It’s ironic. The place where I find the greatest peace in Mumbai is in the pulsating heart of the city’s clamorous and congested commercial district. In the shadow of the towering Bombay Stock Exchange at Fort, and jostling for space with leading Indian
corporate offices and family-owned business empires, multinationals and foreign banks, fashion houses, specialty restaurants, shopping malls, and educational institutions,
multiplexes and five-star hotels, government buildings, and old pagdi-style accommodation, the Indian Naval Dockyard and the HQs of Central and Western Railways, is the 305-year-old St. Thomas Cathedral at Horniman Circle where I go to. Historians all this the city’s heritage precinct. The British established their
Raj from here when they sailed into Bombay in the 1660s. This is where the original tiny Seven Islands of Bombay spread ground and became sprawling Mumbai. The Cathedral became Zero Point, the city’s center, from where all distances were measured.
And the reason why Churchgate Station got its name. Once you got off the train, the Cathedral was all you could see. For more years than I can remember, I have spent 15 minutes of every working afternoon here. Not in prayer, but in calm.
From my office down the road, I could hear the Cathedral’s bell tolling. Its clock chiming. The promise of its meditative calm would draw me past its wrought iron gates. Through a beautiful garden of lush and green flowering plants. Where a neo-Gothic
fountain gurgled. To the large timber doors kept open for all faiths. For tourists with Lonely Planets and cameras. Beyond which was architectural beauty like you have never witnessed before. Stained glass windows and polished furniture. Pillars reaching the arched ceiling. Brass plaques, marble tombstones, forlorn statues of angels, and the obituaries of British and Indian soldiers who died fighting wars and battling epidemics.
Among them is Tipu Sultan’s bodyguard. I would sit in the chairs occupied by King George V and Queen Mary when they visited in 1911. Wishing I could play the ancient pipe organ. But afraid of disturbing the ghosts of the dead. And I would experience peace like I have never felt since then.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have been featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him in the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward in a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work.
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