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Area : 600 Sq. kms.
Languages : Marathi, Hindi, English
Altitude : Sea level
Mumbai, Maharashtra’s capital city India’s financial powerhouse is
well known as ‘Amchi Mumbai’ or ‘Our Mumbai’- a statement a passion.
It brings in a feeling of oneness that binds all residents of this
great megalopolis uniting them together in a port-pourri that’s
perhaps unique in the whole of India. A city that often sets the
pace for the rest of the country to follow.
Mumbai is India’s outward looking commercial face. Now India’s
largest city sprawling across seven islands joined into an
artificial isthmus its problems are only matched by the enormous
drive which makes it unique as the centre of business fashion and
film making in modern India. It is India’s finance centre, the
economic powerhouse of the nation, heart of the Hindi film industry
and the industrial hub of everything from textiles to
petrochemicals. It’s these new migrants who continually reshape the
city in their own image making sure Mumbai keeps one foot in its
hinterland and the other in the global marketplace.
Mumbai is the glamour of Bollywood cinema cricket on the maidans and
bhelpuri on the beach at Chowpatty outstanding colonial architecture
and red double-decker buses. It is also the infamous red-light
districts of Kamathipura Asia’s largest slums.
The widely publicized decision of the incoming State government in
1995 to change Bombay’s name to Mumbai-a Koli goddess a form of
Shiva’s wife Parvati-was widely followed in official circles and the
media and now most people talk of the city as Mumbai. This is a city
that dictates trends. It is a magnet to the rural poor and other
aspirants who dream to find their fortunes and often are
disappointed in its wide crowded streets. It is the glamour of
cricket on maidans bhelpuri (a spicy sweet Mumbai snack) on the
beach at Chowpatty red double-decker buses Victorian townscape
reminiscent of a prosperous 19th century English industrial city
that makes it a place that’s truly unforgettable.
Mumbai has the energy innovation and functioning that is the
hallmark of a new economy and generation. It is fuelled by a unique
combination of entrepreneurial energy dazzling dreams and dogged
determination. Availability of intellect trained dedicated
white-collar workface a professional work ethic and a cosmopolitan
outlook are Mumbai’s unique advantages. At the same time it is a
heartless place so similar to New York with incredible energy levels
and a survival of the fittest kind of environment.Ultimately Mumbai
is going to be exactly what you make of it. It is a journey
impossible to define rather best when experienced. The opulent
penthouses sky-kissing skyscrapers designer bungalows crowded
streets sprawling slums.. It’s all here waiting to be explored.Come
discover Mumbai an experience you’ll never forget.
Places of attraction :-
Mumbai is charismatic with a buzzing street life a rocking night
life slices of history sweeping vistas of sparkling lights lively
bazaars you can find it all in Mumbai.
Gateway of India:
Gateway of India is the most sought after of the many sights in
Mumbai. The Indo-Saracenic style Gateway of India (1927) designed by
George Witter to commemorate the visit of George V and Queen Mary in
1911 is modelled in honey –coloured basalt on 16th century Gujarati
work faces out to Mumbai Harbour at the tip of Apollo Bunder in
Colaba. Officially opened in 1924 it was redundant just 24 years
later when the last British regiment ceremoniously departed India
through its archway. The gateway has become a popular emblem of the
city and is a favourite gathering spot for locals in the evening and
on weekends. Boats depart from the gateways wharfs for Elephanta
Island and touts balloon sellers photographers and snake charmers
give the area the hubbub of a bazaar. The area around is popular
among Mumbaiites for evening strolls and is a pleasant place to
visit at sundown. Plenty of launches depart from here to Elephants
caves.
The great gateway comprises an archway with halls on each side
capable of seating 600 at important receptions. The arch placed an
earlier lighter building. It was the point from which the last
British regiment serving in India signaled the end of the empire
when it left on 28 February 1948. Nearby the statues of the
religious reformer Swami Vivekananda and of the Maratha leader
Shivaji astride his horse erected in 1960.
The Taj Mahal Hotel:
The relevance of Gateway of India is incomplete without mentioning
the majestic Taj Mahal Hotel. The original red-domed hotel has been
adjoined by a modern skyscraper (The Taj Mahal Inter-Continental).
This majestic hotel a Mumbai institution overlooks Apollo Bunder and
has good views of the Gateway from its top-floor. The Parsi
industrialist JN Tata built it in 1903 supposedly after he was
refused entry into one of the European hotels on account of being ‘a
native’. It’s a beautiful hotel and it’s worth seeing the grand
central stairway in the hotel’s old wing. Nearby is the august Royal
Bombay Yacht Club where the clock seems to have stopped in the late
19th century.
Colaba:
Occupying the city’s southernmost peninsula is Mumbai’s most vibrant
and fashionable suburb Colaba. South of the Gateway of India is the
crowded southern section of Shahid Bhagat Sing Marg (Marine St)
which leads to Colaba. The southern end of the causeway houses the
Afghan church or Church of St.John the Evangelist. Early English in
style with a 58 mts. spire it was built to commemorate the soldiers
who died in the first Afghan War. Beyond the church near the tip of
the Colaba promontory lie the observatory and Old European Cemetery
in the naval colony.
The causeway passes close to Sassoon Dock the first wet dock in
India the scene of intense and pungent activity at dawn when
colourfully clad Koli fisherwomen sort the catch unloaded from
fishing boats at the quay. The fish drying in the sun are bombil
which are deep fried to make a Bombay duck. The causeway is a
thoroughfare which is a shopper’s dream comes true. Most travellers
tend to hang around at the northern end of Colaba but the real local
activity is farther south on the backstreets of Colaba Market.
Prince of Wales Museum:
The Prince for Wales Museum is situated in an area between Colaba
and Fort called Kala Ghoda. It was built in 1905 to commemorate the
first visit of King George V to India and it was not open to the
public until 1923. Designed by George Willet in grand Indo-Saracenic
style it boasts of an ornamental garden and an impressive gallery
centre hall topped by a huge dome.
Its collection includes impressive sculptures from Elephanta Island,
Gujarat, and Karnataka, Terracotta figurines from the Indus Valley,
miniature paintings, porcelain, weaponry, natural history and a
collection of European paintings.
The Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10-15 a.m. to 6
p.m.
National Gallery of Modern Art & Jehangir Art Gallery:
The spacious and refurbished Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall houses
the National Gallery of Modern Art. It is on M.G Road and is a
bright modern exhibition space showcasing a range of changing
exhibitions. There is a small permanent collection of contemporary
India art in the top floor Dome Gallery. The gallery is open daily
except on Monday between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no entry fee.
The nearby Jehangir Art Gallery is the most famous of the many
well-known art galleries in Mumbai. This gallery is at 161B M.G Road
used to be the city’s principal exhibition space and still hosts
exhibitions of modern Indian art and occasional touring exhibitions.
The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Its informal café
“Samovar” is quite an experience by itself. In the same building is
the Gallery Chermould the Terrace Art Gallery and a pleasant café
(closed Sunday).
Mumbai University and High Court:
Mumbai University the high seat of learning has an architecture that
does it proud. Designed by Gilbert Scott of St.Pancras Station
London fame, it was built in the 1860’s. It consists of an exquisite
University Library and the Convocation Hall. The famous 80mt. tall
Rajabhai Tower is also located within its premises. Col. J.A. Fuller
designed the Mumbai High Court in early English style. A sprawling
complex it has an aura that exudes authority and weightiness of the
justice dispensed inside.
Flora Fountain:
Standing amidst the established business centre of Mumbai this
cherished fountain is named after the Roman goddess of abundance.
But it was erected in 1869 in honour of Sir Bartle Frere the
governor of Mumbai responsible for dismantling the fort and shaping
much of modern Mumbai.
The whitewashed Goddess now shares her diminished area with a
monument honouring the martyrs who died fighting for the cause of
Maharashtra out of the Bombay Presidency. Hence it is called Hutatma
Chowk or Martyrs Square. Heading Northeast from Fountain to VT is
the Dr. Dadabhai Naoroji Road or Dr D.N. Road named after the first
Indian who become a British M.P Ancient buildings of British
architecture line both sides of the road.
Horniman Circle:
Turn right at the Flora Fountain (1869) now known as Hutatma Chowk
along Vir Nairman Road to the Old Custom House Town Hall and Mint on
the imposing Horniman Circle. Horniman Circle the stately arcaded
circle of buildings around the sole surviving section of Bombay’s
original Cotton Green was laid out in the 1860s. The circle is
overlooked from the east by the neo classical Town Hall which
contains the Asiatic Library and the Mumbai Municipal State Central
Library. It houses a collection of old and rare manuscripts. The
beautiful park in the centre is like an oasis of quiet amidst chaos.
The Banyan tree that served as Mumbai’s first stock exchange is
still there and the modern stock exchange is situated in a high-rise
building.
The St.Thomas Cathedral nearby is one of Mumbai’s oldest buildings.
Gerald Digner laid its foundation stone as far back as 1676 the then
Governor of Mumbai. The first service was conducted on Christmas day
in 1718. Its walls are lined with colourful murals and elegantly
crafted leitmotis which pay a silent tribute to the heroes of the
past who have laid down their lives for this land. Its tree-shaded
lawns offer spite from the mad rush of the city. The cathedral
remains open on all days from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. All are welcome to
explore this heritage building and its magnificent monuments. The
custom House is believed to incorporate a Portuguese barrack of
1655. Over the entrance is the crest of the East India Company.
Parts of the Old Portuguese fort’s walls can be seen; more exist in
the Naval Dockyards. Many Malabar teak ‘East Indiamen’ ships were
built here. The Mint (1824-9) built on the Fort rubbish dump has
Ionic columns and a water tank in front of it. The Town Hall
(1820-3) has been widely admired as one of the best neo-classical
buildings in India. The Doric columns that give the Town Hall its
grandeur were shipped from England.
Horniman Circle is laid out in 1860.On the west edge are the
Venetarian Gothic Elphinstone Buildings in brown sandstone. The
Cathedral Church of St. Thomas was begun in 1672 opened in 1718 and
subject to a number of later additions. Inside are a number of
monuments forming a heroic ‘who’s who of India’. Behind Horniman
circle on the water’s edge lies the Old Castle.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus:
The city’s magnificent Gothic building lavishly decorated with
sculptures looks more like a palace or cathedral than anything as
mundane as a transport depot. The headquarters of one of the most
complex suburban railway systems in India it was designed by William
Strevens and was completed in 1887 34 years after the first
locomotive made way from V.T to Thane.
Marine Drive: Marine Drive (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Marg) was
built in 1920 on land reclaimed from the Back Bay. A sweeping curve
it runs along the shoreline of the Arabian Sea from Nairman Point
along Chowpatty to the foot of Malabar Hill. It is one of Mumbai’s
most popular and favourite meeting places. Couples sit along the sea
wall watching the sun go down and the beautiful city light up to
face yet another night.
Chowpatty Beach: For a city built on islands Mumbai has no
shortage of beaches. The most popular among them is the Chowpatty
Beach. It comes to life as the sun goes down. Masseurs,
transvestites, balloon sellers, gamblers, fortune-tellers,
magicians, drug-peddlers, ferries-wheels, shooting galleries… You’ll
find them all here. Eating at the long line of stalls at the edge of
the beach is an interesting experience for the public.
Malabar Hill: The most expensive and stately residential area
of Mumbai is the Malabar Hill located at the Northern end of the
Backbay. It offers splendid views of the Arabian Sea. It’s most
sought after attractions are the Kamala Nehru Park and the Hanging
Gardens (Pherozshah Mehta Gardens). Towards the southern end is the
temple of Walkeshwar the sand lord.
Mani Bhavan:
Quite near the August Kranti Maidan at 19 Laburnum Road is Mani
Bhavan. The house where Mahatma Gandhi used to stay during his
visits to Mumbai. The place has been turned into a small museum.
There’s a photo exhibition consisting of major incidents in Gandhi’s
life and a good collection of books by or about Gandhi. It’s open
daily from 9.30 a.m to 9 p.m.
Haji Ali:
Situated at the end of a long causeway poking into the Arabian Sea
is a beautiful mausoleum Haji Ali. It is a whitewashed mosque
containing the tombs of the Muslim Saint Haji Ali who was said to
have been a wealthy local merchant who renounced the material world
after his trip to Mecca. It was built in 19th century by his
devotees. Yet another version says that Haji Ali died while on a
pilgrimage to Mecca and his casket miraculously floated back to
Mumbai and landed at this spot.The mosque can be reached only during
low tides via from the mosque is quite spectacular.
Siddhivinayak Temple:
Siddhivinayak Temple at Prabhadevi is the epicentre of religious
faith and abode of Lord Ganesha for the Mumbaiite. Vithu Patil built
the temple in 1801. It is now in the hands of Siddhivinayak Ganpati
Trust. The temple completed 200 years last year, according to the
Hindu Calendar.
Jivabai Patil, a descendant of Vithu Patil, managed the temple till
1936. From 1936 to 1974, it was Jambalkar Maharaja of Dadar who
managed the temple’s activities. From 1974 onwards, it was the state
government who took over the mantle. The devotees experience a
strong feeling of purity and a sense of peace soothing their
over-stressed nerves. The devotees add to the charm of the temple.
There are bel leaves, milk and cure abhisheks for Lord Shiva and
generous portions of oil for Lord Hanuman. Two other deities who
share the premises with Lord Siddhivinayaka. Those looking for some
peace and a quiet chat with God need not look any further.
Mahalaxmi Temple:
Quite near tc Haji Ali and visible from it is the famous Mahalaxmi
temple. A very popular Goddess in this financial capital of India.
According to legend, when the Britishers were constructing a sea
wall joining Malabar Hill and Worli at the end of the 18th century,
the local Hindu contractor claimed that the Goddess appeared in his
dreams and blessed him with success if he rebuilds her temple.
Amazingly enough, a statue of the goddess was unearthed during the
construction of the wall. The contractor was granted land nearby,
wherein he built this temple, which stands to this day.
Victoria Gardens:
These gardens house Mumbai’s Zoo-the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan
and the Victoria &Albert Museum. Located at the doorstep of the
museum is the large stone elephant removed from Elephanta which gave
the island its name. The zoo is open daily, except Wednesday,
between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The entry costs around Rs 5.
Juhu:
The hangout of the rich and the famous. The Juhu beach is hardly the
place to bathe and lie around. However on weekends, a carnival type
of atmosphere prevails with horse rides, camel rides, dancing
monkeys etc. Luxury hotels and apartments line the Southern end of
the Beach.
Girgaon Chowpatty:
This is a popular stretch of sand along Marine Drive near the Charni
Road railway station. It is much frequented by the local population.
Other Beaches:
Further down there are the more serene beaches of at Gorai, Aksa,
Madh, Marve etc.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park:
Formerly Known as Borivali National Park, this 110 sq.kms. Protected
area on the Northern outskirts of Mumbai, provides fresh breath to
this congested megapolis. A Lion Safari park and toy train rides are
its highlights.
Essel World:
Located near the Gorai beach is the theme park of Esselworld. A
recent addition to cater to the fun loving Mumbaiite. It has lots of
exciting rides and games. Its water theme park ‘Water Kingdom’ has
everything any water loving individual would fantasise about.
Fantasy Land:
This theme park is at Jogeshwari, a suburb in Mumbai. It is built
along the lines of Esselworld and provides for an exciting option.
Kanheri Caves:
These 2nd and 9th century Buddhist Caves comprises of Chaityas
(temple) and Viharas (monasteries) are situated here. |
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