For someone who has had the experience of living in Chembur, Navi Mumbai is surely a welcome change.
That was the feeling for Nerul resident, N Krishna Kumar, who moved in here with his wife in 2004.
No aspect of the city has been a disappointment since then, feels the 60-year-old.
“I am retiree and I feel coming to this place was the best decision as the degree of convenience and peace is high here. The area I reside in has all the required necessities be it hospitals, shopping marts, markets or temples. For a retired life it is quite fulfilling,” says Kumar.
While in Chembur he had to put up with narrow lanes that would seem crowded even with 20 people walking and lot of noise due to vehicular movement. “Open spaces are the most important feature of Navi Mumbai. Parks and garden are aplenty and you can walk to your heart’s content. Road are wide so one does not have to worry about coming in the way of vehicular traffic,” he adds.
He likes the quietness of the city so much that whenever he gets in touch with his relatives, he advises them to relocate to Navi Mumbai. “I always tell them to come and live here, talking about the facilities I have like the vegetable market that is located quite close, D-Mart is just a 15-minute-walk and Surya Hospital is also nearby,” says Kumar, adding that being centrally located is an added boon.
Kumar has worked in the marketing department of several reputed news publications and retired a couple of years ago. Ever since his childhood, he has been a spiritually inclined person.
“Since I was five-year-old, we used to go to the Sabarimala and Palani temple every year.
Even when I shifted to Nerul the fact that there are so many temples, was a blessing,” he says, adding that the Ayyappa Temple, the Shaneeshwara Temple and the Balaji Temple are daily must-visits.
His devoutness also led him to join the Nerul Bhakta Samaj and become a life member. “I met the secretary of the temple during Avani Avittam (thread ceremony) and I learnt that the samaj was contemplating the construction of Murugan Temple as there was none in the city where He is the presiding deity. So, I joined as a life member and it was a great opportunity for me to contribute. We wish the temple to be unique so that the people go back spiritually satisfied,” says Kumar, who is now the president of the samaj.
Kumar also admires the fact that there are cultural establishments for every community in the city and these also take up the initiative of spreading the cultural splendour.
“Celebration of festival of every community is a grand affair. People in housing societies also get together, upholding the cosmopolitan spirit, to come together during celebrations.
Neighbours are approachable, helpful and very understanding. You don’t see many people with these qualities today,” he opines.
Living a retired life, going to attend festivities in temples requires a fair bit of travelling. That is something Kumar feels can be upgraded. “Buses and trains are crowded so it the frequency should be increased a not always can we opt to travel by autos with the rates reaching exorbitant levels,” he says.
In all other respects, however, he feels that Navi Mumbai is a very satisfying city.
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