Kala
Ghoda has been the cultural and literary epicentre of Mumbai since time
immemorial. The presence of the Jehangir Art Gallery, David Sassoon Library,
National Gallery of Modern Art, Elphinstone College, Max Mueller Bhavan and the
historic Regal Cinema ensured that Kala Ghoda ceaselessly buzzed with
intellectual repartees. It also ushered in the birth of cafés which blossomed
in and around the periphery of Kala Ghoda and the Flora Fountain. These were
the shelters of choice for poets, writers, philosophers and even freedom
fighters. Bubbling with debates and solutions to life’s dilemmas, these cafés were
also zones for recreation, where brilliant ideas were born over a cup of masala
chai or bun maska or even some delicious kheema pav. Customers who would spend
hours together without continually ordering would be seen instead as patrons.
• Wayside
Inn: As luck would have it, the Wayside Inn was
located exactly at the centre of Kala Ghoda. This ensured its patronage by
eminent figures including Dr. Ambedkar, J.R.D. Tata and even Mohammad Ali
Jinnah. From the more recent times, Poet Arun Kolatkar and actor Amol Palekar
could be seen sipping and dunking here. Today the Wayside Inn has
reinvented itself to keep up with the times and is now called Silk
Route and specialises in Southeast Asian Food. What remains is a tiny
stall selling little munchies like rolls, pattices and cold drinks.
• Café
Britannia: Established in 1923, Britannia was
frequented by authors, activists, scholars and ambassadors like Nani
Palkhivala, Minoo Masani and Pramila Dandavate. However it was the berry pulao,
made from specially ordered Iranian berries that drew the rich and poor, the
famous and infamous to Café Britannia. Running
strong today, the café has still managed to preserve its taste and its dignity.
