India Travel

Chances of coinciding with a festival while in Orissa are good, since the region celebrates many of its own as well as all the usual Hindu festivals for additional details of Mayurbhunj festivals.

Makar Mela (mid-Jan). Pilgrims descend on a tiny island in Chilika Lake to leave votive offerings in a cave for the goddess Kali.

Adivasis Mela (Jan 26-Feb 1). Bhubaneswar’s “tribal” fair is a disappointing cross between Coney Island and an agricultural show, though it does feature good live music and dance.

Magha Saptami (Jan & Feb). During the full moon phase of Magha, a small pool at Chandrabhaga beach, near Konarak, is swamped by thousands of worshippers in honour of Surya, the sun god and curer of skin ailments.

Panashankanti (early April). In various regions, on the first day of Vaisakha, saffron-clad penitents carrying peacock feathers enter trances and walk on hot coals.

Chaitra Parba (mid-April). Santals (the largest of Orissa’s many adivasi ethnic groups) perform Chhou dances at Baripada in Mayurbhunj district, northern Orissa. Some fishing castes also hold “horse-dances” involving wooden horse costumes, drumming and processions through the streets.

Ashokastami (April & May). Bhubaneswar’s own Car Festival (procession of temple chariots), when the Lingaraj deity takes a dip in the Bindu Sagar tank.

Sitalasasthi (May & June). Celebration of the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, celebrated in Sambalpur and Bhubaneswar.

Rath Yatra (June & July). The biggest and grandest of Orissa’s festivals. Giant images of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and his sister Subhadra make the sacred journey from the Jagannath temple to Gundicha Mandir in Puri.

Badi Yatra (Nov & Dec). Commemorates the voyages made by Orissan traders to Indonesia. Held at full moon on the banks of the River Mahanadi in Cuttack.

Konarak Festival (early Dec). A festival of classical dance featuring Orissan and other regional dance forms in the Sun Temple at Konarak.

Trains

Direct services to: Agra (4 daily: 23hr 15min-27hr): Ahmedabad (4 daily; 7hr 10min-12hr); Aurangabad {2 daily: 7hr 20mim: Bangalore (3 daily: 24hr 30min); Bhopal (4 daily: 14hr); Calcutta (4 daily; 33-40hr); Chennai (3 daily; 24-29hr); Coimbatore (1 daily; 10hr); Delhi (11 daily; 17-33hr); Hyderabad (2 daily; 15-17hr);

Indore (1 daily: 14hr 35min); Jaipur (2 daily: 18-23hr|; Jodhpur (1 daily; 22hr; change at Ahmedabad); Kolhapur (3 daily; 11 -12hr): Nagpur (4 daily; 14-15hr): Nasik (15 daily: 4hr); Pune (25 daily: 3hr 15min-5hr): Thiruvananthapuram (2 daily; 42tir); Udaipur (1 daily; 25hr: change at Ahmedabad); Ujjain (1 daily; 12hr 25 min): Varanasi (2 daily; 29-36hr).

Buses

Only state bus services are listed here; for details of private buses, see p.784.
Mumbai Central to: Aurangabad (2 daily; 1Ohr);Bangalore (3 daily; 24hr); Bijapur (3 daily; 12hr);Goa (2 daily; 18-19hr); Indore (2 daily; 16hr);
Ujjain (1 daily; 17hr).

ASIAD Dadar to: Kolhapur (4 daily; 10hr); Nasik (17
daily; 5hr); Pune {half-hourly; 4hr).

Flights

For a list of airline addresses and travel agents, see pp.781-783. In the listings below, AA represents Alliance Air, IA is Indian Airlines, JA Jet Airways, and SA Sahara Airlines.

Santa Cruz airport to: Ahmedabad (AA. IA. JA 6-7 daily; 1hr); Aurangabad (IA, JA 2 daily; Itir 30min);

Bangalore (AA, IA, JA 11 daily; 1 hr 30min); Bhopal (SA, AL 2 daily; 1 hr 25min); Calcutta {AA, IA, JA, SA 5-6 daily; 2hr 25min]; Calicut (AA, IA, JA 2-5 daily; 1hr); Chennai (Al, JA 8-9 daily; 1hr 45min); Cochin (AA, IA, JA, 4 daily; 1hr 50min); Coimbatore (IA, JA 2 daily; 1 hr 50min]; Delhi (AA, AL, IA, JA, SA, 22-26 daily; 1 hr 45min-2hr); Goa (AA, IA, JA, SA 3-4 daily; 1 hr 55min); Hyderabad (AA, AL, IA, JA 6-8 daily; 1hr I5min); Indore (AL, JA, SA 3-4 daily; 1hr 10min); Jaipur (AL, JA, SA 7-8 daily, 1 hr 35min|; Jodhpur (AL 4 weekly; 2hr 20min); Madurai {IA, 1 daily; 1hr 55min); Mangalore (AL. JA 4 daily; 1hr 15min); Nagpur (AL, IA 2 daily; 1 hr 55min); Pune {JA 2-3 daily; 35mm); Thiruvananthapuram (AA, IA, JA 3-5 daily; 2hr); Udaipur (AA, IA, JA 2-3 daily; 1hr 45min|; Varanasi (IA, SA 1-2 daily; 3hr 5min)

In spite of its prominence on trans-Asian flight routes, Mumbai is no longer the bargain basement for international air tickets it used to be. Discounted fares are very hard to come by — a legacy of Rajiv Gandhi’s economic reforms of the 1980s. If you do need to book a ticket, stick to one of the tried and tested agents listed.

All the major airlines operating out of Mumbai have offices downtown where you can buy scheduled tickets or confirm your flight; see p.781 for a list of addresses. The majority are grouped around Veer Nariman Road, opposite the Ambassador Hotel, or else on Nariman Point, a short taxi ride west of Colaba.

Mumbai is the nexus of several major internal flight routes, train networks and highways, and is the main transport hub for traffic heading towards south India. The most travelled trails lead north up the Gujarati coast to Rajasthan and Delhi; northwest into the Deccan via Aurangabad and the caves at Ellora and Ajanta; and south, through Pune and the hills of the Western Ghats towards Goa and the Malabar coast. Public transport is cheap and frequent, but book in advance and be prepared for delays.

By plane

Indian Airlines and other domestic carriers fly out of Santa Cruz destinations all over India. Availability on popular routes (especially Mumbai—Goa—Mumbai) should never be taken for granted. Check with the airlines as soon as you arrive; tickets can be bought directly from their offices (see p.781), or through any reputable travel agent, although you’ll have to pay the mandatory Rs600 airport tax when you get to Santa Cruz.

In theory, it is also possible to book domestic air tickets abroad when you buy your original long-haul flight. However, as individual airlines tend to have separate agreements with domestic Indian carriers, you may not be offered the same choice (or rates) as you will through agents in Mumbai. Note, too, that Indian Airlines is the only company offering 25 percent discounts (on all nights) to customers under the age of thirty.

By train

Two main networks converge on Mumbai: the Western Railway runs to north and west India; the Central Railway connects Mumbai to central, eastern and southern regions.

Nearly all services to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and the far north leave from Mumbai Central station, in the mid-town area. Second-class tickets can be booked here through the normal channels, but the quickest place for foreign nationals to make reservations is a: the efficient tourist counter (no. 28) on the first floor of the Western Railway’s booking hall, next door to the Government of India tourist office in Churchgate (Mon-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm, Sat 9.30am-2.30pm; ©022/203 8016, extension 4577 for foreigners).This counter also has access to special “tourist quotas", which are released the day before departure if the tram leaves during the day, or the morning of the departure if the train leaves after 5pm. If the quota is “closed” or already used up, and you can’t access the “VIP quota” (always worth a try), you will have to join the regular queue.

Mumbai’s other “Tourist Ticketing Facility” is in the snazzy air-conditioned Central Railway booking office to the rear of VT (Mon-Sat 9am-lpm & 1.30—4pm; counter no. 22 or 21 on Sun), the departure point for most trains heading east and south. Indrail passes can also be bought here, and there’s an MTDC tourist information kiosk in the main concourse if you need help filling in your reservation slips.

Just to complicate matters, some Central Railway trains to south India. including the fast Dadar-Madras Chennai Express #6063 to Madras, do not depart from VT at all, but from Dadar station, way north of Mumbai Central. Seats and berths for these trams are reserved at VT. Finally, if you’re booking tickets to Calcutta, make sure your train doesn’t leave from Kurla station, which is even more inconvenient, up near the airports. Getting to either of these stations on public transport can be a major struggle, though many longdistance trains from VT or Churchgate stop there and aren’t as crowded.

By bus

The main departure point for long-distance buses leaving Mumbai is the frenetic Central bus stand on JB Behram Marg, opposite Mumbai Central railway station. States with bus company counters here (daily 8am-8pm; S022/307 6622), include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Gujarat. Few of their services compare favourably with train travel on the same routes. Reliable timetable information can be difficult to obtain, reservations are not available on standard buses, and most long-haul journeys are gruelling overnighters. Among the exceptions are the deluxe buses run by MSRTC to Pune, Nasik and Kolhapur; the small extra cost buys you more leg-room, fewer stops and the option of advance booking.The only problem is, most leave from the ASIAD bus stand in Dadar, thirty minutes or so by road or rail north of Mumbai Central.

Other possibilities for road travel include the “super-fast” luxury coaches touted around Colaba. Most are run by private companies, guaranteeing breakneck speeds and possible long waits for the bus to fill up. ITDC also operate similarly priced services to the same destinations, which you can book direct from their main offices downtown or through the more conveniently situated ‘Government of India tourist office, 123 M Karve Rd, Churchgate. Two night buses .leave Nariman Point every evening for the twelve-hour trip to Aurangabad. and there are morning departures to Nasik and Mahabaleshwar, which take six and seven hours respectively.

Most visitors feel like getting out of Mumbai as soon as they can. Fortunately, Mumbai is equipped with “super-fast” services to arrange or confirm onward travel. All the major international and domestic airlines have offices in the city, the railway networks operate special tourist counters in the main reservation halls, and dozens of travel agents and road transport companies are eager to help you on your way by bus.

Banks and currency exchange The logical place to change money when you arrive in Mumbai is at the State Bank of India’s 24hr counter in Sahar airport. Rates here are standard but you’ll have to pay for an encashment certificate - essential if you intend to buy tourist-quota train tickets or an Indrail pass at the special counters in Churchgate or VT stations. All the major state banks downtown change foreign currency (Mon-Fri 10.30am-2.30pm, Sat 10.30am-12,30pm); some also handle credit cards and cash advances. Several 24hrATMs handle international transactions, usually Visa, Delta and Mastercard - it’s best to check with your bank which you can use beforehand. It’s also worth noting that there’s often a limit on how much you can take out: it can be as low as Rs4000. ATM machines can be found at: Air India Building, Nariman Point and 293 DN Rd, Fort (Citibank); and 52/60 MG Rd: near Hutama Chowk, Fort and Asha Mahal, Kemp’s Corner Flyover, Breach Candy (HSBC). The fast and efficient American Express office (daily 9.30am-6pm; 022/204 8291), on Shivaji Marg, around the corner from the Regal cinema in Colaba, offers all the regular services (including poste restante) to travellers’ cheque- and card-holders and is open to anyone wishing to change cash. Thomas Cook’s big Dr DN Marg branch (Mon-Sat 9.30am-6pm; 022/204 8556), between the Khadi shop and Hutatma Chowk, can also arrange money transfers from overseas.

Airlines, domestic Alliance Air 022/611 4426; Air India 022/287 6565, Indian Airlines, Air India Building, Nariman Point (Mon-Sat 8.30am-7.30pm, Sun 10am-1pm & 1.45-5.30pm; -3)022/202 3031); counter at the airport 022/615 6850; Jet Airways, Amarchand Mansion, Madam Cama Road 022/235 5788; Sahara Airlines Unit 7, Ground Floor, Tulsiani Chambers, Nariman Point 022/283 5671.

Airlines, international Aeroflot, Ground Floor, Tulsiani Chambers. Free Press Journal Road, Nariman Point 022/287 1942; Air France, Maker Chambers VI, 1st Floor, Nariman Point 022/202 5021; Air India, Air India Building, Nariman Point 022/202 4142; Air Lanka, 12-D, Raheja Centre, Nariman Point 022/282 3288; Alitalia. Industrial Insurance Building, VN Road, Churchgate 022/204 5026; British Airways, 202-B Vulcan Insurance Building, VN Road, Churchgate 022/282 0888; Cathay Pacific, Bajaj Bhavan, 3rd Floor, 226, Nariman Point 022/202 9561; Delta, Taj Mahal, Colaba 022/288 5652; Emirates, 228 Mittal Chambers, Nariman Point 022/287 1645; Gulf Air, Maker Chamber V, Nariman Point 022/202 1626; KLM, Khaitan Bhavan, 198 J Tata Rd, Churchgate 022/283 3338; Kuwait Airways, 86 VN Rd, Churchgate 022/204 5331; Japan Airlines. Raheja Centre, Nariman Point x 022/287 4937; Lufthansa, 1 st Floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point 022/202 7178; Pakistan International Airlines. Mittal Tower. B Wing, 4th Floor, Nariman Point 022/202 1373; Qantas Airways, 42 Sakhar Bhavan, Nariman Point 022/202 0343; Royal Nepal Airlines, 222, Maker ChamberV, Nariman Point X022/283 6197; SAS and Thai Airways. 15 World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Colaba 022/215 5301; Saudia, Ground Floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point 022/202 0199; Scandinavian Airlines, Ground Floor, Podar House, 10 Marine Drive, Churchgate 022/202 7083; South African Airways, Podar House, 10 Marine Drive, Churchgate 022/282 3454; Swissair. Maker Chamber VI, 220 Nariman Point 022/287 2210; Syrian Arab Airlines, 7 Brabourne Stadium, VN Road, Churchgate 3022/282 6043; TWA and Australian Airlines, Amarchand Mansion, M Carve Road cr-022/282 3080.

Ambulance 022/266 2913 or 101 for general emergencies or 105 for heart cases.

Airport enquiries Sahar International Airport 022/836 6700. Santa Cruz Domestic Airport: Terminal 1A for Indian Airlines S 022/615 6633; 1B for all other airlines 022/615 6600.

Consulates and high commissions Although the many consulates and High Commissions in Mumbai can be useful for replacing lost travel documents or obtaining visas, most of India’s neighbouring states, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Nepal and Pakistan, only have embassies in New Delhi and/or Calcutta (see relevant city account]. All of the following are open Monday to Friday: Australia, 16th Floor, Maker Tower “E", Cuffe Parade (9am-5pm; 022/218 1071); Canada, 41/42 Maker Chambers VI, Nariman Point (9am-5.30pm; 022/287 6027); China, 1st floor, 11 Ml. DahanukarMarg (10am-4.30pm; 022/282 2662); Denmark, L & T House, Narottam Moraji Marg, Ballard Estate (10am-12.45pm; 022/261 4462); Germany, 10tti Floor, Hoechst House, Nariman Point (9-11 am; 022/283 2422); Republic of Ireland, Royal Bombay Yacht Club Chambers, Apollo Bunder (10am-noon; 022/2O2 4607); Netherlands, “International” Building, New Marine Lines. Cross Road, 1 Churchgate (9am-5pm; 022/201 6750); Norway, Navroji Mansion. 31 Nathelal Parekh Marg (10am-1pm; 022/284 2042); Philippines, 61 Sakhar Bhavan, Nariman Point (10am-1pm; 022/202 4792); Singapore, 9th Floor, 94 Sakhar Bhavan, Nariman Point (9am-noon; 022/204 3205); South Africa, Gandhi Mansion. 20 Altamount Rd (9am-noon; 622/3893725); Spain, Ador House, 3rd floor, 6 K Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda (10.30am-1pm; 3022/287 4797); Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka House, 34 Homi Modi St, Fort (9.30am-11,30am; 022/204 5861); Sweden, 85 Sayani Rd, Subash Gupta Bhawan, Prabhadevi (9.30am-12,30pm; 022/288 4563); Switzerland, Maker Chamber IV, 10th floor, Nariman Point (8am-11am; 022/204 3003); Thailand, Malabar View, 4th floor. Or Purandure Marg, Chowpatty Sea Face (9am-noon; 022/363 1404); United Kingdom, 2nd Floor, Maker Chamber IV. Nariman Point (8am-11,30am; 022/283 0517); USA, Lincoln House, 78 Bhulabhai Desai Rd (7am-11am; 022/363 3611),

Hindi lessons Kalina University, in north Mumbai, and a number of private academies run short courses. Ask at the tourist office in Churchgate (022/203 3144) for more details.

Hospitals The best hospital in the centre is the private Mumbai Hospital (022/206 7676), New Marine Lines, just north of the government tourist office on M Karve Road. Breach Candy Hospital (022/363 3651) on Bhulabhai Desai Road, near the swimming pool, is also recommended by foreign embassies.

Internet access A couple of cramped 24hr places (Rs40 per hour) can be found in Colaba, just round the corner from Leopold’s on Nawroji F Marg, though it’s worth paying the Rs5 extra at Access Infotech, located down a small alley further down Colaba Causeway on the left, which is faster and more comfortable. Near VT, several places can be found on Sahid Bhagat Singh Marg where Nikliil Communication Centre at no. 268 costs Rs40 per hour and is open till 1 am. On-line is another good name and they have two cafes; 82 Veer Nariman Rd, Churchgate and 39 Sea Face, Chowpatty (both Rs50/hr).

Left luggage If your hotel won’t let you store bags with them, try the cloakrooms at Sahar and Santa Cruz airports, or the one in VT station (Rs7-10 a day). Anything left here, even rucksacks, must be securely fastened with a padlock and can be left for a maximum of one month.

Libraries Asiatic Society, SBS Marg, Horniman Circle, Ballard Estate (Mon-Sat 10.30am-7pm); British Council (for British newspapers), A Wing, 1st Floor, Mittal Tower, Nariman Point (Tues-Sat 10am-6pm); Alliance Frangaise de Mombai, Theosophy Hall, 40 New Marine Lines; Max Mueller Bhavan, Prince of Wales Annexe, off MG Road (Mon-Fri 9.30am-6pm). The KR Cama Oriental Institute, 136 Mumbai Samachar Marg (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm.Sat10am-1pm), specializing in Zoroastrian and Iranian studies has a public collection of 22,000 volumes in European and Asian languages. Mumbai Natural History Society, Hornbill House (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-ipm, closed 1st & 3rd Sat of the month), has an international reputation for the study of wildlife in India. Visitors may become temporary members which allows them access to the library, natural history collection, occasional talks and the opportunity to join organized walks and field trips.

Pharmacies Real Chemist, 50/51 Kaka Arcade (022/200 2497} and Royal Chemists, M Karve Road (022/534 0531), both dose to Mumbai Hospital, are open 24hr. Kemps in the Taj Mahal also opens late.

Photographic studios and equipment The Javeri Colour Lab. opposite the Regal cinema in Colaba, stocks colour-print and slide film, as do most of the big hotels. A smali boutique behind the florists in the Shakhari Bunder covered market does instant Polaroid passport photographs.
Police The main police station in Colaba (022/285 6817) is on the west side of Colaba Causeway, near the crossroads with Ormiston Road.

Postal services The GPO (Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-4pm) is around the corner from VT Station, off Nagar Cbowk. Its poste restante counter (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-3pm| is among the most reliable in India, although they trash the letters after four weeks. The much less efficient parcel office (10am-4.30pm) is behind the main building on the first floor. Packing-wallahs hang around on the pavement outside. DHL (022/850 5050) have eleven offices in Mumbai, the most convenient being the 24hr one under the Sea Green Hotel at the bottom of Marine Drive.

State tourist offices: Goa. Mumbai Central Railway Station 022/308 6288; Gujarat, Dhanraj Mahal, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Marg, Apollo Bunder 022/202 4925; Himachal Pradesh, 36 World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade 022/218 1123; Jammu & Kashmir, 25 World Trade Centre
022/218 9040; Kerala Tourism Information Counter, “Kairali", Nirmal Building, Nariman Point 022/202 6817; Madhya Pradesh, 74 World Trade Centre 022/218 7603; Rajasthan. 230 Dr DN Marg, Fort 022/204 4162; Tamil Nadu, G2(A), Royal Grace, Lokmanya Tilak Colony Marg No. 2, Dadar (East) 022/411 0118; and Utter Pradesh, 38 World Trade Centre 022/218 5458.

Swimming pools The snooty sports club at Breach Candy, north of Malabar Hill, is a popular place to beat the heat. A day’s membership costs around Rs200.

Telephones and faxes STD booths abound in Mumbai. For rock-bottom phone and fax rates however, head forVidesh Sanchar Bhavan (open 24hr), the swanky government telecom building on MG Marg, where you can make reverse charge calls to destinations such as the UK, US and Australia. Receiving incoming calls costs a nominal Fts10. Numbers in the city change constantly, so if you can’t get through after several attempts, try directory enquiries on 197.

Travel agents The following travel agents are recommended for booking domestic and international flights, and long-distance private buses where specified: Ambassador Travels, 14, Embassy Centre, Nariman Point 022/283 1046; Cox and Kings India Ltd, 271/272, Dr DN Marg 022/204 3065, Magnum International Tours & Travels, Frainy Villa, 10 Henry Rd. Colaba 022/285 2343, Peerless Hotels & Travels Ltd, Ground Floor, Churchgate Chambers, 5 New Marine Lines 022/265 1500; Sita World Travels Pvt Ltd, 8 Atlanta Building, Nariman Point 022/284 0666,
Thomas Cook

The most famous of Mumbai’s many good music shops are near the Moti cinema along SV Patel Road, in the central bazaar district. Haribhai Vishwanath, Ram Singh and RS Mayeka are all government-approved retailers of traditional Indian instruments, including sitars, sarods, tablas and flutes. For cassettes and CDs try Rhythm House, Subhash Chowk, next to the Jehangir Art Gallery. This is a veritable Aladdin’s cave of classical, devotional and popular music from all over India, with a reasonable selection of Western rock, pop and jazz.

Mumbai’s excellent English-language bookshops and bookstalls are well stocked with everything to do with India, and a good selection of general classics, pulp fiction and travel writing. Indian editions of popular titles cost a fraction of what they do abroad and include lots of interesting works by lesser-known local authors. If you don’t mind picking through dozens of trigonometry textbooks, back issues of National Geographic and salacious 1960s paperbacks, the street stalls between Flora Fountain and Churchgatc station can also be good places to hunt for secondhand books.

Chetana, 34 Dubash Rd (Rampart Row). Exclusively religion and philosophy.

Crossword, Mahalakshmi Chambers, 22 Bhulabhai Desai Rd, Breach Candy 022/492 2458. Mumbai’s largest and most reputed retailer, a bjs ride (#132) from the downtown area.

Nalanda, ground floor, Taj Mahal. An exhaustive range of coffee-table tomes and paperback literature.

Pustak Bharati, Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, KM Munshi Marg. Excellent small bookshop specializing in Hindu philosophy and literature, plus details of Bhavan’s cultural programmes.

Shankar Book-Stand, outside the Cafe Mondsgar, Colaba Causeway. Piles oi easy-reads, guidebooks, classic fiction, and most of the old favourites on India.

Strand, next door to the Canara Bank, off PM Road. Fort. The best bookshop in the city centre, with the full gamut of Penguins and Indian literature.

Regionally produced handicrafts are marketed in assorted state-run emporia at the World Trade Centre, down on Cuffe Parade, and along Sir PM Road, Fort. The quality is consistently high - as are the prices, if you miss out on the periodic holiday discounts. The same goes for the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, 34 Shivaji Marg, near the Gateway of India in Colaba, whose size and central location make it the single best all-round place to hunt for souvenirs. Downstairs you’ll find inlaid furniture, wood- and metal-work, miniature paintings and jewellery, while upstairs specializes in toys, clothing and textiles - Gujarati applique bedspreads, hand-painted pillowcases and Rajasthani mirror-work, plus silk ties and Noel Coward dressing-gowns. Mereweather Road, directly behind the Taj, is awash with Kashmiri handicraft stores stocking overpriced papier-mache pots and bowls, silver jewellery, woollen shawls and rugs. Avoid them if you find it hard to shrug off aggressive sales pitches.

Perfume is essentially a Muslim preserve in Mumbai. Down at the south end of Colaba Causeway, around Arthur Bunder Road, shops with mirrored walls and shelves are stacked with cut-glass carafes full of syrupy, fragrant essential oils. Incense is hawked in sticks, cones and slabs of sticky dhoop on the sidewalk nearby (check that the boxes haven’t already been opened and their contents sold off piecemeal). For bulk buying, the hand-rolled, cottage-made bundles of incense sold in the Khadi Village Industries Emporium on Dr DN Marg (see above) are a better deal; it also has a handicraft department where, in addition to furniture, paintings and ornaments, you can pick up glass bangles, block-printed and calico bedspreads, and wooden votive statues produced in Maharashtran craft villages.

Mumbai produces the bulk of India’s clothes, mostly the lightweight, light-coloured “shirtings and suitings” favoured by droves of uniformly attired office-wallahs. For cheaper Western clothing, you can’t beat the long row of stalls on the pavement of MG Road, opposite the Mumbai Gymkhana. “Fashion Street” specializes in reject and export-surplus goods ditched by big manufacturers, selling off T-shirts, jeans, leggings, summer dresses, and trendy sweatshirts. Better-quality cotton clothes (often stylish designer-label rip-offs) are available in shops along Colaba Causeway, such as Cotton World, down Mandlik Marg. If you’re looking for traditional Indian clothes, head for the Khadi Village Industries Emporium at 286 Dr DN Marg, near the Thomas Cook office. As Whiteaway & Laidlaw, this rambling Victorian department store used to kit all the newly arrived burra-sahibs out with pith helmets, khaki shorts and quinine tablets.These days, its old wooden counters, shirt and sock drawers stock dozens of different hand-spun cottons and silks, sold by the metre or made up as vests, kurtas or block-printed salwar kamises. Other items include the ubiquitous white Nehru caps, dhotis, Madras-check lunghis and fine brocaded silk saris.