City of Dreams
Mumbai
Hope our India Travel Blog will help you to Dicover Mumbai, known as the City of Dreams!!
We visit India at least once a year!! It definitely is one of our favorite travel destinations!!
We recently traveled to Mauritius through Mumbai and took the opportunity of spending a few days in this awesome city in India!! Although we have been to Mumbai several times before, we always went there on work, shopping or when using it as a transit point!! This is the first time we enjoyed all that this city has to offer to an avid traveler!!!
What a fantastic time we had in Mumbai! Enjoy our India Travel Blog!!
About Mumbai – The City Of Dreams And Popular India Travel Destination
Located on Maharashtra’s coast, Mumbai is India’s most-populous city, and it is one of the largest and most densely populated urban areas in the world. It was built on the site of an ancient settlement, and it took its name from the local goddess Mumba. It became known as Bombay during the British colonial period, the name possibly an Anglicized corruption of Mumbai or perhaps of Bom Baim (“Good Harbour”), supposedly a Portuguese name for the locale. The name Mumbai was restored officially in 1995, although Bombay remained in common usage.
The natural beauty of Mumbai is unsurpassed by that of most other cities in the region!!
Facts That Makes India Travel Interesting
- Every person has only 1.1 square meters of open space In Mumbai!!
- The first train in India ran between Mumbai and Thane on 16 April, 1853.
- Mumbai has a coastline of about 150 kilometers.
- The city is made of seven islands. The seven islands of Bombay were an archipelago of islands that were, over a span of five centuries, connected to compose the area of the modern city of Mumbai.
- Mumbai railways carry around 2.5 billion passengers every year
- Mumbai was the first city in India to get a bus service. Mumbai saw its first bus run on 15 July 1926 between Afghan Church and Crawford Market.
- It is named after a temple – Mumba Devi Temple.
- Dabbawallas carry and drop food from their client’s kitchen/home in a lunch box to the customer’s workplace efficiently. They have been doing it since 1890 every day at a very steady rate. Around 200,000 Dabbas (tiffins) are delivered daily by 5,000 Dabbawalas!
Facts About Mumbai India Continue
- Mumbai is known as the entertainment capital of India. Bollywood, located in the suburbs of Mumbai is the hub of the Hindi film industry in India.
- Home to the world’s most expensive house! Known as Antilla, it is a 27 story wonder house owned by business tycoon and India’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani. Its current price is around USD 1 billion.
- Mumbai has one of the longest sea links, officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link which has a length of around 5.6 kilometers. It is an architectural-wonder as it was made with 90,000 tons of cement and steel wire.
- Mumbai is home to the world’s largest slum called the Slum of Dharavi.
- Lack of toilets is one of the negative aspects of Mumbai! It leads to not only inconvenience but also to unhygienic conditions.
- One of the best seller books ever, The Jungle Book’s author Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling was born here (Bombay, British India) in 1865.
Things to See and Do In Mumbai India
Although Mumbai doesn’t have as many historical monuments as some places in India, its diversity more than compensates. You’ll find everything from beaches to Bollywood.
We covered the most important places one should visit over a 2 day period, whilst in Mumbai. It was hectic but most enjoyable!!
Hope our India Travel Blog will inspire you to travel to Mumbaii!!
Getting Around Mumbai In Our India Travels
Mumbai’s traffic and overpopulation can be daunting and navigate, especially for independent travelers like ourselves. Luckily we managed to hire a taxi for the duration of our stay in Mumbai. We resort to doing this almost all of the times we have visited various parts of India. It is very inexpensive, and most convenient. It is of paramount importance that one makes sure that the driver could speak a smattering of English before hiring the taxi!!
Gateway of India -Mumbai’s Most Recognized Monument
It is always crowded as every first-time visitor to Mumbai heads straight there! These days the atmosphere around the monument resembles a circus at times, with numerous vendors peddling everything from balloons to Indian tea.
We started our sightseeing by visiting The Gateway of India and enjoyed the walkabout very much. We also drove past it at night time, when it was lit up and was an awesome sight to behold!!!
Mumbai’s most recognized monument, the Gateway of India, was constructed in 1924 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to the city. It is also where the last of the British troops departed from, marking the end of British rule when India gained Independence in 1947. The looming Gateway is designed to be the first thing that visitors see when approaching Mumbai by boat. It is located on the waterfront in Colaba, in south Mumbai and is opposite the Taj Palace and Tower Hotel (which is also worth looking inside).
Drive Along Mumbai’s Famous Marine Drive
We then drove along Marine Drive which is the most easily identifiable landmark associated with Mumbai and is indicative of the glamor and glitter of the city. No India Travel Blog will be complete without mention of the famous drive. It is a 3.6 km long, arc-shaped boulevard along the South Mumbai coast that starts at the Gateway of India and ends at the popular Chowpatty Beach.
Marine Drive is a hive of activity throughout the day. It is the best place in Mumbai to watch the sunset or even to just take a leisurely stroll by the sea any time of the day or night. It is full of locals walking and jogging for exercise, especially early morning and at sunset.
We made several photo stops along the way. We managed to capture the magnificent Mumbai skyline, as well as the beautiful ocean full of all kinds of boats going about their business. Mumbai has the most number of high-rise buildings in India since land in the city is very expensive. It is also the city with the 5th highest number of skyscrapers in the world, most of which are residential.
The Haji Ali Mosque of Mumbai India
The imposing Haji Ali is both a mosque and tomb. It was built in 1431 by wealthy Muslim merchant and Sufi saint, Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, who was inspired to change the course of his life after going to Mecca. It also contains the tomb of his body. Situated in the middle of the ocean, Haji Ali is only accessible during low tide from a narrow, 500 yard long walkway.
Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world visit the mosque, especially on Thursdays and Fridays. People from all faiths are welcome in this mosque.
There is much one could do after visiting the mosque. There are many food outlets to indulge in local cuisine and shopping stalls to buy souvenirs, local arts and crafts and other knick knacks, just outside this magnificent holy site!!
Mani Bhavan – A Memorial To One Of The World’s Greatest Human Beings
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Mani Bhavan, the former residence of the great Mahatma Gandhi. It is a simple two-story building which is now a museum, library and research center depicting Gandhi’s life and struggles for Indian freedom through peaceful means. Hope your India Travels take you to this beautiful place!
It was so nice to see many original artifacts as well as pictures from times past. It was great to be reminded of what this great human being did and achieved during his lifetime. Mahatma Gandhi has always been one of our all-time heroes!!!
The Hanging Gardens Of Mumbai India
We really enjoyed strolling around this beautifully laid out garden. It was so very nice to see many local families and tourists enjoying the beautiful surroundings and peaceful setting!!
The Hanging Gardens, in Mumbai, also known as Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens, are terraced gardens perched at the top of Malabar Hill, on its western side, just opposite the Kamala Nehru Park. They provide sunset views over the Arabian Sea and feature numerous hedges carved into the shapes of animals.
Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, it is place to unwind and relax in Mumbai!! A welcome spot for kids, the garden is awesome with a variety of flowers and well maintained greens all around.
Hope our India Travel Blog has captured the essence of this must visit destination in Mumbai!!
Dhobi Ghat In Mumbai – The World’s Biggest Laundry
This massive open air laundry provides an unforgettable glimpse into the inside of the city. Dirty laundry from all over Mumbai is brought here and painstakingly hand washed by the dhobis (washer men) in the seemingly endless rows of concrete troughs. The thousands of dhobis spend hours every day standing up to their knees in water filled with chemicals, manually scrubbing and beating the dirt out of each item of laundry.
At first the Dhobi Ghat presents a chaotic scene. However, a closer look brings out the order in the chaos. Lines and lines of washed clothes are hung out to dry in a manner that optimizes both time and space.
It was fascinating to watch so many people working together in harmony. The bonhomie amongst them is infectious!!! It is such an unbelievable place.
Colaba Causeway Market – For All Your Shopping
We visited the popular and famous Colaba Causeway Market twice during our short stay in Mumbai. We ended up buying a whole heap of stuff, mainly items of clothing, to take home for the folks back home.
This market is among the best shopping areas that you should visit while in Mumbai. It is located near the Mumbai police headquarters in southern Mumbai. The market is known for its wide selection of ladies’ outfits and accessories, and it’s always flocked with shopping enthusiasts.
Colaba Causeway Market is a popular shopping destination for both local and foreign tourist, earning itself the name, “Culture Square of Mumbai”. Alongside other authentic and fancy cultural items, you can grab for yourself original Rajasthani Silk Paintings at very competitive prices. This is the best place to look for souvenirs such as bracelets, clothing, jewelry, and hats.
Cathedral of the Holy Name In Central Mumbai
Our visit to the Cathedral of the Holy Name was memorable. We were fascinated by its sheer beauty!!
Situated in a commercially prominent spot of Colaba, the Cathedral of the Holy Name is the Seat of the Archbishop and is considered as the ‘Mother Church’ of the Archdiocese. The Cathedral dates back to the colonial era. On 9th July 1902, the ‘foundation stone’ of the building was laid and it was opened on 15th January 1905. In the year 1998, the Cathedral of the Holy Name was given the status of heritage building.
Another must visit if your India Travels includes Discovering Mumbai!!
A most beautiful feature of this Cathedral is the frescos or the paintings on the ceilings and the walls. Architecturally it is a narrow tall hall with vaulted ceilings. It has an impressive altar with three colorful stained glass windows with a chandelier hanging in the front. The ceiling which is in a rich yellow color depicts scenes from Christ’s life.
Bandra And Bollywood – A Must Visit India Travel Destination
No trip to Mumbai will be complete without a visit to Bandra, the home of Bollywwod!!
Bandra is a coastal suburb located on Salsette Island in Maharashtra, India. It is the third-largest commercial hub in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune, primarily aided by the Bandra-Kurla Complex. Additionally, many personalities who are active in Bollywood, cricket, and politics reside in this city.
It was great to drive around this area checking out the mansions of Bollywood stars and other well-known personalities. The Indian mega star Sharukh Khan’s house, an imposing 6 story high sea facing marvel, which is also a heritage building, seemed to be the most popular photo-spot for most tourists driving through these parts!! Needless to say, we stopped there to take some obligatory photos!!!
Eating Out Whilst Traveling In Mumbai India
Given the short period we spent there, we did not do justice to the “food” side of Mumbai, although we did go out to a few fabulous restaurants. All of the food we consumed were so very yummy!!!
Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city known for its many lip-smacking dishes. Be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian, the dishes in Mumbai boast of rich taste, fieriness and impressive flavors. The cuisine of Mumbai covers a large assortment of interesting, authentic dishes and zesty seafood dishes. The staple foods consumed by the residents of Mumbai include rice, aromatic fish curries, Indian bread (chapatis and rotis), vegetable curries, pulses and desserts. Coconuts, cashew nuts, peanuts and peanut oil are some of the major ingredients used in many of Mumbai’s traditional dishes.
Hope yor enjoy our short rendition on Indian food in this India Travel Blog.
Mumbai houses many restaurants where people can enjoy some amazing food. The city is known for its delectable chaats at the various food stalls in its busy streets. Here, the stalls are crowded with people who relish tangy fast-food and local snacks. Apart from the traditional dishes, chaats, sweets and seafood specialties, there are lovely continental restaurants across the city that will cater to a more subtle palate, if you can’t handle all the hot food! Apart from Indian food, Mumbai is home to thousands of famous restaurants dishing out all types of cuisines from throughout the world.
Mumbai can be considered “nirvana” for foodies!!!
Last Word OnTravel To Mumbai India
Bombay is India’s New York, the City that never sleeps or the City of Dreams.
From beaches, shopping, food and everything in between, Mumbai is the place for you!!! We highly recommend a visit to everyone!!!
Hope this India Travel Blog inspires you to visit Mumbai!!
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