A wonderful vignette of multicultural Mumbai from my blog and FB friend Slogan Murugan also known as M. S. Gopal, who specializes in spotting sociological images and stories from Mumbai .
A festival celebration, possibly amidst the trader community , resplendent in all the finery, it is fairly routine to see such a motorized chariot waiting next to you at the signal.
One has been witness to elephants lumbering besides purring Mercedes's with tinted windows, as well as charioteers in old jeans, in empty silver decorated chariots, rushing with undue haste for an assignment at some festival, taking a smart U turn at some signal..
This is a photograph clicked in the Pydhonie part of downtown Mumbai.
In case you wonder why everyone looks so serious and possibly angry, it might possibly have to do with the significant name on the shop on the left of the photograph.
(photo by Slogan Murugan)
Aaj ke Raja Log
on a Power Drive,
tough,
with a "Ki Jai"
roaring in the mind,
ladies-in-"permanent"-wait
empowered on the side
riding through
the entrails of Mumbai
at 73 Rs a litre
The fellow
without headgear
kicks into top gear
as he smartly accelerates
next to the Yuvraaj..
Kasab** on the sidelines.
Tough angry looks from the King
as the dowager folks
behind
turn to look
at what the world is coming to today...
on a Power Drive,
tough,
with a "Ki Jai"
roaring in the mind,
ladies-in-"permanent"-wait
empowered on the side
riding through
the entrails of Mumbai
at 73 Rs a litre
The fellow
without headgear
kicks into top gear
as he smartly accelerates
next to the Yuvraaj..
Kasab** on the sidelines.
Tough angry looks from the King
as the dowager folks
behind
turn to look
at what the world is coming to today...
**Kasab : the lone terrorist arrested for 26/11
I think people hate the name even if it is of a baby, hereafter! All of them really look very serious and angry, Ugich!
ReplyDeleteNice picture!
Though we don't see many chariots, we see wedding bands often with the groom sitting inside an open car unlike sitting on a horse like North India, though it is catching up here too, nowadays!
One sees these chariots quite a bit during Jain festivals here. But they are seen nightly around the Taj Mahal Hotel at the Gateway of India, empty, but all decked up in lights and stuff, literally twinkling, doing the slow walk around the seaface, trying to attract tourists. I thought the folks here gave so much character to the whole thing .....
DeleteWhen I was young, I was taken to attend a fancy dress competition (with Shiva costumes) and the organizers arranged a parade of all the participants in a grand chariot! It was a colourful display on Mount Road in Chennai! Since some of us couldn't fit into the chariot, we were taken in a bullock cart just behind it. Hmmm... :)
ReplyDeleteDestination Infinity
:-))
DeleteThe verse is a statement on the car culture that's taken over Mumbai and all other cities in India
ReplyDeleteThere is also this "parade" compulsion. While some probably think this is OK, I think I'd run miles before agreeing to this :-) ...I guess earlier they had horses, you still see them near the Taj...
DeleteBrilliant and the details are interesting too. All these sites make me miss india even more.
ReplyDeleteKajal, Thank you and welcome to the blog ! I too thought the photo was just wonderful!
Delete