There are More Christmases in Bombay Besides the Bandra Christmas!

 There are More Christmases in Bombay Besides the Bandra Christmas!


I know we’re all going to throw hands if we come across one more “Hidden Gem in Bandra” reel. But all things considered, the charm of a ‘Bandra Christmas’ is undeniable. The maximalist wonderland of Candies, the cosy winding streets of Ranwar, the glistening archways of Reclamation. However, it’s all fun and games till you’re photo-bombing a stranger with every step you take, or till you’re inches away from a car running over your foot. So, even as I have enjoyed the holiday spirit in Bandra (pro tip: go before Christmas day and in the afternoon), I must talk about why it is overrated. 

Everything is a spectacle today, or has to be one to garner any attention in the throes of content on social media. We rarely go to places without the Internet recommending them, and this fosters a need to beat the FOMO by getting to these ‘Instagrammable’ spots (the fact that the word is a known adjective is concerning in itself). You can enjoy the decor in a cute cafe and have an overpriced hot chocolate, but in all honesty, it’ll be a very sanitized, glossed-over version of the holiday spirit. 

Digital media takes us away from more intimate, local experiences. It slowly pulls us away from home by creating a bigger, better fantasy to participate in. Despite popular belief, physical spaces aren’t necessarily vanishing at the hands of the Internet. Sometimes, more and more of them are cropping up, promising the hit of an unmissable ‘experience’ while looking exactly the same as the next one. 

So I want to share with you a neighbourhood I make sure to visit every holiday season that isn’t Bandra. It’s I. C. Colony, Borivali West. My father grew up there, and I, too, spent much of my childhood with my cousins who lived there. It’s a beautiful place, calm and peaceful, with large trees hanging overhead atop the streets. The weather’s always pleasant because of the shade, and it’s the perfect area for a long walk. I. C. is a labyrinth of streets both busy and quiet, and is definitely one of my favourite must-visits before New Years. 

I have a memory of my father drawing out a map on paper for me so my best friend and I can visit all the prettiest Christmas lights in the area. (I remember following it entirely, feeling very accomplished.) I recall smiling to myself as I watched decked-up strangers dance during the little fair that’s organised annually. I’ve had some of my best times with my friends here, all of us looking silly with red reindeer headbands and Santa hats, traversing the lit-up roads and laughing. 

Contrast this with Bandra which one is likely to have a more disappointing, tiring experience with, and which doesn’t feel nearly as personal as a place near your home that you’re familiar with. I assure you, that hard-earned strawberry dessert at the end of the Chantilly line won’t be nearly as sweet as some cheap wine and plum cake with your best friends. 

Maybe if you’re used to a more spectacular Christmas, I. C. won’t hold the same charm for you that it does for me. All I’m really trying to say is, we need to remind ourselves what the holiday spirit really means to us. We need to reclaim our autonomy over ‘experiences’, and recreate our own traditions of celebrating them. Festivals are meant to be personal, intimate, and warm. At the end of the day, if you’re going to avoid another mediocre, repetitive Christmas - it’s not about what you saw or what you ate. It’s about who you were with. 


On that note, happy holidays from me and mine ;)


Written by Pia Oza

Edited by Veenaaz Vaid

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