The expansion of Mumbai over the last four centuries has been documented
in great detail by both contemporary writers and historians, yet this
narrative stands out as an alternative, unique and authentic voice.
Quite simply, it is a book about the city like no other. Govind
Narayan's Mumbaiche Varnan was the first full account of Mumbai in any
language, written just before the explosive growth and renovation of the
city. Guiding the reader on a tour of the sights and sounds of an
emerging city struggling to shake off colonialism and wrestling with the
formation of its own budding identity, Narayan's beguiling book offers
descriptions of Mumbai's daily life, its people and its institutions:
the parts of the whole that come together to create this diverse and
vivacious place. In addition to a detailed structural overview, the
author provides a ground level account of the street life and market
places rife with gambling and criminal activity. In every sense, this
valuable text is a rare and enthralling glimpse into a fascinating
period and place otherwise lost to time. Translated into English for the
first time, and fully illustrated and with a detailed glossary and
biography of the author, this edition does full justice to this
remarkable historical document.