Mumbai

There was one thing struck me right away when I arrived in Mumbai, marking the beginning of my 10 month fellowship with the American India Foundation.  That one thing was the vibrancy of life contained within this city.

Millions of people from around the world live and work in Mumbai.  There is a diversity and energy here that I have not seen in many places.  In addition to migrants from throughout the Indian subcontinent, I’ve encountered African, East Asian, European, Afghani, Iraqi, and South American migrants.  All these people have made their home in Mumbai and there presence can be felt.  At any given time something is going on, and vitality of the city is impossible to ignore.  It seems like almost every other day there is some sort of festival or celebration.  This became immediately apparent my first day of work with my host site, Ashoka Youth Ventures. 

My first day also marked the beginning of the annual Mount Mary Festival, one of Mumbai’s most famous celebrations.  The festival is weeklong tribute to the Virgin Mary contained within Bandra, an area noted for Portuguese roots and modern nightlife.  At the end of the day, just after taking a few steps out of the office, I immediately stepped into the heart of the festival.  There were hundreds of people everywhere – street vendors, elderly couples, young children playing, people from all walks of life that make up the tapestry of the Mumbai community.  Just yards from my office were carnival rides, balloon animals, fresh samosas, and even street-side tattoo artists with battery operated ink-injected needles.  Just the sight of it was invigorating – and this was only the first day of a week long festival!

Surprisingly enough, the vibrancy outside was only matched by that inside my office.  Ashoka Youth Ventures and the Ashoka Mumbai office housed people from all over the world.  Just in my office building alone, there are young people who have come from Brazil, Columbia, and the UK.  In the office above us another NGO, Unlimited, hosts multiple panels and discussions that brings in NGO experts working in the city who have made their way to India from various parts of the world.  India has one of the most dynamic NGO sectors in the world, and you can see that in the stories of the dozens of young men and women who have come here from around the globe to make this world a better place.  Yet both these communities are part of what makes Mumbai the city that it is.  The idea that over the next 10 months, I will be able to immerse myself in this city and its life is thrilling to say the least.

 

 

 

 

Posted by Neel Odedara