Viraj Nayar for NPR
toggle caption Viraj Nayar for NPR
Mumbai s grand Keshavji Nayak fountain towers above the street and serves as a place of respite for thirsty passers-by. It s one of dozens of ornate fountains in the city, built during the British colonial era. Viraj Nayar for NPR
In a narrow lane near Mumbai s docks, commuters on bicycles weave through the crowd as workers push wooden carts loaded with heavy burlap sacks into warehouses.
Thirty-eight-year-old laborer Mohammad Yaqoob unloads sacks full of marbles from a truck. When he gets tired and thirsty, he walks to an ornate stone structure in the middle of the bustling street. It s a drinking fountain, or