Thank you for the music
Thank you for the music
The last in the line to bite the dust was Mumbai’s oldest music retail outlet, Rhythm House. Started in the 1940s, its initial patrons were the British residing in the city at the time. But over the years, it became an integral part of the lives of musicians and music lovers. Often frequented by A.R. Rahman, Rahul Sharma and Zakir Hussain, Rhythm House was known for its AC music booths, where customers could sample tunes before buying. After a landmark run of 75 years, the record ran out on Rhythm House’s musical journey in November, leaving fans and patrons surprised and sad at the sudden decision.
Alyque Padamsee, one of its many long-time customers, made a visit to the store soon after hearing the news of it shutting down. He said, “It makes me very sad that Rhythm House is closing down — tears roll down my cheeks to think of it shutting and turning into another discotheque. But it’s a good thing that the young people have taken over the country. These are the straws in the wind. There are so many old bungalows that are being knocked down ” As the staff has been busy folding up operations over the last two months, the shutters are expected to finally come down in February.
Zodiac Grill ran its course Vehemently vouched for by its patrons as Mumbai’s first fine-dining restaurant, the Zodiac Grill was as iconic for its food as for its legacy. After hosting a final meal for members of the press, the top-of-the-line French eatery shut its doors this year. Started in 1989, when fine-dining wasn’t nearly as popular as it is now, it was was one of the few places in the city that could cater to the tastes of the city’s creme-de-la-creme.
When Zodiac Grill introduced the concept of ‘pay as you like’ back in 1989, it was alien to the country. Guests, as the concept suggests, paid as they liked. At one point, the menu showcased 300 dishes, which was narrowed down to 100 and eventually to 35. The clear reason for its shut down is not known, except for the reassurance that it is making way for something which would be a worthy replacement, according to the authorities.
Samovar took its last order After a three-decade long legal battle, the iconic Samovar Café, nestled within the Jehangir Art Gallery, pulled down its shutters this year. A joint that became iconic for the patronage it enjoyed from maverick artists in its heyday, Samovar had for long been a part of the city’s art culture. Once frequented by the likes of MF Husain, V.S. Naipaul and Amitabh Bachchan, among many others, Samovar’s journey began almost five decades ago in 1965 when Usha Khanna, the niece of the legendary actor Balraj Sahni started it. Thanks to its close proximity to one of the most popular and prestigious centres of art in the city — Jehangir Art Gallery — Samovar’s keema parathas, mutton rolls and pulaos were an instant hit among those who would frequent the gallery.
The café was embroiled in a legal dispute for many years and in 2010 its license was extended to a final five years by the Jehangir Art Gallery committee. So in March 2015, Samovar had to fold up, much to the dismay of the café’s long-time patrons. There were serpentine queues in the café’s last days to relish that one last bite of its legendary kheema parathas and a sip of the mint tea.
Some last minute efforts were made in the form of a petition sent to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to reopen the café. But as of now, there have been no developments on that front. As things stand today, it appears that an iconic chapter in the cultural history of the city is closed for good.
A towering presence restored One of the greatest gifts of Mumbai’s colonial past, the iconic Rajabai clock tower located within the Fort campus of the University of Mumbai, reopened this year in May, after a long-drawn renovation work. Modelled after London’s Big Ben, the Rajabai tower was first constructed in 1878 by Sir George Gilbert Scott at a cost of Rs 2 lakhs. Sporting some of the best stained glasses in the entire city, the tower was notorious in its earlier years for being a suicide spot, and eventually, that led to it being shut for the public.
Regaining its place as the official time-keeper of Mumbai, the Rajabai clock tower was renovated through an initiative by the Heritage Society along with help from the University of Mumbai and Tata Consultancy Services. One of the earliest iconic signatures of Mumbai, at 85 metres (or 280 feet), the Rajabai clock tower was one of the tallest buildings in the city for a long time before it was dwarfed by the skyscrapers. Now along with its newly renovated corridors, the monument is also home to the University’s digitised library.
Aquatic chapter reopened Even as two of the city’s most iconic establishments breathed their last, there are two more that got a new lease of life. Mumbai’s way of saying: Balance is restored. The first one being the city’s oldest aquarium, the Taraporewala Aquarium. The aquarium that was re-launched in March this year, sees an average of 6,000 visitors on weekends and 4,000 on weekdays.
Launched in 1951 and named after renowned Parsee philanthropist D.B. Taraporewala, the aquarium was first thrown open by the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad. The aquarium’s modern avatar is the result of a Rs 22 crore renovation project. Along with a rich selection of aquatic species, the aquarium now also boasts of a 12-foot long 360-degree acrylic glass tunnel. A number of new species of fish have been added such as the Red Devil, Jaguar, Electric Blue Jack Dempsey, Frontosa and Catfish. Located on the Marine Drive, the Taraporewala Aquarium has rightfully reacquired its place as one of the major attractions of the city.
100 years of the road most taken Marine Drive, the iconic stretch by the bay, which even to this day remains Mumbai’s best answer to the stress of urban living, completed a landmark hundred years on December 18. Commissioned as the Kennedy Sea-face in 1915, the landmark’s momentous anniversary was celebrated by the city administration and the residents with the release of a postcard in its honour. A 4.3 kilometre long stretch, the Marine Drive is proudly called sometimes the ‘Queen’s Necklace’, courtesy its brilliant lighting, which illuminates the ‘C’ curve all the way from Chowpatty to the iconic Gateway of India. A thoroughfare that connects Nariman Point with Malabar Hill and Babulnath, the actual road along Marine Drive was first laid out over 72 years ago and despite its antiquity, this road remains one of the best-kept roads in the city and the country.
