Mumbai v/s Delhi

Now that’s a debate that’s been running for ages with obviously no one right answer. And it’s typically Mumbaikers and Delhiites who are at the end of such debates, which often turn into heated arguments. It’s almost as if quasi-patriotism for the native state overtakes the warring parties, which overrides all arguments. I, ironically, belong to a unique or rare breed of Delhiites who would stick my head out and say that Mumbai would score over Delhi, despite all of the capital state’s obvious advantages. I have been looked upon as a deserter by my Delhi friends and a hero by my Mumbai ones, which kind of balances it out. So I ponder over the course of this article, as to why Mumbai holds such allure for me and I hope I would have the answer by the end of it.

To start off, there is the most obvious differentiator which is the sea. It’s not so much the beaches that attract me as much as just the location of the place, the sea and the sprawling city that has developed on its coastline. Marine Drive is definitely one of the most beautiful stretches of road that I have ever been witness to. And going by the vast numbers that throng the place all day long, I would have lot of company to back me up on this.

Then there are the high rises. While Delhi spreads itself horizontally, Mumbai, by virtue of space (or lack thereof) has to spread vertically. And it is a breathtaking sight with high rises dotting the horizon. I stay in a 7 storied apartment in Delhi, and that is like the tallest that there are as far as residential complexes go. Not here. 20 stories is a common sight here. And then there is something about standing on the 19^th floor and gazing at the world below, a charm that is absent in Delhi.

Food definitely stands out. On all occasions that I’ve been out, the food has been tremendous. Yes, as I recently discovered, Mumbaikers do have a fascination with sugar, which they add in magnanimous quantities to most food items that in my view should be left alone. But that apart, food has been terrific in general, the same cannot be said of Delhi, where one would generally have a few places lined out for a visit, as all others suck.

The attitude comes next, towards the fairer sex in particular. While in Delhi, a decent girl would always have a reason to be cautious about the way she dresses, the time she stays out and the locality which she visits, the same is absent here in Mumbai. The taunts and the lecherous looks that generally follow any girl in Delhi would be a rarity in Mumbai. And so there is a great deal of equality here, which comes as a breath of fresh air in a mainly male dominated society like India.

Readers here would definitely point out that Delhi stands far ahead in infrastructure, space per capita, and greenery and what not. But all that is superficial in my view. What purpose does all the infrastructure serve when travelling from one part of the city to the other usually costs a fortune both in terms of time and money if owning a vehicle is out of one’s reach and what good is space per capita and greenery when all the vehicles spewing smoke make Delhi one of the most polluted city in Asia, far ahead of Mumbai.

So this in a nutshell was my view about the city. I’m sure there is more to Mumbai than just the points above, but then I have not been able to pin-point those intangibles till now. I hope to decipher those feelings sometime in the future. But one thing is for sure for now, I am a definite covert. Go Mumbai!!!