Public Space vs. Political and Ideological Space

"It has become a familiar pattern in India's big cities when thousands gather either for ideology or faith.

Each group claims its right to the streets. On one hand it is the sign of a vibrant secular democracy. But on the other hand its pushing India's mega cities already on the brink into further chaos.

The private space and the public sphere blur totally in India, and Mumbai becomes a stunning example of this.

A city gasping for space spills itself out onto the streets almost everyday. [But,] every Monday night thousands make a pilgrimage to the Siddhivinayak shrine in the heart of Mumbai. This could seem to the outsider like a public nuisance but is looked on as a city institution."