Random street scenes of Mumbai

With 13 blog posts about Mumbai in just 4 days of being there I think I gave you a pretty good idea and feel of that fabulous City! However, this is my last one, I am heading to Delhi after this. So I like to show you a few last impressions I took during my incredible time here in this 'City of Gold' or sometimes called Maximum Mumbai among Indians: maximum people and traffic, wealth and poverty, entertainment and dreams.



I came across a beautiful Rangoli made for a wedding. Rangoli is a traditional decorative folk art of India. They are decorative designs on floors of living rooms and courtyards during Hindu festivals & weddings and are meant as sacred welcoming area for the deities.



Boys playing cricket on the streets while it is Holy festival and almost no cars where driving... Cricket is a big sport in India, and they have just won the cricket world cup 2011, so everybody is totally happy!!



I saw these tiffins everywhere, and just before coming to India I had seen this program on TV that told the stories of the tiffin industry in Mumbai, so fascinating that even Prince Charles was impressed with the work they do.



The famous Dabbawala or Tiffin Wallahs of Mumbai...

Tiffin Wallah translates as one who carries the box. Tiffin is an old English word for a light lunch, and also the name of the multi-compartment metal lunch box that carries it. The Tiffin Wallah originated over a century ago when the many Indians working for British companies disliked the food served at work. Tiffin service was created to bring home cooking to the workplace. Today the city's 5,000 tiffin-wallahs deliver 200,000 tiffin-boxes filled with home-cooked food each day. According to a recent survey, there is only one mistake in every 16,000,000 deliveries and the system has registered a performance rating of 99.999999. Prince Charles is a fan and patron of the Tiffin Wallahs and countless businesses and corporations study the system to learn of its success and efficiency.



Haha... I am so sneaky, caught this older lady picking her nose and now she is examining the results... yikes!!



A young mother with her baby girl, who is wearing the black kohl around her eyes. Mothers apply kohl to their infants' eyes soon after birth. Some did this to "strengthen the child's eyes", and others believed it could prevent the child from being cursed by the evil eye.



This guy is on his way to the recycling centre...



These guys working at the local recycling centre..



And this is IT, the recycling centre... a bit different than what we are used to at home, but nonetheless.. there is recycling!!



The local 'Starbucks' but with so much more character!! I love this local coffee hang-out!



The local 'Juicy Lucy' producing fresh sugar cane juice everyday..



And it's client, enjoying a fresh squeezed juice...



The local 'McDonalds' making yummy Indian burgers...



Another food vendor...



After all that hard work... you need a nap, and where better than in the middle of the street... haha, I wish you could hear the noise on the streets of Mumbai, people honk their horns constantly. I wonder how this guy can shut out all that noise....



Mumbai is a fascinating city! I could stay here even longer and just see the amazing sites, the hustle and bustle, the activity that goes on 24 hours a day! A city that never sleeps! So intruiging, captivating and simply fascinating!!

Go and See Incredible India and stop by Mumbai, click on this Mumbai City Guide to help you find some treasures...



Have a fabulous day,
Mireille xx