My connection with Maya Nagri

Each of us has some favorite place to go where some strange comfort awaits us. It may be some place with childhood memories or some religious place or a remote place away from chaos of daily life. I feel that kind of connection with Mumbai - Maya Nagri (magical city) of India. I visited Mumbai in 2011 for official work. It was a 2 day trip. I landed Mumbai on a rainy evening in August. The city cast a magical spell on me in the next 24 hours. I made a promise to myself that I would return to this city one day as an explorer. I kept this promise. I revisited Mumbai this January.

This time it was a 4 day trip and I explored the main attractions of the city. I was trying to sense the same old charm that I felt ten years ago.  And I was trying to understand how this city is different from other cities I visited so far. People say life in Mumbai is very fast paced. Of course, urbanization has reached its highest peak in Mumbai making it center of business for many major industries in India. Thus we call Mumbai financial capital of India. Mumbai is home of many renowned businessmen and film stars. But these reasons are not enough to leave a lingering charm in a traveler's heart that no other modern and picturesque city can create. It is about the people of Mumbai! The easy going and friendly attitude of the people here can never make one feel outsider. I connected with people from different walks of life here and observed their tolerant and relaxed demeanor in everyday life. Mumbaikars, crowd of Mumbai, constitute of people from different religions, cultures, races and culinary backgrounds. Mumbai truly represents India in a capsule. Here people strike conversation with strangers without prejudice. Even language barrier does not prevent folks from interacting with passersbye and helping them in need. I witnessed crowd halted to help an aged woman who fell from scooter on a busy road in Andheri. A security guard made exception in assisting me in finding my lost cell phone near airport. An old couple trusted me with their smartphone in Marine Drive while I walked away with it to click their snap from opposite side of the street. I can't forget my cab driver who was in tears while describing an accident he saw near Nana Nani park. Mumbai has seen how its people came in each other's rescue during tough times like floods, terror attacks etc. Mutual trust and compassion have created the fabric of people's mind here. A traveler can never feel lost in such a city.

I can't resist the greed to meet Mumbai again, at least one more time in life. To me, Mumbai is always a home away from home.