Mumbai Travel guide

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• published: 01 Jan 2017
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Mumbai, earlier known as Bombay, is the capital of Maharashtra and the largest city of India. Mumbai initially was the accumulation of seven islands on the Konkan coastline, which with the passage of time joined to form island city of Bombay. Mumbai undeniably is the business capital of India and one of the major port cities in the country. Mumbai has a diverse nature and multi-cultural lifestyle. On one hand, this city is the hometown of Bollywood, and on the other, this city has India's largest slum population. With the huge inflow of migrants, this city welcomes all with open arms. The city developed its identity from these communities that are settled in here. The culture here is a fine amalgamation of festivities, religions, music, food, music and theaters. Mumbai is said to have most active nightlife in comparison to other cities. There is a lot to see in Mumbai, but the typical "tourist" sights are concentrated in South Mumbai. By Indian standards, Mumbai is a young city and much of the land comprising the city did not exist until it was claimed from the sea over three centuries ago. It is therefore, a pleasant surprise to find rock cut caves such as the Elephanta, Kanheri, and Mahakali within city limits. The British built a magnificent city within the walls of Fort St. George, which lies at the southern extremity of the city. Some fine examples of the Gothic revival, Neo-classical style and Indo-Saracenic style are seen within this area. To get the best [South Mumbai] experience, stroll around the wide streets of the area right from Churchgate to Colaba. These areas are all beautifully planned and have wide and clean pavements unlike the rest of the city. Famous monuments to be seen in this area are the Gateway of India, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) building, the Municipal Corporation and Police Headquarters and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sanghralaya (formerly, the Prince Of Wales museum). The famous Taj Mahal hotel is located just opposite the Gateway of India. The Mumbai University buildings and the High Court are also excellent examples of colonial architecture in the city. There are a lot of other modern structures to look at in this area. The area known as Marine Drive (right from Chowpatty beach to NCPA) is home to a large number of buildings built in the Art Deco style. Mumbai is second only to Miami in the number of Art Deco buildings. some famous buildings in this style are the Eros and Regal cinemas. Mumbai has a few beaches, including one in the downtown area. But they aren't that great and the water off Mumbai's coast is extraordinarily dirty. The relatively better ones are in the Northwest Mumbai area. However, they are a great place to see how the locals spend their Sunday evenings, with various food and game stalls. There are other beaches to be found such as the Girgaon Chowpaty in South Mumbai, Juhu beach in the western suburbs and Aksa Beach in Malad. The currents don't seem strong, but particularly in the rains, lots of people die from drowning, so avoid getting in the water (especially at Aksa Beach). A word of advice to women: Bombay beaches are not the kind you can wear swimsuits to, particularly two-pieces. Gateway of India ( Taj Mahal Hotel ) Prince of Wales Museum Jehangir Art Gallery World Trade Center * Mantralaya * Assembly Hall * Nariman Point Oberoi Hotel Air India Building Wankhede Stadium * Marine Drive ( Queen's Necklace ) Girgaon Chowpatty ( speed boat H2O) Jain Temple Kamla Nehru Park* Boot House Hanging garden Tower of Silence (the only crematorium for Parsis /Zoroastrians) Taraporewala Aquarium Mahalaxmi Temple Haji Ali * Race Course * Nehru Centre * Nehru Planetarium * Orama 4-D Theatre ( Atria Mall) or Nehru Science Center See Link Lilavati Hospital * Band Stand Film Star Bungalows * (residential areas of famous bollywood stars near Bandstand and Bandra) Hotel Sea Rock *or Joggers Park Juhu Beach