The Hanging Gardens of Mumbai, India is located on the western side of the Malabar Hill. You may not find it as exotic in comparison, but it is nonetheless precious to tourists and Mumbaians, as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was to King Nebuchadnezzar and his wife Amytis.

Originally built in 1881 to hide from plain view the water reservoirs supplying Mumbai, this little garden grew from that, to becoming a well loved destination by all. Amidst roaring and bustling Mumbai, it offers peace and tranquility for the body and soul. Also known by its other name of Ferozeshah Mehta Garden, which is derived from a popular Indian barrister, this place is definitely a charmer. 

The hanging garden offers a majestic view of the Arabian Sea, with its vivid blue waters calling out the sea lover in everyone. Bordered with the graceful Marine Drive on the left, and the vast waters on the right, and it’s just delightfully breathtaking a view as only a lucky person could lay eyes on. Maybe I’m being over the top here, but you might not think so when you’re in that exact moment. It could really bring back all those questions we had as a child about the wonders of this planet we call our home.


And it’s not just those big thoughts which are being evoked here, but the trivial ones too. The innocent and unpretentious appeal of this garden is the epitome of the adage, simplicity is beauty. In this age where even parks are becoming high-tech, it’s refreshing to see a garden which looks exactly like what a real garden should look like, not perfect, but full of life.

The rich red soil contrasts beautifully with the green trees and hedges all around, and the colorful flowers and untamed bushes gives off a wild and carefree character, which is unusually endearing. The playfully cut greeneries, albeit unoriginal, is still a joy to look at. The quiet and calmness, with only the birds making occasional sounds is quite therapeutic to the weary soul. It is a refuge anyone can visit, where one can freeze time, forget all worries, and come out renewed and revitalized.

If there’s one place where one strongly feels the gravity of human life and the power of dreams, it’s here in the Hanging Gardens of Mumbai. Here, the littlest of men can delight on being on top of the world, and the biggest of persons can learn to respect and appreciate the most mundane of things in this world.