Mumbai, the commercial capital of India is one of the most
developed cities of India. Mumbai is the booming capital city of Mahrashtra
with its beautiful range of attractions for its visitors coming from all
around the globe. From nature lovers to science addicts to the common
tourists the city of dreams, Mumbai has something special to offer to every
single traveler. Today, Mumbai is a city of migrants. People from all over
the country and world have come and settled here. This gives the society of
Mumbai a multi-lingual and multi-cultural hue.
Attractions in Mumbai
» Gateway of India : Gateway of India is a 26 m high
stone archway, the first landmark of Mumbai a visitor sees when arriving by
ship. Designed by Writtet in the 16th century Gujarat style, it was built to
commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911. You
will also find an equestrain staue of Chhatrapati Shivaji and statue of
Swami Vivekhanda which have been installed here.
» Chowpatty Beach : If you have not been to this
place then you have missed the real charm of Mumbai. Chowpatty Beach is the
real thunder of Mumbai. People gather here, for celebration of festivals
such as Coconut Day and the Ganesh Chaturthi immersions. Besides little
kiosks selling Bombay's special snacks, Bhelpuri & Kulfi (local ice
cream) one can find professional massesurs, pony leaders, beebee-gun
shooting galleries, contortionists, snake charmers, monkey-trainers, balloon
sellers, flower-girls and lots more. On the beach are statues of India's
freedom fighters, Lokmanya Tilak and Vithalbhai Patel who symbolise the
freedom struggle.
» Prince of Wales Museum : The Prince of
Wales Museum was also built to honour King George’s visit. The
construction of the museum is based on the Indo -Saracenic style of
architecture and was successfully completed in 1923. The Prince of Wales
Museum exhibits various areas like the art and paintings, archeology and
natural history.
» Malabar Hill : The classiest area of Mumbai,
Malabar Hill has attractive residences, including the Chief Minister's house
and a palatial state guest house. Here also, are the ruins of Walkeshwar
temple build sometime between 810 and 1260 AD. It is believed that lord Rama
on his way to rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravana, stopped here and made
a Shiva Lingam (phallic totem) out of sand to worship Lord Shiva.
» Marine Drive : uilt in the 1920s, Marine Drive
runs along the shoreline of the Arabian Sea from Nariman Point to the foot
of Malabar Hill. It is Mumbai’s most famous highway and a favourite
hangout for watching the sunset. Lined on the landward side by a crescent of
crumbling Art Deco buildings, it is lit up at night prompting the onlookers
to dub it the Queen’s Necklace.
» Jehangir Art Gallery : Its heaven on Earth for all
the art lovers. The gallery is located in the compound of the Prince of
Wales Museum and comprises of an Auditorium and an exhibition hall. The
gallery presents the works of modern Indian artists. Besides being the venue
for art exhibitions in Mumbai the Jehangir Art Gallery conducts other art
activities for the promotion of a national movement in contemporary visual
arts.
Getting There
» By Air : Mumbai has the busiest domestic air
network in the country. The international terminal is at Sahar, which is 30
km north of the city center. The domestic terminal at Santa Cruz is just 4
km away.
» By Rail : Mumbai is a major railway
junction of the country. It is the headquarters to two railway zones,
Central and Western. The main railway station is Victoria Terminal, now
renamed Chattrapati Shivaji Terminal. Other railway stations are Dadar,
Churchgate, and Kurla. The Railheads of Mumbai are easily accessible from
any part of India.
» By Road : There are two major north-south highways
running through Bombay, cross connected by other roads at various points.
Mumbai is well-connected with major destinations in Maharashtra and
neighboring states through road.
