The Mumbai Festival started with a glorious opening ceremony at the Gateway of India, as it stood erect in all its regal splendour, an awesome sight for intrigued citizens milling about beyond the cordoned off area, in true Bambaiya style, satiating their curiosity at the glitterati that descended at Mumbai's most visited tourist spot.

The fest, an ode to the undying spirit that embodies each and every Mumbaikar, has lived up to the excitement that it had generated, the size and scale of which was a tall task to fulfil. The plethora of events, organised by the able-bodied committee members, included grandiose musical nights hosted at the Gateway, shopping fiestas and auto rickshaw races.

The Queen’s Necklace, a vista that captures the city sparkle between its far flung arms, was adorned with a precious dazzle during this 10-day extravaganza. The Mannat Deewar, organised by patron of all things arty, Sangita Jindal, was an eye-catching detail along the stretch of Marine Drive, beckoning the serpentine traffic to stop and make a wish for Mumbai at the 60-foot long Wish Wall, a white façade relieved by paintings created by city-bred artists. Wishes, ranging from making Mumbai into a New York, to poems serenading the city and opining about the tragic situation of the lack of cleanliness, a never-ending blot, hung from the wall swaying to the chilly January breezes blowing from the Arabian Sea.

Celebrities paid a visit to the wish-making venue, and contributed their own vision for the city. Suchitra Pillai penned a four-line ode sharing her dream of a Mumbai with lesser cars and cleaner roads. Smriti Irani, everyone's favourite bahu, wished that the spirit and hope that is built into the characteristic of every Mumbaikar remains undiminished. The front-runner for male supermodeldom, Milind Soman, whose popularity remains unchanged till date, played coy and kept his wish for the city under wraps. He did, however, wish that the wishes of every Mumbaikar be fulfilled. Former Mr. India, Vivaan Bathena, echoed the sentiments of many other denizens of the night in fervently wishing for a lift in the curfew for discotheques and pubs.

Sangita Jindal, the brain behind the Mannat Deewar, also strung her wish for a cleaner, greener Mumbai, along with hundreds of others. Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, now has the unenviable task of choosing the 100 best wishes and seeing them through to the end. Formidable, but definitely not impossible for a true Mumbaikar of the ‘Can Do. Will Do’ spirit. What say?