Mumbai Mornings – In Pictures

Mumbai Mornings – In Pictures
The glory of Taj Hotel at dawn

The city of dreams is known for its nightlife, but for me, it’s a city of beautiful mornings! 

The city looks absolutely soaked in poetry at the crack of dawn. My alarm clock buzzed at 5:30 am and although I like to sleep in, I managed to get out of bed within a minute or two. I quickly splashed some water on my face and got down to find a taxi. Most of the cabbies were still asleep. But I was fortunate to find one a little awake, who got ready to drive me to Marine Drive. I hadn’t tied my hair – I let them loose to enjoy the mesmeric breezes of Mumbai. So I was literally letting my hair down!

Mumbai Mornings – In Pictures
 
The ships at Gateway of India


There was a sense of smug happiness within me of seeing the city while it was still asleep, and I was awake to feel its one-of-a-kind magic!

Hotel City Palace, where I stayed, is located opposite Victoria Terminus Station and it’s a short distance from Gateway of India, The Taj Hotel and Marine Drive.  
 
Gateway Of India welcomes a new day
 
Marine Drive is the heart of Mumbai – it begins from Nariman Point and ends at a small beach. It’s a pavement made to walk, sit and gaze the skyscrapers and the distant sea horizon. I have been there quite a few times, but my favorite time was that one early morning when I witnessed several hues of sky burst into the landscape. From bluish-purple to a mellow stroke of yellow, the sky played an unabashed melody of colors. The boats moored at the beach looked like a painting.
 
Morning scene at a beach
 
As the day unfolds, all of it melts into the usual humdrum of everyday. But the brief, yet compelling early hours of the day are like a rendezvous with a surreal Mumbai.
 
It’s not a painting – it’s real.
 
I found Mumbai to be a city that allows you to live with abandonment. Whether you travel on a local train or a bus, get drenched in its torrential rains or immerse into the everyday craziness, Mumbai never gives you a mundane moment.  
 
Notice the moon still in the sky… reluctant to fade.
 
For Mumbai, there’s nothing like morning blues; it’s just like turning a new page to read another interesting story that lies ahead.
 
Boats at the shore
Waking up to a new bustling day 
So serene, so surreal… that’s how Marine Drive looks like in the morning.
Skyscrapers bathed in the morning hues.
The sun has just begun to glisten… at Marine Drive

How many times do you find your breath being taken away? Well, if you are in Mumbai, it will happen quite often.

Have you experienced Mumbai early in the morning?