A week’s familiarisation visit to India was truly a gourmet-sized appetizer to the smorgasbord the country has to offer in every sense of the word. 

Recently, I was part of a delegation of media professionals from across Africa, who were afforded a glimpse into the world’s largest populated country –  which to date has surpassed China to claim the top spot with a population of approximately 1.46 billion.

And now, my short-lived experience in this unashamedly hospitable country, has piqued my interest to the extent of a return visit. 

Before stepping off the plane in Mumbai into sweltering heat just before the monsoon season was expected, I had a bird’s eye view of the concrete jungle of skyscrapers taller than I have ever seen with my own eyes. 

The skyline is a breathtaking tapestry of architectural marvels, where colonial-era structures stand shoulder to shoulder with contemporary skyscrapers and even more construction sprawled out across the city.

In the days to follow after touching down in this city, we experienced travelling across the recently inaugurated Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), officially named as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu and colloquially known as Atal Setu. As India’s longest sea bridge and inaugurated during January last year, the Atal Setu – a 21.8 kilometer long, 6-lane road, with 16.5 kilometers over the sea and 5.5 kilometers on land – the bridge connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai and aims to reduce traffic congestion and travel time between the two cities. 

Also inaugurated last year, introduced to another construction victory and much to my amazement (added with a pinch of angst), we travelled via India’s first undersea tunnel, the coastal road tunnel in Mumbai, which also aims to alleviate traffic congestion. It took me a minute to realise that we were leaving the shore for a deep d(r)ive along the 2.07 km twin tunnel which passes beneath the Arabian Sea, specifically between Marine Drive and Priyadarshini Park.

With an inner-city traffic speed of just 30kmph, the rat race of traffic was a shock to the system – and the ease of motorists navigating their cars, buses, tuktuks, mopeds and motorbikes alike was a sight to behold. I could not get enough of it just staring out the window, listening to the endless (and seemingly aimless) hooting/honking. People were just hooting at everything but looked unbothered behind the wheel – a stark difference to the Cape Town roads where hooting happens almost a moment too late. 

My tuktuk experience was of course exciting in itself, having been ripped off but also too excited to care at that moment, I just had to experience it after a night at the many vibrant bargain markets where you find literally everything for sale (including that live snake at a robot intersection).

Small businesses have really tapped into every market, making anything under the sun marketable, a true hustle and testament to their tale of survival spanning centuries. 

“There are two types of people in this world: those who have seen the Taj Mahal and those who haven’t.” These words from our guide at the ivory-white, marble clad mausoleum, will echo for years to come as I was privileged to behold the dwarfing symbol of eternal love, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth.

And while a number of sites and growing businesses across various sectors were showcased during this week trip, my memory will always go back to the first day being outdoors in Mumbai, familiarising in just one corner of the fast-growing continent, was the sighting of fluttering butterflies at the Mumbai Film City in Goregaon. 

The studios were established in 1977and is today the largest studio complexes in India. 

I cannot remember when last I sighted a butterfly and here I was, enchanted in another part of the world by its simplicity.

Having spent time in Mumbai and Delhi, both cities are a celebration of architectural diversity, where every structure tells a story, and every detail is a testament to the artistry and craftsmanship that define India’s cultural heritage and reflects the rich history and cultural fusion.

The soft beauty and warm hospitality of this nation is telling and synonymous with their national flower – the lotus – which grows from sludgy conditions telling a story of resilience and adaptability.

chevon.booysen@inl.co.za 

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