| Welcome to the city that never sleeps! Pulsating, Alive, On the Move, Vibrant, Fun -- this is Mumbai or as it is still frequently referred to -- Bombay. The most modern city in India, it captures the spirit of the changing pace set by liberalization and modernisation. |
| Once a cluster of seven islands, Mumbai was presented to King Charles II in 1661 as part of the dowry when he married Princess Catherine de Braganza of Portugal. |
| Over the years, as colonialism gave way to independence, Mumbai has transformed itself into an entity with thriving markets, business houses and many different communities reflecting a cosmopolitan and trendy atmosphere rarely seen elsewhere. On the surface, it represents the ever-changing face of today's India -- the old coupled with the dynamic new, and yet at its very core, the heart of the city is steeped in Indian customs and values. |
| It is the capital of Maharashtra state, and its official language is Marathi although English and Hindi are widely spoken and understood. The fast-paced life has given rise to hordes of "fast-food outlets" on almost every road, offering lip-smacking choices of Mumbai's very own pau bhaji, bhel puri and kababs. There is no dearth, though, of multi-culinary delicacies dished out in posh restaurants by expert chefs. Mumbai is a shopper's delight with bargain buys, exclusive boutiques, ethnic markets and mini bazaars. This busy city is also the hub of a thriving cultural life, with a constant stream of performances in music, dance and drama. The seat of the Hindi film industry, known locally as Bollywood, it produces the largest number of films in the world. Mumbai caters to the adventurous and the romantic through its sporting activities, nightclubs, pubs, theatres, beaches and restaurants. Old and new, rich and poor, classical and modern -- its all here for you to savour and enjoy! David Sassoon Library The David Sassoon Library is the name of a famous library and heritage structure in Mumbai.India The idea for a library to be situated in the center of the city was the brainchild of Albert Sassoon, son of the famous Baghdadi Jewish philanthropist, David Sassoon. The building was designed by architects J. Campbell and G. E. Gosling, for the Scott McClelland and Company, at a cost of Rs. 125,000. David Sassoon donated Rs. 60000, while the rest was borne by the Government of Bombay Presidency |
Kala Ghoda
| Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market (Crawford Market) | |
A busy market area, this is best visited early on in the day. The fruits and vegetable section offers the best of produce. Depending on when you visit, the fruit/s of the season are always a good buy.    | |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) | |
This is a magnificent building, and considered to be architecturally one of the finest stations in the world. Built by the British in 1888, it has exquisite ornamentation on its facade along with beautifully executed panels and friezes. It holds the statue of Queen Victoria on its dome. | |
Global Vipassana Pagoda | |
Global Vipassana Pagoda is the World's Largest Pillar-less dome with a capacity to seat 8,000 meditators. In it are also enshrined Buddha's genuine relics, thus becoming the first such pagoda in India after King Ashoka's era.  | |
| Flora Fountain and the Gothic/Victorian buildings of the Fort Area | |
| The Flora Fountain stands on the site of the old church gate of the Bombay Fort, now a major crossroad named Hutatma Chowk. It was erected to honour Sir Bartle Frere, a former governor of Bombay and named after the Greek goddess Flora. Other buildings to see in | |
 The Fountain or Fort area are the University of Mumbai buildings including the imposing Rajabhai Tower, the Mumbai High Court, the Old Secretariat, and the Institute of Science on one end. Close by are situated St Thomas Cathedral, the Asiatic Society of Bombay or Town Hall, the Office of the Director General of Police, the General Post Office and the Thomas Cook building. | |
The Western Railway Headquarters is also quite near, across the street from the Churchgate Station. These buildings are fine examples of the Gothic and Indo-Saracenic style. Many are illuminated by night. An exotic way of seeing these sights would be by the MTDC open-air bus or by the few surviving Victorias or buggy rides. Close by to Flora Fountain is the Kala Ghoda area which holds a once a week fair (every Sunday) from November to January. | |
| Jehangir Art Gallery | |
Close by to the Prince of Wales Museum, this gallery is the showcase for contemporary art. The displays change regularly. Outside is the Artist's Plaza with more paintings on display and sale. Open daily from 11 am to 7 pm. | |
| Prince of Wales Museum | |
| This is one of Mumbai's finest example of Victorian architecture. Built to commemorate King George V's visit to Mumbai (while still Prince of Wales), it was designed by George Wittet and completed in 1923. | |
 undoubtedly one of India's finest It is museums and houses treasures, artefacts, paintings and sculpture from the many periods covering India's history, including the Indus Valley Civilization. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30 am to 6 pm. | |
| National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) | |
This is the former Cowasji Jehangir Hall, of the Institute of Science. It has been renovated to serve as a four-storey exhibition hall, displaying the best of Indian contemporary art. Open daily except Monday, from 10 am to 5 pm. | |
| Gateway of India | |
Mumbai's most striking monument, this too was designed by George Wittet. It has an imposing gateway arch in the Indo-Saracenic style with Gujarati and Islamic elements such as wooden carvings.  It was built to commemorate the visit | |
| of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911. This area is also the departing point for ferries plying to Elephanta Island and other beaches across the port. Behind it is the beautiful old (and new) structure of the Taj Mahal Hotel | |
| Marine Drive and Chowpatty Beach | |
This is the stretch now known as Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Road with Nariman Point on one end to Babulnath, at the foot of Walkeshwar on the other. For the most part, a pleasant promenade continues along the beach | |
| with the Chowpatty area situated somewhat in the middle.Chowpatty Beach is a teeming mass of people, vendors, masseurs and roadside restaurants with its specialties being bhelpuri and kulfi. Across the Chowpatty Beach area is the Taraporewala Aquarium. Marine Drive is also referred to as the Queen's Necklace because of the dramatic line of street lamps lit up at night. | |
| Malabar Hill | |
This is essentially an up-market residential area with some spectacular views of the city surroundings. On the road climbing up, is a Jain temple dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain tirthankara. At one end, on the top are the  | |
| Hanging Gardens (Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens) and the Kamala Nehru Park. Both provide relaxing atmospheres of greenery. Beside the Hanging Gardens are the Parsi Towers of Silence. But these are off-limits to all except those who have come to dispose and pay respect to the dead. | |
| Towards the other end is the Banganga temple complex at Walkeshwar, considered to be one of Mumbai's holiest sites. Local legend has it that the Hindu god Rama rested here on his way to rescue Sita (his wife) from Lanka. The Banganga Tank is supposedly the spot where Rama shot his bow or bana. Further away is the British built Raj Bhavan, the residence of the governor of Maharashtra. The Banganga Festival of Music is a yearly highlight, and is in the month of January usually. | |
| Mani Bhavan | |
This simple and charming museum was where Mahatma Gandhi lived on his visits to Mumbai between 1917 and 1934. Gandhi's room and belongings including his books are on display. Mani Bhavan is situated on Laburnam Road, | |
| near the August Kranti Maidan, where the 'Quit India' movement was launched in 1942. Open daily from 9.30 am to 6 pm Jijamata Udyan, formerly known as Victoria Gardens, was laid out in 1861 It houses many of the rare and endangered species of animals and birds. The gardens are spread over 48 acres in Byculla. At the main entrance to the gardens is a clock tower, reminiscent of Italian renaissance, but the clock has stopped ticking a long time ago. The gardens boast of scores of trees, some of which are really old. Within the gardens is the Bhaudaji Lad musuem (formerly the Prince Albert museum) that houses a host of local archaeological finds among which merits a huge stone elephant at the entrance, which was found in 1864 at Gharapuri Island. The area is situated in prime location. That is why the greedy authority, BMC, Ministers and Builders are not maintaining the animals properly. Their plan is simple. Don't feed animals. Let them die. Ones all animals die, they can construct 5-star hotel and posh residentials and make bumper profits. However, NGOs and PETAs can come forward and save the poor animals here.  | |
| Mahalaxmi Temple | |
The Mahalaxmi Temple is a popular holy site as Mahalaxmi is the goddess of wealth. It is situated at one end of Breach Candy -- a trendy residential and shopping area, now known as B. Desai Road. | |
| Haji Ali Shrine | |
Further along the seashore, at the end of a long pathway surrounded by seawater is the shrine dedicated to Haji Ali, a Muslim saint. Access is only at low tide via the pathway. | |
| Siddhivinayak Temple | |
Located in the Prabha Devi area of Mumbai, this popular temple dedicated to Ganesh was rebuilt on the site of a 200-year old temple. Built of black stone, the idol of Ganesh is two and a half feet in height and two feet in width.
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| An unusual feature of the statue is that the trunk turns to the right, not often found on Ganesh idols. Tuesday is the main day ofdarshan and puja, but this temple is frequented by hundreds of devotees everyday. | |
| Juhu Beach | |
| This suburban beach is great favourite with Mumbaites, and has plenty to offer everyone. Like Marine Drive's Chowpatty, Juhu 'Chowpatty' is a vendor's delight with innumerable food counters. It is a wonderful | |
| place to bring kids, as it doubles up as an amusement park, play ground, and open-air restaurant. An unusual sight at this beach is the camel ride, which is both fun and popular. | |
| RBI Musems | |
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central bank of the country. As the central bank, it is also the custodian of the country's monetary | |
| heritage. To document and preserve India's monetary history for the posterity and as a part of the Reserve Bank's education and outreach programme for the common man, especially the students, the Reserve Bank has conceived the Monetary Museum. Our Daaba Wala
Mumbai is one of the most populated cities on earth with huge flows of traffic. Because of this, lengthy commutes to workplaces are common, with many workers travelling by train.
Instead of going home for lunch or paying for a meal, many office workers have a cooked meal sent from their home, or sometimes from a caterer who cooks and delivers the meal in lunch boxes and then have the empty lunch boxes collected and re-sent the same day. This is usually done for a monthly fee of about 450 Indian rupees. The meal is cooked in the morning and sent in lunch boxes carried by dabbawalas, who have a complex association and hierarchy across the city.
The dabbawala then takes them to a designated sorting place, where he and other collecting dabbawalas sort (and sometimes bundle) the lunch boxes into groups. The grouped boxes are put in the coaches of trains, with markings to identify the destination of the box (usually there is a designated car for the boxes). The markings include the railway station to unload the boxes and the destination building delivery address.A collecting dabbawala, usually on bicycle, collects dabbas either from a worker's home or from the dabba makers. As many of the carriers are illiterate, the dabbas have some sort of distinguishing mark on them, such as a colour or group of symbols.
At each station, boxes are handed over to a local dabbawala, who delivers them. The empty boxes are collected after lunch or the next day and sent back to the respective houses.
Dhoobi Ghat
It's a fascinating spectacle, looking down on row upon row of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone, while Mumbai's dhobis (around 200 dhobi families work together here) relentlessly pound the dirt from the city's garments in a timeless tradition. Known as the world's largest outdoor laundry, the municipal Dhobi Ghat in Mahalaxmi is where Mumbai's traditional washerfolk -- or dhobis -- provide a wonderful service, collecting dirty laundry, washing it, and returning it neatly pressed, all for a very small fee. Stubborn stains are removed by soaking garments in a boiling vat of caustic soda; drying takes place on long, brightly colored lines; and heavy wood-burning irons are used for pressing. At the very least, it's a great photo opportunity
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The Sanjay Gandhi National Park
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park may not be as large or exotic as some of the other national parks in India, but its accessibility makes it very appealing. It's the only protected forest to be located within the limits of a city. To find tranquility amidst teeming Mumbai, this is the place to come! The park is also a great family destination, with plenty to keep the kids amused. However, it's best to plan your visit well as many attractions close over lunch, and adequate tourist information is scarce. In order to fully appreciate the park, you'll need to pack a picnic lunch and spend a full day there.
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