work and back home, carrying a passenger load nearly 3 to 4 times over its capacity. But what’s really interesting about the locals is not the sheer complexity of the railway system but the people who use it for commute. The overstuffed, overcrowded and congested insides of the trains are a different world altogether. It’s nothing like the outside world! And in this unique environment you will find species that are exclusive to the world of Mumbai’s local train.

Hop on this train ride with us as we take a look at these special ‘Train Species’! You will certainly be able to relate with many of these train species!

Mumbai - The City Of Scams!

Coalgate, Railgate; we have become so used to these terms lately. Wherever you see, in newspapers, on TV and radio, people are talking about some or the other scam. Recent times have been very turbulent for the country, with many high level scams worth thousands of crores of rupees being exposed. So we decided to have a look at some of the scams that hit our very own city in the recent years. Here is a list of few of these scams! Let us know what you think about them.

Unjunking Junk Food

For most of us eating right is the mightiest challenge that we have ever taken on. Especially for those working in 9 to 5 jobs, taking time out of busy schedules on weekdays to go to a gym and sweat it out, is a tough task. Also the fact that our worlds are full of junk food, and people short on time invariably end up surviving on a diet of junk food, adds to our helplessness. While exercising might be tough, the easier way out to control your weight would be to control your food habits, avoid the junk. And to help you out in this endeavour two young entrepreneurs, ‘Divyesh Panchal’ and ‘Yash Bhatia’ have started a company by the name of ‘JustUnjunk!’, which gives you the goodness of “Unjunk” food with the taste of the junk! Doesn't that sound so enticing?

Divyesh Panchal

Warning! Just Skip This Notice and Move Ahead

Two days ago a trip to the Aksa beach turned tragic for a few friends. While two boys lost their lives, one was saved and undergoing treatment at the hospital. That Aksa is a dangerous beach is a well known fact. Over the years many have lost their lives at this piece of Mumbai coastline. The question then is why do people choose to ignore all warnings and put their lives at risk?