Lifestyle
Alone on Christmas? Visit these 6 places in Mumbai that feel like a warm hug
DEC 24, 2024 | By Chiransha Prasad
As someone new to Mumbai and prone to homesickness, staying back in the city on a festival feels like I’m Kevin from Home Alone. Instead of fighting burglars, I’m ordering takeout, video-calling my parents and pursuing a gold medal in the art of bedrotting.
But alas, I am a child of Hallmark Christmas movies. I, too, wish to bump into the love of my life at an overpriced festive market, stare at the glinting fairy lights with awe and warm my hand against a hot cup of cocoa. Despite Mumbai’s tropical temperatures (objectively) and dearth of romantic options (subjectively), the city’s holiday cheer can nudge a smile out of the Grinch-iest of us all. From towering Gothic churches that compel one to crane their necks upwards to quaint streets lined with creaking homes, the city may not be a white wonderland, but it fills one with immense wonder nonetheless.
So this Christmas, to save me (and you) from tears, here’s your guide to spaces in the city you can discover at your own pace. The old, the new and a few personal favourites borrowed from my very limited time of knowing this mayanagri.
Divine by design
We’d highly recommend carrying a neck pillow for your visit to Colaba’s famous St. John the Evangelist Church. Does it ring a bell? The famed 165-year-old church is more popular by the moniker Afghan Church, referring to its origins as a memorial built in honour of those lost in the Anglo-Afghan wars. Prepare for plenty of looking upwards, as the church’s warm teakwood vaulted ceiling and vibrant stained-glass windows can hold your gaze captive for hours.
In the past, the sight and sound of its mammoth spire and bell was a guiding compass for sailors, directing wayward boats towards Bombay’s shores. Taller buildings may shroud the church from the sea today but the impact of its scale remains as potent as it ever was. A truly herculean effort undertaken under conservation consultant Kirtida Unwalla has brought the structure back to life. Whilst crowds flock to Mount Mary and Wodehouse, Afghan Church rests undisturbed at the very end of Colaba, merely a stone’s throw away from the sea.
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Christmas, the Susegad way
Sleeping amidst Mumbai’s concrete jungle, the Portuguese bylanes of Khotachiwadi sneak through the city in vibrant defiance of the 21st century’s penchant for apartments and skyscrapers. Houses with intricate balcãos decked up to the nines extend onto this cosy village nestling in Girgaum.
Picture the sound of carol singers reverberating in the air, homes seeped in character dressed in their Christmas best (with some boasting tongue-in-cheek reminders for onlookers to maintain their distance) and the smell of East Indian delicacies wafting through the air. Despite a dwindling local population, Khotachiwadi’s annual Christmas market draws footfall from those eager to escape the city without leaving it.
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Lights, camera, Wonderland!
It wouldn’t be dramatic to claim that spending Christmas in Mumbai without paying a visit to Bandra Wonderland is a criminal offence. Your dues? Hearing FOMO-inducing accounts of those who’ve visited this annual carnival, replete with musical performances and jaw-dropping light installations brightening up the seashore at Bandra Reclamation. From 23rd December to 1st January, the space is abuzz with holiday cheer of the most electric kind — quite literally! Visualise lighting setups inspired by popular holiday motifs like igloos, reindeer and sleighs lighting up the night. The biggest crowd-puller in Mumbai during Christmas for good reason, soak in the festivities amongst a sea of people on the hunt for revelry!
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It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas
Going hangry on Christmas is a fate we wouldn’t wish upon our worst enemies. After all, tis’ the season of indulgence, of eating oneself into merrier times before New Year resolutions come knocking!
A holiday favourite across generations, Candies in Bandra is everyone’s go-to when it comes to holiday treats. Spanning multiple levels, their fanfare includes a range of sweet and savoury treats. For those indulging alone, their bite-sized desserts will come in handy to banish your festive cravings in a snap!
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In a sea of tea and coffee lovers, I identify (worryingly, as my sugar intake would indicate) as a hot chocolate enthusiast. The best cup I’ve ever had, hands down, is the delectable concoction crafted by Mokai. By spoon or by sip, their hot chocolate’s silky consistency can be enjoyed both ways.
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Take things up a notch at Monkey Bar in Bandra, where it’s time for things to get merrier. Indulge in a delicious Christmas lunch accompanied by a live band in the background. One look at their holiday cocktail menu, and you may find yourself veering towards a phenomenon I’d like to call a ‘drunch!’
We hope these options spur you towards bringing your Hallmark holiday dreams to life. Look at you, pondering upon the thought of leaving your bed behind. A Christmas miracle, indeed!
Read more: 13 must visit restaurants in India where you should be spending your weekends at!
