Bhuleshwar, A Kashi Ensconced In Mumbai

The bylanes of Bhuleshwar have old residential buildings and chawls that are mostly occupied by Gujarati dwellers.

If you walk on the streets of Kashi and then visit Bhuleshwar of Mumbai, you will likely experience a déjà vu. The bells, the aartis, the chanting and the overall ambience will make you feel present in the holy city of Kashi and not in the financial capital of India. Just like Kashi, there are temples in Bhuleshwar every few steps. Yes, Mumbai has a Mini-Kashi ensconced in it.

The biggest landmark close to Bhuleshwar is the temple of Mumbadevi, the presiding deity of Mumbai. After crossing the road towards its west, you enter a lane full of chaos where hawkers are selling everything from fruits to garments and sweets to flowers. Almost every Hindu God and Goddess occupy a space adjoining this 200 metres long lane. There is a several centuries-old Panchmukhi Hanuman temple, which was built by members of the Koli community, the original inhabitants of Mumbai. Other temples like Bada Jagdish temple, Mahadev temple, and Laxmi-Narayan temple are said to be equally old. Some of them have a reputation for fulfilling wishes and are visited by devotees from diverse parts of the city.

The bylanes of Bhuleshwar have old residential buildings and chawls that are mostly occupied by Gujarati dwellers. A famous Gujarati named Dhirubhai Ambani, who went on to become the founder of the Reliance Group, lived in one such chawl at Bhuleshwar after he migrated from Chorwad in Gujarat. He stayed with his family in a two-room house. Ambani had opened an office to sell Indian spices in the Masjid Bunder area, 2 km away, and often walked up this distance. Later on, he set up a business of yarn at nearby Mulji Jetha Market where he operated from a 10ftx10ft shop.

Apart from its temples, Bhuleshwar also attracts vegetarian food lovers. The Khichdi Samrat restaurant serves over a dozen varieties of Khichadis with Vrindavan Khichadi and Hariyali Khichadi being high in demand. Among the street foods, Khechiya papad is widely relished. A corner in the premises of Madhav Baug is one of the few places in Mumbai that serves sweet and chilled Thandai (Sans Bhang). Lovers of Gujarati food throng Surti Restaurant for its delicious Undhiyo.

Bhuleshwar is next to the famous Kalbadevi Road, which is an enormous market for retail and wholesale garments. Today, looking at the crowd and hubbub in this area, it is hard to imagine that tigers and panthers were being spotted at Kalbadevi, hardly two centuries ago. With the mushrooming of shopping malls and online shopping becoming big, the charm of the area is diminishing.

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