Mumbai – Gateway of India
Welcome to the cit
y 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.
The unofficial headquarters of Mumbai’s tourist scene, Colaba sprawls down the city’s southernmost peninsula. It’s a bustling district packed with street stalls, markets, bars and budget to midrange lodgings. Colaba Causeway (ShahidBhagat Singh Marg) bisects the promontory and is the traffic-filled artery connecting Colaba’s jumble of side streets and gently crumbling mansions. Sassoon Dock, south of the main tourist action, is a scene of intense and pungent activity at dawn (around 05:00) when colourfully clad Koli fisherwomen sort the catch unloaded from fishing boats at the quay. The fish drying in the sun are bombil, the fish used in the dish Bombay duck. Photography at the dock is forbidden without permission from the Mumbai Port Trust. Dhobi Ghat is a well known open air laundromat in Mumbai, India. The washers, locally known as Dhobis, work in the open to wash the clothes from Mumbai’s hotels and hospitals. There are rows of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Called the world’s largest outdoor laundry, Dhobi Ghat is a very popular attraction among foreign tourists. The word Dhobi Ghat is used all over India to refer to any place where many washers are present.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya ,formerly known as The Prince of Wales Museum, is a Grade I Heritage Building of the city. It has been awarded first place for Heritage Building Maintenance by the Indian Heritage Society.The Key Gallery, located in the central foyer, showcases a representative collection from the various sections of the Museum such as Archaeology, Indian Miniature Paintings, Indian Decorative Arts and the Chinese and Japanese collection. It thus gives an overview of the Museum’s rich collection. 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
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus in Mumbai, is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture.
A magnificent building, completed in 1888, the Victoria Terminus was named after the then Queen Empress (Queen Victoria) on Jubilee Day, 1887. Construction started in 1878 based on a design by F. W. Stevens, and took 10 years to complete.
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. 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.
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.
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.
