The Tumultuous Transformation of Mumbai during the 80s

 

Like all cities, Mumbai, the city of dreams, has evolved and transformed over the years. One notable phase of transformation happened in the last two decades of the previous century and the watershed event that triggered this change was a major labor strike that happened exactly four decades ago- in 1982- in the heart of the city.

It was also the year in which I, a fresh commerce graduate, joined Raptakos, Brett & Co, a company engaged in manufacturing pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, their most popular product being Threptin biscuits. They had their office in Worli back then, and part of the premises also had manufacturing facilities and we would hear the siren going off every few hours usually notifying the change of the shift to the workmen in the factory. This was a familiar sound not only in Central Bombay (as it was called then) but also in vast portions of the entire city. This was because Bombay was until then, predominantly a manufacturing hub starting from the British era.

Just as I was making the transition from being a college student to an office goer, Bombay too was at the cusp of change. The key events which were driving this change were unfolding around the place where I started my career- Worli.  It was part of suburbs comprising Lalbaug, Parel, and other areas which were collectively known as Girangaon (“mill village”). During its peak phase, the region had 130 mills and employed 300,000 workers. These mills were often the inspiration for filmmakers who created stories around them. To cite one example, the 1973 Bollywood movie, Namak Haram, starring the then superstar, Rajesh Khanna, and Amitabh Bachchan, who would later dethrone him, was based on the theme of trade union activism in the backdrop of Bombay’s textile mills.  The mills had a high presence on other traditional media channels as well. Some popular radio programs on Vividh Bharati every Sunday afternoon (which was prime time then) were sponsored by textile mills- Kohinoor Geet Gunjar by Kohinoor Mills and Cricket with Vijay Merchant which was sponsored by Thackersey Group of Mills.

As the city ushered in the new decade of the 80s, the fortunes of the textile mill owners started declining. The mill workers were, however, distrustful of the owners, suspecting that they were deliberately understating profits to deny them better compensation. The stage was, therefore, set for a confrontation between the two.

Tensions mounted and ultimately led to the Bombay Textile strike of 1982 with Girangaon becoming the epicenter of tumultuous events in the heart of the city.

Labor strikes in the textile mills of Mumbai were not uncommon. But this was the “Mother of Labor Strikes”. The workmen had brushed aside the Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh (RMMS), which was until then the representative of textile mill workers, and anointed the prominent union leader, Dr. Datta Samant, to spearhead their attack against the mill owners, who in their opinion, were deliberately denying them their legitimate rights. The mill owners refused to yield to their demands claiming that the profits of their mills were on the decline. The Government decided to turn a deaf ear to the demands of the striking workers, fearing that Mumbai, much like Kolkata, would fall into the clutches of trade unionists and this could derail its growth as the prominent business hub of the country. Other political leaders and trade unionists also did not lend much support to the agitation. The labor strike, inevitably, collapsed and this triggered a paradigm shift in the socio-economic fabric of the city. On the economic front, manufacturing activities gradually declined with many business owners, including those who owned the textile mills, moving their manufacturing facilities to more low-cost locations. Favorable legislative changes facilitating redevelopment of the land of textile mills for commercial purposes created opportunities for some of them to turn into real estate developers. The skyline of the area was overtime dotted with high-rise buildings housing swanky offices, bars, and restaurants. The term Girangaon gradually went out of vogue.

The place in Worli where I started my career four decades ago is now a site for the construction of a 30+ storied commercial complex.

By the early nineties, the services sector emerged as the dominant contributor to the economy of the city. The sub-sectors which thrived most prominently were the electronic media, the financial sector, and the aviation sector, all of which were thrown open to the private sector. The city thus lost the tag of being an industrial metropolis and grew in stature as the financial capital of the country. Simultaneously, the composition of blue-collared workers dwindled. Many displaced mill workers returned to their villages, particularly in the Konkan region. The new age, private sector-owned companies in the services sector recruited a new breed of white-collared workforce.

 

Subtle changes surfaced in the language spoken in the city. The language of the common Mumbaikar - “Bambiya Hindi” -gradually made way for the purer form of Hindi as spoken in North India.  By the mid-nineties, the city was rechristened and acquired the moniker of Mumbai.

Amidst all the change, what has endured till today is the more than century-old tradition of the ten-day long Ganesh festival and the strong sense of devotion of Mumbaikars to Ganapati Bappa,

On a personal level, I was fortunate that I could ride the tide of change and benefit from it- switching within six months (in 1983) from the manufacturing sector to the fast-growing financial services sector and joining India’s largest financial institution, the State Bank of India. Much like many business owners who relocated their production facilities outside Mumbai, I too shifted on transfer to the more peaceful and health-friendly city of Pune, where I preferred to settle down. Many of my fellow Mumbaikars, especially the mill workers, were less fortunate and struggled to earn livelihoods in the evolving environment.

Even today, my heart beats for the city where I was born and have spent half my life. I look back at the phase of transition with mixed feelings while accepting that every change brings joy to some and causes pain to others.

I recently made a trip down memory lane and visited the iconic Siddhivinayak temple in the erstwhile Girangaon area- at Prabhadevi- and offered prayers to Ganapati Bappa. I exhorted the Vighnaharta to use all his mighty powers and remove the obstacles in the lives of all his devotees and bless them with prosperity and happiness in the decades ahead.

 

Datta Mandirs-The Special Significance of Narsobachi Wadi Temple

 

In India, one can find different beliefs associated with Lord Dattatreya in different regions of the country. In some parts, he is worshipped as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and in others, as an incarnation of the three Gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Likewise, several Dattatreya traditions (sampradayas) have emerged across the country over the past centuries. One among them is the Guru Charitra tradition, which is popular in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, and Gujarat. Shri Guru Charitra is a holy text containing the life stories of two saints- Shripad Shrivallabh and Narasimha Saraswati-who are revered as incarnations of Gurudev Datta. It contains a description of the places visited by Shri Narasimha Saraswati Swamy, who lived in the 15^th Century, and the many miracles performed by him.

In true Dattatreya tradition, Gurudev Datta stayed in the forests and lived a yogic lifestyle. One such forest area chosen by Gurudev Datta was Narsobachi Wadi, where he stayed for around 12 years.

While N Wadi itself had no previous claim to fame, its surroundings had enormous significance for centuries which is why Gurudev Datta selected it for penance.

1.     Confluence of rivers

This is the meeting place of the rivers Krishna, Venna, and Panchganga. As the name suggests, Panchganga comprises five rivers- Bhiva, Bhadra, Bhogavati, Kumbhi, and Saraswati. According to the Hindu tradition, all rivers have the status of Goddesses. So, this place that symbolizes the congregation of seven Goddesses has great religious significance. The river Krishna has a high stature comparable with that of the river Ganga. This Sangam is, therefore, believed to be as important as the Triveni Sangam of rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati at Prayagraj in UP.

2.     Amarpur Temple

Amarpur is a village across the river, and it has a very ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva called Amareshwar. It is believed that one gets immortality (amaratva) after taking the darshan of Lord Amareshwar. In the temple hall, one can see statues of sixty-four Yogini Shaktis, believed to be serving and worshipping Lord Amareshwar. The place is considered on par with Kashi in terms of religious importance.

                                            Amareshwar Temple

In addition to these two places, the nearby town of Kolhapur (50 km away) also has special significance and is regarded as Dakshin Gaya. Gurudev Datta has advised his disciples that pilgrimage to these places- Amarpur, Sangam at Narsobachi Wadi, and Kolhapur- will suffice if they cannot travel to Kashi, Prayagraj, and Gaya respectively.

3.     Kanyagat Mahaparvakal

This is a mega religious festival held in N Wadi once in 12 years. It is believed that Goddess Ganga comes here to meet Goddess Krishna during this year-long festival. A holy dip in the river Krishna is believed to wash away sins. This festival is similar to the Kumbh Melas held every twelve years at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik & Ujjain.

4.     Audumbar.

During his stay here, Gurudev Datta performed religious rituals (anushthan) under an audumbar tree. It is a sacred tree in the Hindu religion and is regarded as a wish-giving tree(kalpavruksha). Parts of the tree have medicinal value and are used for curing ailments. It is also one of the names of Lord Vishnu (Udumbara).

Audumbar trees and Datta mandirs go together. In the adjourning Sangli district, Gurudev Datta stayed for a brief period under an audumbar tree (also on the banks of river Krishna) before he undertook a journey on foot along the banks of the river to reach Narsobachi Wadi. The place is now known by the tree itself -Audumbar. The sacred audumbar tree can also be found at the Sangam of rivers Bhima and Amarja near Gangapur in North Karnataka, where Gurudev Datta performed rituals for many years. One can also find audumbar trees at other temples associated with the Dattatreya tradition such as Shri Swami Samarth Temple in Akkalkot in Solapur district and Shri Gajanan Maharaj Temple in Shegaon in Vidarbha.

Gurudev Datta further embellished the place with glory during his stay at Narsobachi Wadi. About the temple itself, legend has it that it was built by a Muslim King, Adil Shah of Bijapur. The story goes that the king’s daughter, who had lost her eyesight, regained her vision upon being blessed by Gurudev Datta.

                                           Narsobachi Wadi Datta Mandir

Some other stories have been mentioned in the Shri Guru Charitra. Two of these are about villagers, a Brahmin, and a boatman, discovering wealth with the blessings of Gurudev Datta. The Brahmin family, filled with gratitude, built a small temple at the place where the wealth was unearthed. It is situated just behind the Amareshwar temple and is open to devotees. These stories spread rapidly among the nearby villages and people were convinced that he was no ordinary saint but an incarnation of Gurudev Datta himself.

When Gurudev Datta decided to leave Narsobachi Wadi and go to Gangapur, he told his devotees that he was leaving behind his padukas and that he will always stay there in subtle form (sookshma roop). Devotees have a strong belief that Gurudev Datta continues to stay there and showers his blessings on his devotees.

This belief is reinforced by a soul-stirring story about a Brahmin lady residing in the nearby village of Shirol.  She shares her profound sorrow of seeing the death of her five babies with local saints who then advise her to perform pooja of the padukas of Gurudev Datta at N Wadi. Thereafter, the couple is blessed with two sons. Unfortunately, their joy is short-lived because one son dies soon after birth.  The shocked mother refuses to accept this development, firm in her conviction that such a fate cannot befall a child born with the blessings of Gurudev Datta. Then, accompanied by her husband and other villagers, she carries the body of her baby to Narsobachi Wadi (around 6 km away), places it near the padukas, and seeks help from Gurudev Datta. Despite the repeated pleas of elders to accept the sad reality, she refuses to budge. Fed up with her stubbornness, the villagers decide to go back and plan to return the next morning to attend the cremation rituals. Soon after nightfall, the exhausted couple falls asleep. Gurudev Datta then appears in her dreams and tells her that he has injected life into her baby again. Startled, she wakes up to find the child crawling up to her and asking for milk!! The couple is filled with boundless joy, and they spend the rest of the night singing bhajans in praise of Gurudev Datta and performing pooja of the padukas.

Even today, centuries later, devotees continue to throng N Wadi to take darshan of the padukas and seek blessings.

In the Shri Guru Charitra, Narsobachi Wadi has been described as an extremely holy Guru peeth. It is, indeed, a must-visit place for all devotees.

 

 

 

The Power of Religion- My Story

 

India is a country with many Gods and temples. Amongst all these, some places and temples have a special significance such as Vishwanath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Kashi, on the banks of the river Ganga. Similarly, an important temple dedicated to Lord Dattatreya is situated on the banks of the river Krishna at a place named Narasobachi Wadi in Maharashtra.

My first visit to Narasobachi Wadi happened because of divine intervention. It was back in February 1988 when I, along with dozen-odd office mates from State Bank of India (SBI), Corporate Centre, Mumbai visited Sangli to attend the wedding of another office colleague of ours, Rajendra (Raju) Patil. We boarded the Mahalaxmi Express from Mumbai at around 9 PM and got off at Sangli station by around 5.30 AM the next morning.

We headed straight to the marriage hall and after getting ready, hopped onto some bicycles and rode to the famous Ganapati temple passing green fields (which have turned into crowded lanes over the years) along the way.

The hall was abuzz with activity when we got back. All of us were bachelors then and we had good fun and banter during the ceremony. The marriage was solemnized with traditional rituals and was followed by traditional lunch.

After lunch, we were loitering in small groups around the hall. Just then, I and some of my friends got to know that the rest of our friends had got into a jeep provided by Raju’s uncle and were on a trip to Narasobachi Wadi, which is around 20 km from Sangli. Naturally, we felt hurt and let down. One friend, Vilas Pradhan then came up with a plan to make a trip to N Wadi.  He said he would avail his Leave Travel Concession (LTC) facility, which was due to lapse soon. So, he mooted the idea that we all hire a cab, and he would claim the to and fro fare from the Bank. Now, it was our turn to smile at our friends- the four of us sat comfortably in the spacious Ambassador car and we visualized the discomfort the others would be going through while traveling in the crowded jeep!

The temple and its vicinity were quite peaceful and there was hardly anybody there. As we prayed in front of the deity, one of my friends, Sandeep Pawaskar told me that this was a very powerful deity and I should seek blessings for my promotion exam in the Bank. I had stumbled in my first attempt the previous year and all my friends, including Sandeep, knew that I was working hard to crack it this time around. I heeded his advice and sure enough, I got promoted. And that was not enough- I was blessed to get selected for a foreign posting in Osaka, Japan and all this happened within three years after seeking the blessings at Narasobachi Wadi Temple!

 

In this throwback photograph, Vilas Pradhan’s hand is partially covering my face. On the left is Sunil Pitale and the photo was taken by Sandeep Pawaskar.

Vilas is the photographer here and Sandeep is in the center.

I went again to N Wadi around a decade later along with my wife and thanked God for blessing me and putting me on the path to enjoying some prosperity. Thereafter, I somehow lost connection with this place.

Many years later, my attention again shifted to N Wadi. This was during a period of emotional turbulence in my life starting from 2012 onwards. 

I looked back at the period when I enjoyed success as a lucky phase and felt that my luck had run out now.

During this period, I approached an astrologer. She advised me to start reading Shri Guru Charitra, a holy book that chronicles the life of Shri Guru Narasimha Saraswati Swamy Maharaj, believed to be the reincarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Some chapters in the book contain descriptions of Maharaj’s stay at Narasobachi Wadi (the place is named after him) and the many miracles performed by him.

After I started reading Shri Guru Charitra and getting better acquainted with the huge significance of the deity and the place, I started connecting the dots and getting the right perspective about events in my life. I decided to again visit Narasobachi Wadi in 2016. I was told by the locals that a few months later,  major events were being organized there on the auspicious occasion of the Kanyagat Mahaparvakal festival. I researched about it and discovered that it is a period, usually lasting about a year, in which Guru Graha stays in the zodiac sign, Kanya, which happens to be my zodiac sign (rashi) as well. During this period, major religious rituals are performed at many places on the banks of river Krishna, most notably at Narasobachi Wadi where there is a confluence of rivers Krishna and Panchganga. It then occurred to me that, after my first visit to Narasobachi Wadi in 1988, most of my major successes happened around the Kanyagat Mahaparvakal. When the event occurred in 1992-93, I had the privilege to stay and work in Japan. This event, which happens every 12 years, next occurred in 2004, and in that year, I got two promotions in six months, and I became Assistant General Manager at the age of 43. Twelve years thereafter- in 2016- I was awarded a Doctorate and got a promotion as a Professor at Indira School of Business Studies. Life has come full circle since then and I have been visiting Narasobachi Wadi every year. 

The lessons I have learned from these life experiences are two-fold- one even today, religion is important. It is my conviction that while science and technology give us material benefits, religion is a valuable source of mental peace and strength.  Secondly, it is crucial to find out what works for you. Normally, during difficult times, people seek advice from multiple people, try out many remedies and visit numerous temples. I did some of all this too and I have realized now what works for me is praying to Lord Dattatreya, making regular visits to Narasobachi Wadi, and reading Shri Guru Charitra have a calming influence on me. I am now beginning my journey as a blogger by dedicating my first blog to Lord Dattatreya.

Some of you may be wondering what makes N Wadi such a special place. So, in my next blog, I will throw some light on the significance of Narasobachi Wadi.