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September 11, 2005
Matunga's Running Problem
This is today's Mumbai Mirror piece.
"2BHK, 5 minutes from Five Gardens”. Ads such as these are guaranteed to catch your eye. Never mind that the building is actually in Parel and the promised “5 minutes” to Five Gardens, is actually a fast drive at 5AM in the morning, without traffic and signals.
But, that is the pull of the “Five Gardens”, which together form one of the largest green spaces in the Matunga, Wadala area. Not only do these gardens provide the necessary open space and greenery, they also serve as community place, where people of all kinds converge: to walk, run, exercise, play, socialize, flirt and neck.
The perimeter of the gardens provides a concrete walkway, where in the early mornings and late evenings, you find people of all shapes and sizes; most walking, a few running, some slow, some fast, some working-out and some just preening. The place has its own pecking order, but you need to be a regular to understand it.
And yet, running or walking in Five Gardens, is not as great as it is made out to be. Since the perimeter is bisected by two large roads, you have to stop virtually every quarter of the way along, to let traffic pass. And though less, there is still no getting away from the noise and smoke that comes with the buses, taxis and cars passing by. And as with all decent open spaces in this city, peak walking times often resemble busy Bhuleshwar streets.
Furthermore, walking on concrete is not the best way to learn Newton’s second law; you know, the one that says that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”. The more you pound the concrete, the more it pounds your cartilage back, and it’s just a matter of time before the complaining knees start creaking and groaning.
The problem is, there aren’t too many alternatives. Walking or running inside the gardens is not easy because of the grass and gravel. Some of the smaller nearby lanes, such as RP Masani Lane, the VJTI lane and the roads around Don Bosco help if you don’t want to bump into people all the time, but the concrete and pollution remain. One friend of mine, just to get away from the crowds, actually runs at 5.30AM on RAK Rd (char rasta) in the middle two lanes, upto Sewri and back.
Unfortunately, Matunga lacks an enclosed space like a Jogger’s Park or a Priyardarshini. Maheshwari Udyan is too small and not exercise-friendly at all. The nearest large garden is Bhakti Park in Wadala East, near the IMAX, but that’s a good 20 minutes drive away from Matunga and is slowly getting crowded as well.
For those who don't want to run, there are alternatives like the gyms at Matunga Gujarati Club, Matunga Gymkhana and Talwalkar's in Wadala. Which are not bad options, but they lack the glamour of some of the newer, trendier gyms that have come up in other parts of town.
Having said that, one of Mumbai's best mud-tracks for walking and jogging is also one of Matunga's best-kept secrets. Few people know about it, and even fewer use it. .....and honestly, Viplav would kill me, if I mention another word!
Posted by bhavinj at September 11, 2005 04:24 AM
Comments
Furthermore, walking on concrete is not the best way to learn Newton’s second law; you know, the one that says that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”.
Umm...not to sound pedantic, but what they hey..That's Newton's *Third Law* you're referring to :-)
Posted by: Shrikant at September 11, 2005 08:39 PM
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