Last day... Mumbai Darshan
- Kushala
- Feb 14
- 5 min read
What a bittersweet day - my last one in India, for now. It has been quite a trip!
I started my day with asana before my temple time. Taking the time to do poses before sitting on that marble floor for a couple of hours makes a big difference. I didn't have time for my full morning routine, since I was leaving at 8am. I did make time to stop at the Canteen for some chia, and to say my goodbyes. One of my favorite responses they give to goodbye in Ganeshpuri is, "Come fast".
I hurried home to Yogini's for breakfast, one of my faves - fruit salad, poha with lots of coconut chutney, and coffee. Pushkar packed me some Methi Paratha for the road, which I ate for dinner in my hotel room at the airport later that day. I appreciated it so much. Shortly after 8am, I was on my way to Mumbai for Mumbai Darshan, which is what the locals call sightseeing in Mumbai. First stop was Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir Trust, the most famous Ganesha temple in Mumbai. Tuesday is Ganesha's day, so it was extra busy.
I felt lightheaded and bliss-filled as I waited in line to see the Ganesha statue. I was repeating a Ganesh mantra and focused on drinking it all in. The sounds of so many devotees, the smells of incense and body odor and flowers, the flashing lights, the press of the crowd... it was a full sensory experience. And I delighted in it!
We headed off to the Mahalakshmi temple next. I had been here before, and it was cool to recognize some things. According to the government of Maharashtra, this is one of the most famous temples in Mumbai.
After the Mahalakshmi temple, we found a place nearby for lunch. I ordered a Rava Masala Dosa. I was blown away by the size of it! The plate to the right has sambar - a spicy soup you can dip the dosa in, coconut chutney, and masala potatoes. I asked for a cheese dosa for some extra protein. It was delicious!
After lunch, we headed to the Gates of India. I dropped a few rakhis in the ocean. One of those rakhis was the one I received at the end of the retreat with Gurudevi. It fell off in the temple during noontime Arti three days after the retreat ended.
The Gates of India was a nice spot to rest and enjoy the amazing views.
It was a good thing I got some rest in at the Gates of India, because our next stop was to walk over to a street full of shops and people. I don't know if the street we were on is the famous Colaba Causeway. The sidewalk was lined with shops on one side, and street vendors on the other side. And there were the walking vendors who carried their wares with them. Everyone wanted to talk to the foreigner. I had some fun negotiating, though I still paid more than I would have if I had left the negotiations to my friend. My instructions were, "If they say one thousand rupees, you say two hundred." I wasn't very good at that - lol!
We headed to the airport along Marine Dr. Marine Dr is also known as the Queen's Necklace, because when viewed at night from above, the streetlights resemble a string of pearls in a necklace. We stopped for five minutes for pictures and a snack. I didn't take a snack - the bhelpuri was a little too street food for me!
I got dropped off at the airport shortly after 4pm. My plan was to get to the lounge I had read about that featured sleeping pods. I encountered a problem when I got to the guard checking ID's before the doors to the airport. Apparently, I can't just enter the airport at any time for my flight. I had to wait until 10pm. That was six hours away, and my ride had already left. I felt stranded and a little panicky. I kept repeating, "I've got nowhere to go" until the guard relented and let me in. Once inside, I found a member of the service team that spoke English.
It turns out, the lounge where I had planned on waiting for my flight was on the other side of security. I couldn't get there until I checked in with Lufthansa. The Lufthansa desk didn't open until 9 or 10pm. He suggested I wait in the chairs for the next six hours. I was pretty invested in finding another solution, which we did. He helped me get to the Naranta Hotel, where they offered rooms by the hour. I stayed there when I arrived and was happy to return.
Getting there was more than a notion though. Because I had entered the airport, I couldn't leave. Technically, I had to leave to get to the Naranta. The gentleman that was helping me called an employee of the hotel to come and escort me to the hotel. Finally, I got to a room and settled in to rest for a few hours. When I got up, I remembered my care package of Methi Paratha and fruit that Pushkar had packed for me. I checked out at 11:30pm and headed back to the airport. Now I know that if I'm getting to the airport too early to get in, I can head straight to the Niranta. It's a beautiful hotel conveniently located on the lower level of the arrivals wing of terminal 2, with exceptional customer service.
I arrived home at 6pm Wednesday night, which still blows my mind a bit, since I was traveling for more hours than the clock was reflecting. Somehow, the time difference from India to here bends my mind in way that the time difference from here to India does not.
It was a pleasant surprise to return home to snow on the ground. Even more pleasant that it was all washed away the next day by the rain and warmer temps. I didn't have to shovel a thing!
I'm looking forward to sharing the parts of my journey I haven't had a chance to yet over the next several days. Thanks for joining me ~ Namaste
Lol - I didn't feel very cool when I was on the verge of tears a few times! I'm very grateful I didn't have to spend 6 hours in those uncomfortable airport chairs. And now I know, for next time.
Wow, I am amazed how cool you stayed and handled that difficult situation with waiting for 6 hours for your flight. I would've worried my head off after hearing all those rules with can'ts!!