The expatriate community in the city was taken on a tour to view historic Gothic edifices built in the mid-1800s in South Mumbai on Saturday, with a view to entice them to extend their stay in the city.
The Mumbai Heritage Walk, organised by the tourism and hospitality committee of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC), commenced from the Asiatic Library, towards Horniman Circle Gardens, St Thomas Cathedral, Flora Fountain, Public Works Department, The Bombay High Court and ended at the Mumbai University campus.
The Consular Corps community, comprising 45 career diplomats and 40 honorary counsuls, were left impressed with the Mumbai University building and the vast number of Gothic structures in South Mumbai. But many were of the opinion that the unending traffic snarls were a hassle.
“Crossing the street here is a big challenge. Our heritage walk was hassle-free because there were policemen manning the streets and allowing us to cross without hurdles today,” said Peter Specker, Consul General, Switzerland.
“I was happy that the traffic came to a grinding halt for us. In the three years that I’ve lived in Mumbai, I’ve now learnt how to cross the road only now. This heritagewalk, however, has helped me change my view of the city,” said EvaDrdakova, Consul General, Czech Republic.
“Everything is perfect in Mumbai except for the traffic jams. Everybody seems to be in a hurry and is rushing to fulfill responsibilities,” said Genet Teshome, Consul General, Ethiopia.
Drdakova said that the Mumbai University building’s unique architecture cannot be found anywhere else in the world. “It is an artistic piece of construction which has Mughal, British and Hindu style displayed in one building,” said Nabila Farhana, Consul General of Egypt. Farhana added that Mumbai was a safe city for women.
For Marvin Hildevrand, Consul General of Canada, the university and the court buildings were a combination of historic significance and interactive, well-preserved architecture. “Toursim shouldn’t just be about beaches and resorts. The focus should be on history, and South Mumbai has an ancient legacy. It may be challenging for our people to live here but it isn’t difficult to adapt either,” said Tomwit Janson, Consul General Thailand.
Pradip Madhavji, chairman, tourism and hospitality committee of IMC said that the walk was an effort to place Mumbai on the tourist map of the country. “As per our calculations, the stay by one additional night by foreign visitors to Mumbai will result in foreign exchange earnings for the state of Maharashtra in the excess of Rs270 crore. There is more to Mumbai than it just being the financial capital of the country,” said Madhavji.
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