Unknown trail in familiar territory

Vile Parle, an area in Mumbai will always hold a special place in my heart. The reason being I spent almost two years of formative life in there. So, I was overwhelmed to see a heritage walk being organized in this suburb. No way I could miss this opportunity.

Shruti and Paresh are the ones who planned such heritage trails. This was my 2nd tour with them. Do read till the end to know about other walks conducted by them. Sandeep Dahisarkar (@sandeep.jagannathji) was leading and narrating stories of historical importance on this heritage walk. He has been conducting walks in and around Parle for the last few years.

The tour began on a rainy Sunday at Vile Parle’s most iconic landmark Dinanth Mangeshkar Nateygruha. I won’t reveal much about the history of the place, for that you need to attend the walk. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a proper photo at this point as there was a heavy downpour.

Shree Ram Temple

Slowly and steadily, the walk proceeded towards an old temple dedicated to Shree Ram. The rain had just stopped, and the atmosphere was peaceful and serene. If you look closely at this temple, you will observe that it does not adhere to traditional temple architecture. Rather it looks like someone’s home from the exteriors

An ArtDeco Structure

From there, the walking group moved on to one of the most beautiful bungalows of the area, which had art deco elements in it. The art-deco style of architecture was popular in Mumbai in the 30’s. It was odd to find an art-deco structure on this side of city. The yellow balcony got my attention at the 1st glance. But then Sandeep emphasised the stunning stained-glass windows. I even fell in love with the floor tiles.

Interiors of Lokmanya Seva Sangh

After that we went to the Lokmanya Seva Sangh Parle. It houses some rare paintings and a beautiful bust of Lokmanya Tilak. There is also a room dedicated to the works of multifaceted P.L. Deshpande.

Works of P.L.Deshpande

This is also the same place where the idol of Lord Ganesh was installed for the 1st time in Vile Parle. This practice of keeping Lord Ganesh's idol has been going on for over a century now.

Parleshwar Temple

It was now time to pay a visit to the Parleshwar Temple, which inspired the name Vile Parle. Must say a scenic temple complex. I came to know that the idol of Lord Shiva was found just outside the temple.

We soon arrived at the structure I had been too eager to see for years. The building was none other than my school, Parle Tilak Vidyalaya. A historical fact which I came to know during the walk was that the 1st Marathi school to be established in Vile Parle was Parle Tilak Vidyalaya. The school completed its centenary year in 2021. I have studied in the English medium for two years. Then Sandeep took us to a small temple tucked away in a building complex. These guided walks are the only way I find out about these hidden jewels. Upon reaching there, I witnessed the priest sitting cross legged with a prayer book in front of him. What a sight! Wish I could have clicked him. I guess some things are best enjoyed with the naked eye.

Shree Dutt Temple

By the time we reached our last destination, one of the oldest temples in the vicinity dedicated to Shree Dutt, most people were tired. However, everyone eagerly heard stories about the temple's history.

Even though I had stayed in Vile Parle during my childhood, I truly experienced its essence while walking on this heritage path. I could witness all this magic, due to the efforts put in by Shruti (@passportandpizza) and Paresh (@my_weekend_odysseys). On the work front, Shruti works in financial services and Paresh has his own wealth management firm. Conducting informative trails in the unexplored areas of Mumbai such as Borivali, Chembur, Juhu, Kalabadevi is this duo’s specialty.