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A decade ago
the luxury hotels fronting this long stretch of sandy beach were as
glamorous as it got among Mumbai's filmi crowd. Stories of wild pool
parties at at the Holiday Inn and illicit tete-a-tetes at the Sun 'n' Sand
Hotel were an essential ingredient of every film magazine's gossip
columns. Juhu's allure is a little jaded these days, but its reputation is
still strong enough to make it a must-do for every Indian tourist visiting
Mumbai. When there was nothing more substantial at Juhu than a sprinkling
of weekend bungalows, the Juhu airstrip used to be Bombay's international
airport. JRD Tata landed here on his inaugural flight from Karachi in
1932, an event that marked the begining of what was to become Air India.
It Was an achievement that wasn't blitzed until Bombay socialite Protima
Bedi hit the headlines when she streaked on Juhu Beach in 1960s. Today the
area is home to decently dressed, legendary film stars such as Amitabh
Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit.
It's a pleasant
beach if you're not expecting a quiet sunbathe or a swim. The real
attraction is the carnival atmosphere that develops on weekend afternoons
and evening. Huge crowds paddle in the sea, stroll along the shore, play
beach cricket and enjoy the fresh air. They're serviced by a mobile army
of snack sellers and fruit vendors, entertained by fairground rides, and
sweet talked by toy sellers, fortune tellers and yarn spinner.
During the rest
of the week it only 1 a short stroll from the hotel strip to be alone with
your thoughts. If you fancy heading off into the wild blue yonder, Mumbai
largest Koli fishing community is at the northern end of the bay in
Versova.
Juhu's
secondary attractions include lounging poolside at the beach front hotels
checking out the Hare Krishna ISKDCON complex downing a coffee at the
Prithvi Theatre and shooting pool at Raspberry Rhinoceros.
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