Lingering in the bylanes

Rediscover your home city through the rose-tinted glasses of a traveller.

With a tight cluster of streets packed with people, vehicles, cows, and stalls, there are few places as crowded as Bhuleshwar in Mumbai. There are very few who know the area beyond the famous Bhuleshwar market, and the place is a maze for any newcomer.

This is precisely why Bharat Gothoskar's Khaki Tours call their walk around this market area Bhuleshwar Bhulbhalaiya.

The crowded lanes of Bhuleshwar are home to fascinating signposts in the history of the area. The place is home to several temples that often go unnoticed. "The Bhuleshwar market is well-known for vegetables, fruits and all things handicraft. However, even though the market sees visitors by the hundreds every single day, the temples are forgotten. And they are really fascinating - some of them as small as a stall and some spread over acres," says Bharat, who quit the marketing industry he worked in for 16 years, to pursue conducting heritage walks and tours full time.

The Bhuleshwar Bhulbhalaiya walk starts at the Godi Parshvanath Jain Temple and takes you to the only Sun temple in Mumbai, Shri Surajwadi, which is a shrine, set in the courtyard of a one-storey building, a part of the building also functions as a marriage hall. The most fascinating detail about the temple is that it was built back in 1899. There is also a series of sculptures of ascetics that sit at the top of the courtyard columns and ring the temple's shikhara. It also takes you to the site of the Old RC Cathedral, plans on giving you an insight in the Mystery of the Holy Cow, and take you to the Bombay Panjrapole, a 176-year old infirmary, that primarily looks after cows and other stray animals.

While the walk focuses on getting participants to appreciate the heritage buildings, Bharat informs us that there's a lot more to it. "Generally, when one signs up for a heritage walk, they are keen on knowing more about the architecture. But, on a heritage walk conducted by us, architecture makes up for only about 20 per cent of the walk. We discuss about other aspects as well - food and culture, the untold history of the place, the people living there, what their everyday life is like and so on. We focus on giving a wider perspective on these aspects - these may seem like little things but it's what make the walk interesting," Bharat adds.

He informs us that the walk will also cover Khau Galli, Chandi Galli, Phool Galli, and other markets in the area as well. "We believe in appreciating heritage and culture with ease. Sunday mornings at Bhuleshwar are a bit relaxed comparatively and so one can see the beauty in the temples, the colourful markets, shop even, the fascinating people - all that is elusive on other days," he smiles.

"We are on a mission," Bharat continues. "We call ourselves heritage evangelists who seek to call attention to heritage extinction and ask people to conserve the heritage of the city. These walks are a fascinating way to bring people together for this cause. Mumbai's heritage is slowly deteriorating and it does require immediate attention. And you'd be surprised at how people are drawn to this - people really want to know more about the city they live in, the city that goes unnoticed amidst the daily struggle."

The walk will take place today, from 8 am onwards Meeting point Shree Godi Jain Temple, 12, Kika St. Gulal Wadi, Bhuleshwar, Mumbai Contact 8828100111 Tickets Rs 500