Introduction to city Mumbai - In Maharashtra
Mumbai is the fast paced commercial, financial, industrial and
celluloid capital of India. Lured by its glamour and the prospects of
’streets paved with gold’, a large number of people from different
parts of the country come to settle in this city every year. And Mumbai
continues to grow, to absorb and most importantly to prosper. Just when
you begin to wonder how you’re ever going to cope with Mumbai, you
arrive at Worli and see Haji Ali Mosque standing proudly on a raised
walkway in the middle of the sea giving you the feeling that the Gods are
there if everything else fails. If you arrive at night, there will be a
backdrop of twinkling lights from the skyscrapers that are so much a
feature of Mumbai’s skyline. The scenes change as you drive past
Chowpatty Beach, ablaze with the lights of stalls selling fruit-juice,
ice-cream and snacks to the crowds thronging the beach. By the time you
reach Marine Drive, your spirits will be restored and the rush of traffic
won’t seem half so daunting as it might have been earlier, and the
sedate horse-drawn landau will seem a charming anachronism.
Once a tiny island overrun by swaying palm trees, Mumbai used to belong to
the native Koli fisher-folk, who still live here in their little villages
surrounded by soaring skyscrapers. Portuguese came here in the seventeenth
century and dotted the place with several forts, which stand even today.
Later Mumbai came under the British rule and eventually became one of the
largest ports in the British Empire.
Sightseeing
: Places to visit in destination - Mumbai
Once you are in Mumbai, the list of sites to visit is endless. First of
all the twinkling lights from the skyscrapers itself will keep your eyes
wide open with excitement and wonder. And to add up to your excitement you
have a number of sites to visit that could be teamed up as historical
sites, contemporary wonders, archaeological sites, religious sites and
natural wonders. The Gateway of India is the main attraction of
Mumbai city. Built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen
Mary for the Delhi Durbar in the year 1911, this massive historical
monument makes a must visit during your Mumbai sightseeing. Moreover,
there are sites like the Mani Bhawan or the Gandhi memorial, Prince of
Wales Museum, Marine Drive and Juhu that give you the feeling of being
in the commercial capital of India. The gardens like the Hanging Garden
and the Kamla Nehru Garden will provide you the much needed rest
between your sightseeing trips and the Chowpatty gives you the view
of one of the most happening beaches of Mumbai.
GATEWAY OF INDIA - Mumbai
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The Gateway of India is the main attraction of Mumbai city. It was
built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary for
the Delhi Durbar in 1911. Situated at the Apollo Bunder, the gateway
holds greater historical significance as the last of the British
troops that left India by sea, marched through its portals. The
monument is complete with four turrets and intricate latticework
carved into the yellow basalt stone. You can also go for a short
cruise through Mumbai's natural harbour in one of the little motor
launches that are stationed here.
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MANI BHAWAN - Mumbai
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Mani Bhawan is one of the important places to visit in Mumbai.
Presently functioning as a Gandhi memorial, it used to be the Mumbai
residence of Mahatma Gandhi. It is from this famous house No. 19,
called Mani Bhawan, that Gandhiji was arrested in 1932. This two
storied building houses a reference library with over 2000 books, a
photo feature on the Mahatma's life, some memorabilia, an old
Gandhiji's charkha and a film and recording archive. A minimum entry
fee is required to get into the Mani Bhawan.
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PRINCE OF WALES MUSEUM - Mumbai
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The Prince of Wales museum is another major attraction of Mumbai.
Built in the year 1914, it is surrounded by a beautiful landscape
forming an ideal getaway for the people of Mumbai. The museum houses
art, sculpture, rare coins, and old firearms and a priceless
collection of miniature paintings. The Prince of Wales museum is
regarded as one of the best museums in the country.
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MARINE DRIVE - Mumbai
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A stroll down the Marine Drive is the best way to discover Mumbai.
This winding stretch of road with tall buildings on one side and sea
on the other extends from Nariman Point to Malabar Hills. Due to its
curved shape and many street lights, it was once called the Queen's
Necklace. A popular sea front, Marine Drive is also the main
thoroughfare linking Malabar Hills to the southernmost points of
Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Nariman Point, and Fort.
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JUHU - Mumbai
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Nicknamed as the uptown bourgeois paradise, Juhu Beach is a place
that attracts a large number of visitors throughout the year.
Characterised by walkers, screaming children and courting couples,
the beach covers an area of about 5 kilometres. Juhu beach is
attractively studded with many five star hotels offering the
customers a splendid view of the coast. The beach remains noticeably
crowded on weekends. Moreover, the beach activities like camel
rides, pony rides, acrobats, performing monkeys and entertainers
will keep you enthralled all the time. Keep away from hawkers.
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HANGING GARDENS - Mumbai
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The Hanging Gardens makes another must see site in Mumbai. The
park was built during the early 1880s over Mumbai's main reservoir
at the top of the Malabar Hills. The reason of its location being to
cover the water from the potentially contaminating activity of the
nearby Towers of Silence. Located just opposite the Kamala Nehru
Park, this terraced garden, also known as Ferozeshah Mehta Garden,
is famous among the locals as well as tourists. The garden provides
lovely sunset views over the Arabian Sea.
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KAMLA NEHRU PARK - Mumbai
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Kamla Nehru park, located at the top of Malabar Hills is another
site to visit in Mumbai. Overlooking the Marine Drive, the park
houses "Old Woman's Shoe", wonderfully cut hazes and roomy
walkaways. Moreover, the park also provides you a spectacular view
of the city and the sunset. The Kamla Nehru park also makes a
favourite gateway for the locals here.
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CHOWPATTY - Mumbai
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Another sandy gateway of Mumbai is the Chowpatty beach in the
suburbs of the city. Chowpatty is perhaps the most famous beach of
Mumbai, characterised by the usual hustle and bustle of stallwalahs,
people snoozing under the shade of its stunted trees, screaming
kids, Ferris wheels, pony rides, wayside astrologers, monkey shows,
and even the odd self-styled gymnast demonstrating their skill for a
fee. Moreover, the bhelpuri shops and sometimes the film shoot or a
street play also adds to the festive atmosphere of the beach. A
beach of action, Chowpatty makes a must visit in Mumbai.
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AAREY MILK COLONY - Mumbai
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One of the most modern milk colonies in the world is Aarey Milk
colony of Mumbai. Located at a distance of 32 kilometres from main
Mumbai city, it falls on the main Ghodbunder Road. Aarey makes a
must visit in Mumbai not only for its sophisticated dairy and the
many well fed cows but also for its surrounding natural beauty. A
visit to the observation pavilion here on a hill near the colony\'s
entrance also gives you an enchanting view of the surrounding areas.
But the main feature of the colony is the 4000 acres of parkland
with fine gardens. You can also try the fresh milk and snacks in the
colony\'s canteen here.
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TOWER OF SILENCE - Mumbai
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A peculiar site to visit in Mumbai is the Tower of Silence.
Mumbai has a large number of Parsi population. The Parsis have the
custom of leaving their dead in the open. These particular places
are called "Towers of Silence", where the vultures come to
eat the dead. For the Parsis, this is regarded as the final act of
charity. Mumbai's Towers of Silence, have virtually disappeared
today. Only a handful remain that attract a considerable number of
tourists every year.
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JAIN TEMPLE - Mumbai
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Jain temple of Mumbai also makes the interesting place to visit
in the city. Located on the Malabar Hill, the Jain temple houses
frescoes depicting various events in the lives of the 24 Jain
Tirthankaras. It also has a black marble shrine decorated with
celestial personifications of the planets painted onto the ceiling.
A large number of devotees as well as tourists come here every day.
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Excursions
: Places nearby city - Mumbai
And if you get tired of visiting sites in Mumbai and want to get away
from the city to spend some time in tranquility, move out to visit the
many cool and calm destinations around the city. This would include the
thrilling caves of Elephanta, the Karla caves, the unique Kanheri caves
and the best known hill stations of Mumbai, Matheran and Lonavla.
All these places make the favourite destination not only for the tourists
who visit Mumbai but also for the local people who come here on holidays
and vacations.
Elephanta Caves
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Located nine kilometres by sea from the Gateway of India, are the
Elephanta Caves, a place you must include in your excursion
itinerary. The Elephanta Caves are characterised by rock temples
carved out of two hills that emerge from the centre of the island.
It is said that the Portuguese named this island after the stone
elephant they found here. At Elephanta you can see the cave shrine
to Lord Shiva, which belongs to the sixth century, and a massive
three-headed sculpture representing Brahma the creator, Vishnu the
preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. You can also find the other
interesting sculptures here include those that depict the marriage
of Shiva and Parvati.
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Kanheri Caves
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A small trip of about four miles will take you to the famous
Kanheri Caves a must visit excursion spot of Mumbai. The caves are
believed to have been carved out by Buddhist monks between the 2nd
and 9th centuries and have many interesting facts related to them.
Situated in the centre of Mumbai's Borivili National Park, the
Kanheri caves are also regarded as one of the biggest Buddhist
monastic establishment on the Konkan coast. An unusual feature at
Kanheri is the number of open benches cut out of rocks. Almost all
the caves have benches in their verandahs or front courts. Sit down
on one of these. And with the evening breeze that comes from the sea
refreshing you, you realise their purpose at once.
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Karla Caves
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Rock-cut structures are one of the most primitive forms of
architecture found in several parts of India. The Karla Caves in
Maharashtra are one of the finest examples of this architectural
style. The Caves are located high in the surrounding hills. A narrow
winding path, leads up to them. Built by Buddhist monks, the caves
are in keeping with the Buddhist ideas of simplicity. The caves are
characterised by many halls and a huge stone stupa along with the
2000-year-old teak wood ceiling which is still intact. Outside the
cave is a pillar crowned with lions. This was an emblem of the
Buddhist King Ashoka, now adopted by the Indian Government as the
state emblem.
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Lonavla
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Located at a distance of 120 kilometres from Mumbai, Lonavla is a
favourite hilly destination around Mumbai. Ideal for a day or
weekend trip, Lonavla is beautiful and cool hill station decorated
with gurgling streams and quiet glided walks. The waterfalls of
Tungarly or trek up to the Duke's Nose (a gigantic hillock )will
also give you the complete feeling of being close to mother nature.
A must visit to be included in your excursion itinerary.
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Matheran
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Matheran is one of the nearest hill stations of Mumbai. Calm and
undisturbed, Matheran makes a favourite getaway for the city
dwellers who want to take a break from the city hustle and bustle.
Discovered in 1850, Matheran provides very nice view of the nearby
places from the Hart point. A human buggy is the main mode of
transport in Matheran. Interestingly one thing that dominates the
market is chikki, a confection made of gram flour, jaggery and
cashew nut. You can also buy this universally popular sweetmeat in
large quantity to carry back home. Matheran has retained the
tranquility and peace of a hill station by not allowing any kind of
motor vehicle into the town.
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