Saturday Morning Stroll in Lalbaug

Lalbaug, for most Mumbaikars, is synonymous with Lalbaughcha Raja, the magnificently tall and arguably the most iconic Ganpati idol of the city during the annual 10-day Ganesh festival. There is an interesting story about its origin. The fish market of Lalbaug used to be in the courtyard of Peru Chawl across the arterial Dr Ambedkar Road. As more and more houses came up, people started complaining about the fishy odour. Also the market was too small to cater to the increasing demand. The fish sellers, desperately in need of a bigger place to peddle their ware, began propitiating Ganpati. And soon as luck would have it, Rajabai Tayyabali, a local landlord offered a plot for the construction of a new market. The overjoyed fisherwomen, out of gratitude, installed a Ganpati idol dressed as a fisherman and Lalbaugcha Raja was born in 1934.  Interestingly Raja is a term of endearment used by fisherwomen for the shoppers. I was privileged to be among the 20 odd enthusiasts, who were treated to such delightful tidbits by Khaki Tours on a sneak preview of the upcoming heritage walk through Lalbaug.

Our walk began from the spot where Bombay Gas Company used to produce coal gas, which was distributed throughout the island city for household cooking and street lighting. The company ceased operation in early 1980s, when oil and gas were struck in Bombay High. Today, the company’s 400 km long underground pipe network is used by Telcos to run optical fibre cables for broadband connectivity. Also close by is the humble origins of one of the most illustrious industrialist family of the city, Godrej. Ardeshir Godrej started manufacturing locks in 1897 from a small shed here in Lalbaug.

Lalbaug was the epicenter of Girangaon (Mill Village), which during the heydays comprised 130 textile mills employing nearly 300,000 workers. After a prolonged strike, the mills started shutting down one after the other and today highrise apartments dwarf the chimneys. The chawls that housed the mill workers also vie for our attention with their fading but still eye-catching facades.

Curiously the seemingly Hindu bastion of Lalbaug is named after a Muslim saint Hazrat Lal Shah, whose tomb can be accessed after clambering over a pile of construction materials. Believed to be the oldest Dargah (13th C?) of Mumbai, this has been rebuilt after being destroyed in the 1992/93 riots. Not very far from this is another Dargah, better maintained, of Chand Shah, Lal Shah’s younger brother. Interestingly this Dargah is tended to by a Hindu family.

The cosmopolitan character of Lalbaug is exemplified by the 2 Dargahs, a Jain Derasar with colourfully painted pillars and brackets, a pretty temple dedicated to Mhasoba, the buffalo-God and an Agiary overwhelmed by a 23-storey skyscraper.

And tucked away inside the concrete jungle is Lalbaug’s best kept secret – a 2 acre vegetable farm – which has to be seen to be believed. The owners were jittery about posting photographs of the green oasis and I will leave it at that.

Also noteworthy is the New Hanuman theatre, which was a Tamasha Theatre during the halcyon days of textile mills, and now an incongruously named marriage hall. Close by is the shrine of Mari Aai, which according to legend is dedicated to a Tamasha artiste.

Of course, a tour of Lalbaug will be incomplete without the sights and smells of Chivda Galli and Masala Galli, which is where our delightful stroll terminated after three fun-filled hours. The walk repeats on Valentine’s Day and is highly recommended for all those who care about Mumbai. And as Bharat of Khaki Tours, never tires of saying, heritage walks are not just about art and architecture.