The ill-fated bus stop that was destroyed in Wednesday's blast has become a sightseeing attraction, with several 'tourists' dropping by to take pictures, and hawkers doing good business

Late Friday night, the lane of the Dadar bus stop, which was one of the sites of Wednesday's serial blasts, was thrown open to the public, after two days. By Saturday morning, people keen to catch a sight of the area thronged the bus stop.


Kamala S and her kids who sell flowers at Dadar station have now
moved to the blast site

When this reporter visited the site, there were 'tourists' clicking pictures. Among the crowd was Mohan Kelkar, 59, and his wife Sudha, 55. The couple had taken time off shopping in Dadar market to have a look at the spot. "We live in Matunga, and visit Dadar every Saturday. Since we were nearby, we decided to visit the site," said Kelkar.

The group of onlookers also included a large number of youngsters. Geeta Purohit, 17, who studies at Ruia College in Matunga, came sightseeing along with two friends. Purohit said, "We got done early at college today. So, we dropped by."

According to 24-year old Ranjit Modi, a cobbler whose shop is situated to the right of the bus stop, several onlookers came visiting throughout Saturday simply to get a glimpse of the bus stop. He recalled one particular incident, "A few women came asking what had happened on Wednesday. They told me they had gone to visit Siddhivinayak temple, but on learning that the site had been opened to the public, they decided to come here."

It is not just the lane that has been re-opened. Despite the bus stop being blown apart, buses have started plying on the lane and stopping at the ill-fated bus stop too. "I actually saw commuters sitting inside buses clicking pictures of the bus stop," said a worker from a nearby shop.

To the left of the bus stop is the shoe shop of Jalandar Pawar and his son Amol.
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The two spent much of Saturday answering questions of inquisitive people who want to know where the blast took place. Amol said, "Everyone keeps asking us, 'Blast-wala bus stop kahan hai? (Where is the bus stop where the blast took place?)"

Some vendors nearby are not displeased by the commotion, as they are reportedly doing good business.

Shewantibai, 62, a vegetable vendor said, "Many who came to see the area bought vegetables from me."

Kamala S, a flower seller who usually sells gajras at Dadar station, set up shop at the blast site on Saturday.

"People kept asking if I was present during the blast. I did really good business today," she said. Kamala intends to return to the bus stop on Sunday as well.