Morning at Carter Road Promenade

What prompted the morning walk at Carter Road Promenade  was the extra weight gained from being well-fed in our cousin's home in Mumbai. Also by then, 14 days had flown whereby the great Indian hotel hospitality in Delhi, Amritsar, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur had thoroughly spoiled us!

So, up with the birds and the sun, we made our way to this local morning and evening hangout for the Bandraites. It was a different kind of bustle. The incessant honking of vehicles had barely crept up to us as it is a much quieter part of north west Mumbai.

Walking benefits all.

A walk further down to  a shrine

Was I glad to see the Rotary Logo and End
 Polio Now poster.  Yes, Rotary  is worldwide.

A  children's playground is being upgraded.

A good mix of people of all ages were there to loosen their bodies and minds before the grind of the day began. The dense mangrove swamp is a prominent part of the coast. As it was low tide, not only were the roots and trunks exposed but clinging onto them were plastic and rubbish that had been strewn with nary a care for such a natural ecological gift.

Mangroves with plastic and rubbish entangled . 

IF only the beauty of India is not marred by litter.

Dogs seem to rule in this promenade and they were doing their own thing,well- mannered. I  saw only one cat during my entire 20 days in North India. The puss was found in Joggers' Park next to Carter Road Promenade. My eyes seem to tell me that dogs owned tend to be overweight.

Netting  the best view!

He decided his walk was over and hopped to the bench to plonk himself. Looks so much like my dog Robbie, albeit fatter.

Soaking in some Vit D  and having some urban space to himself

The dhobis were already offloading their wash from the bicycle. One dhobi was seen spreading his laundry  to dry on the uneven terrain.

The sun is up and the dhobi has clothes to dry .

What excited me most was to find children and teenagers occupying a section of the promenade under some tree shade - at work on mats that lined the walkway. Looking closely, they were divided into small groups. The sign ,' Needed... Volunteer Teachers. .. Morning 7.30 - 8.30...  Navjot Foundation' says  it all. I was told  these were schoolchildren from disadvantaged background having further tuiion to give them added boost to face the school curriculum. A couple of younger kids  were receivng individual attention. Their focus was 100 per cent.

A simple  call for much -needed help

 A,B,C s coming along nicely with patience, dedication and love.

All attentive

A few minutes' distraction from the morning routine. The teacher is a Management professional who is giving time to help in the education of these kids. They were revising for their exams.

Volunteers with their charge for a better world with education in their grasp

Under the supervision and guidance of this young lady, the children were learning history. That morning it was about the Indian Constitution.

Older youths focusing on Maths.

How heartwarming to see volunteers working patiently with the kids of different age range.Maths, history, reading and writing in English and Hindi were covered.

Our cousin enquired about the needs of the Navjot Foundation from one of the trustees  who was chipping in his share of commitment.

Hands- on, one of the trustees of The Navjot Foundation talking to our cousin, Viju

We didn't tarry as we wanted to acquaint ourselves with Joggers Park as the closing hour was 9am. For 2 rupees each, we gained entrance to a well laid and beautiful park which is a feast for the eyes and soul.

Then it was back to a well- earned breakfast of juice, fruits, oats and nuts, toast and egg- a  treat for not being a lazy bum lying in!!