Mumbai Sea View destinations of the Divine Family

When Shri Nathji was in Mumbai, He used to often go to view the sea, with Maha Mateshwariji, Pran Nathji and Priya Nathji  at three popular locations of Mumbai. First was Marine Drive which was very near to their residence at Mayfair building. It was a popular place for them to have Narial Paani (Coconut Water). The Chaupati Beach was another of their favourite as besides playing at the beach they used to enjoy the various edibles like chat and ice cream etc. which was sold by the vendors at the beach. The Gate way of India was also there favourite destination to enjoy the sea. Also when Shri Nathji first came to Mumbai, he stayed at the Green Hotel which was in front of the Gateway of India building. Maha Mateshwariji, Pran Nathji and Priya Nathji enjoyed Mumbai and it’s shore line. They had also planned to buy a flat and live in Mumbai.

Marine Drive is a 3-kilometre-long boulevard in South Mumbai in the city of Mumbai. It is a 'C'-shaped six-lane concrete road along the coast, which is a natural bay. The road links Nariman Point to Babulnath and Malabar Hill. Marine Drive is situated over reclaimed land facing west-south-west. The bay is part of the Arabian Sea. (The photo on top is the aerial view of Marine Drive at night. and one on left is aerial view at day time. The photograph bellow is the aerial photo of the chowpatty beach during Ganesh Visarjan the other is the view of the beach from Malabar Hill.)

The official name for this road, though rarely used, is: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road. It was earlier known as Sonapur to local Marathi people. The highlight of Marine drive is the beautiful promenade along the road where many of the citizens take in a breath of fresh air and view the setting sun. The promenade is lined with palm trees. At the northern end of Marine Drive is Chowpatty Beach. Further down this road lies Walkeshwar, a wealthy neighbourhood of the city, also home to the Governor of Maharashtra. Most of the buildings which were built by wealthy Parsis sport an art deco look that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Miami in the United States is the only city in the world that has more art deco buildings along the seafront than Mumbai. Real estate prices along the esplanade are among the highest in India, and fourth in the world. A lot of celebrities live here, making it one of India's premier residential community. Many hotels dot the drive, most prominent among them being the 5-star Oberoi. Marine Drive is also known as the Queen's Necklace because if viewed at night from an elevated point anywhere along the drive, the street lights resemble a string of pearls,forming a necklace. It is also the world's largest viewing gallery and hence has been a host to a number of events that take place along the promenade.It is the major attraction in Mumbai city.

Girgaum Chaupati , commonly known as just Chaupati is one of the most famous public beaches adjoining Marine Drive in the Girgaum area of Mumbai, India. The beach is famous for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations when hundreds of people from all over Mumbai come to immerse the idols of Lord Ganapati in the Arabian Sea. It is also one of the many places in the city where the Ramlila is performed on a stage every year. An effigy of Ravan, that is erected on the sand, is burnt by the end of the 10-day performance. One can find several bhelpuri, panipuri, ragda patties and pav bhaji vendors on the beach.

The Gateway of India is a monument built during the British Raj in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. Located on the waterfront in the Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai, the monument overlooks the Arabian Sea.nThe gateway is a basalt arch, 26 metres (85 feet) high. It lies at the end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg at the water's edge in the harbor of Bombay.[citation needed] Previously, it was a crude jetty used by the fishing community which was later renovated and used as a landing place for British governors and other prominent people. In earlier times, the gateway was the monument that visitors arriving by boat would have first seen in Mumbai. The gateway has also been referred to as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai, and is the city's top tourist attraction. The monument was erected to commemorate the landing on the Apollo Bunder of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary when they visited India in 1911. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. The final design of George Wittet was sanctioned in 1914 and the construction of the monument was completed in 1924. The gateway was latterly the ceremonial entrance to India for Viceroys and the new Governors of Bombay. It served to allow entry and access to India.nThe last British troops to leave India following India's independence, the first Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the gateway on their way out in a ceremony on 28 February 1948, signalling the end of its rule.

In the above photograph, I have used an actual aerial photograph of South Mumbai to show the three places, Marine Drive, Chaupati Beach and Gateway of India with reference to the location of Mayfair Building were Shri Nathji stayed. As we can see all the three places are near to Shri Nathji's residence. But Marine Drive is closest and thus was the most frequented.Chaupati Beach was a 3 km walk from His residence along the Marine Drive. Gateway of India was also the same distance - a 3km walk from Mayfair building.