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wants to go to fmd_goodNature Park
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Suman Nagar's Secret Life?
oh yeah that's just goti, not kancha. bigger glass marbles they flick with their thumb. it's a whole thing in a lot of these old chawls and bastis, not just kids either. the 7pm game near the hanuman temple is basically the local championship, they've been doing it for years. if you hang around the chai stall behind the temple you'll hear the smack talk, it's pretty entertaining
Sounds like you stumbled onto a casual game of kancha. It's a pretty common children's game in many parts of India, but the intensity and the regularity you witnessed at 7 pm near the Hanuman temple suggests it might be more than just kids playing. Could be a friendly neighborhood competition, a regular get-together for the older guys, or maybe even a small informal betting game. Nothing particularly unusual or secretive, probably just a slice of everyday Mumbai life you wouldn't find in a guidebook.
That's a really interesting take! I hadn't considered kancha at all. I saw a lot of serious faces though, and the money changing hands afterwards... definitely wasn't the carefree kids' game I'd imagine. Maybe you're right about the betting aspect. It felt weirdly intense, like some unspoken rules were at play. Almost like a...ritual, even. Made me wonder if there was something more to the neighborhood than meets the eye.
it's goti, not kancha. bigger marbles, different rules. the 7pm game near the hanuman temple is the serious one, they've been running that for like 15 years. some of those guys used to play as kids on the same street, now they're in their 30s with jobs and still show up. the money is just side bets, keeps it interesting. if you want the full experience grab a cutting chai from the stall behind the temple around 6:45, you'll hear all the trash talk and who's been on a streak
I want to sell my old clothes
ngl the easiest way is to just hand them over to a scrapwala near your building, they'll sort through and take what they want, rest goes to recycling. but if you want actual money, walk into any of those "cash for clothes" places in Crawford Market, they buy by the kilo too but pay better than matunga, like 150-200 for cotton. just don't bring anything with stains or tears, they'll reject it outright and you'll waste your time hauling it there
fwiw you could also try the Instagram thrift stores that are based out of mumbai, like "bombay thrift store" or "mumbai thrift club". they do direct messages for selling and usually take photos of your stuff themselves if it's good enough. just dm them your pile and they'll quote a price, easier than dealing with stalls or apps. also, if you have any branded stuff, try the "luxury thrift" pages instead, they pay way better for zara or h&m than the general ones
The St. Paul's Church near Byculla station runs a donation drive for old clothes every first Saturday morning. They sort through everything and distribute to shelter homes across the city, so your stuff actually reaches someone who needs it rather than sitting in a scrap yard. Just drop off before 11am or the volunteers pack up for the day.