INDIA, Mumbai, Chapel Road – A Living Canvas of Art & Expression 🎭 A Forgotten Lisboa in Mumbai

🚨 Street Art Tip: The best time to explore Chapel Road’s Street art is early morning or just before sunset when the golden light makes the murals pop! 

Once an unassuming, quiet lane, Chapel Road is now one of Mumbai’s most dynamic street art districts. Here, old colonial walls have become giant canvases, blending art, history, and activism into an ever-changing open-air gallery.

It was just before sunset when Helga and I finally turned off St. John Baptist Road into Chapel Road. The shift was immediate—as if we had stumbled upon a forgotten pocket of old Lisboa, infused with a hint of India. 

✨ The old houses whispered stories while the walls screamed with colour. The narrow lanes pulsed with life, but at a slower, more deliberate rhythm—a moment of stillness in a city that never stops moving.The colonial Portuguese-style architecture, with tiny house-like structures, small shutter-windows, aged wooden doors, and sloping tiled roofs, stood in quiet contrast to the modern chaos just beyond. It felt like a different world altogether. Small boutique shops and artist studios, tucked between weathered homes, glowed warmly in the evening light, their windows spilling a golden hue onto the uneven street surface. 

It was not long before we got completely lost in the neighbourhoods rhythm, where - children ran barefoot, their laughter bouncing off the aged walls - teenagers in modern clothes leaned against parked motorbikes, exchanging stories with an air of importance. Dogs sprawled lazily in the shadows, under cars, beside doorsteps—anywhere cool enough to escape the lingering heat. Cats lounged on motorbike seats, draped like royalty, completely undisturbed by the world around them.Nothing was going to disrupt this little sanctuary. Further down, elderly residents sat on worn-out wooden chairs or directly on the pavement, deep in conversation. About what? Whatever. Their monotonous, high-pitched voices carried the slow, relaxed rhythm of a neighbourhood refusing to let time erase its charm.

Here, Mumbai’s modern heartbeat slows down just enough for you to listen to its past.This is not a forgotten world but a world of proud people, cafés & street art 🎨☕ Through the modern glass windows of tiny cafés, I glimpsed inviting coffee shops, chai and juice stands—each more tempting than the last.

🚨 Did You Know? Some of Mumbai’s most famous street artists, including Tyler, Ranjit Dahiya, and international guest artists, have left their mark on Chapel Road’s walls. But you might not be lucky enough to see any of it for long, as these walls are regularly repainted to provide aspiring artists with a fresh canvas. Words cannot describe these murals. Therefore I share photos.

The thick, humid air finally forced us into a small coffee shop, an air-conditioned heaven. The cool air wrapped around us like a much-needed embrace.Did we want to leave? Absolutely not. But we knew we had to - somewhere down this street, some of Mumbai’s most vibrant street art was waiting for us. Chapel Road is a living canvas. 

🎨 What You’ll See on Chapel Road’s Walls✅ Massive Bollywood murals – Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, and even Rishi Kapoor’s iconic Karz pose.✅ Social & political graffiti – Art addressing women’s rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and Mumbai’s resilience.✅ Abstract urban graffiti – Pieces by both Indian and international artists, constantly evolving.

Summary of Things You Should Do in Chapel Road 🚶‍♂️✅ Walk without a plan – Let the narrow lanes surprise you.✅ Visit a local café – Some of Mumbai’s best hidden cafés are tucked away here.✅ Explore the street art – Every time you visit, there’s something new.✅ Stop by an old house – If you’re lucky, a resident might invite you in for chai.✅ Take the walk to Mount Mary Basilica – Follow the historic pilgrimage route to one of Mumbai’s most sacred sites.✨ Chapel Road is one of those rare places in Mumbai that still holds onto its past while embracing the new. Do not miss the opportunity to visit, if you in Bandra, Mumbai.