Bandra is full of hidden gems and secrets, and we stumbled across one which we’re letting out – Nagrana Lane, a cobbled street with quirky street art and a peaceful lane for a wonderful walk.
Nagrana Lane in Bandra West is easily hidden or can be missed if one is walking on Hill Road. It’s opening is hidden by a huge tree, and is so narrow one may easily miss it. However, a sure shot landmark to get to Nagrana Lane is that it’s right opposite the Mockingbird Cafe, but from the other end of the lane. Once we stepped in, we were immediately taken aback by the quiet, pretty and colourful street that stood before us. We wish we had Stars Hollow’s autumnal shades in Mumbai, but the fallen bougainvillea flower petals really were a close approximation. Then came the colourful walls full of intriguing street art. We took a walk down the art lane and discovered obscure structures, faces and even a little bit of romance during monsoon.
The entire street and its art. If you enter from the Mockingbird Cafe side, you’ll be facing a tiny hut shaped wall with yellow and blue face with its colourful hair. However, we entered from the Hill roadside – so keep a lookout for a green tree with pink bougainvilleas on the Hill Road – once you cross McDonalds’ on your left. The more expansive and abstract graffiti (the red faces) have been signed off by Harshvardhan Kaadam of the Inkbrush n Me collective. However, new additions have been made as well to the mossy old wall. We especially loved the portraits of the quirky glassed bearded man and that of the rebellious woman dressed in her traditional attire saying, “Don’t mess with me” – signed off by #StreetKulture. The latest addition is by Devarshi Gohil and Arjun Paul aka Pauly – who painted an orange poppy monkey. You can find more of her work here. We also found the couple under the umbrella to be the cutest of all – an ode to Mumbai monsoon perhaps? However, we must add it was also disheartening to see a few of these beautiful street paintings vandalised by people – who had written over them. So our only LBB Tip this time around would be, let's preserve the work of these street artists so we all can enjoy a rather wonderful stroll in this city.