Mumbai - the Financial Capital of India

Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital city of Maharshtra. The city situated on Salsette Island, along the west coast of Maharashtra, has a deep natural harbour.

Mumbai is the business, industrial, financial and celluloid hub of India. Also referred as the financial capital of India, the city houses many important financial institutions like the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), the BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) and the NSE (National Stock Exchange). Mumbai is also home to Hindi film industry called as Bollywood. The city of dreams Mumbai, often referred as the city that never sleeps.

Besides the financial capital, Mumbai offer several places of tourist interest. Mumbai is ideal base to explore the neighbouring hill stations and ancient caves.

People of Mumbai

Gateway of IndiaA resident of Mumbai is called as Mumbaikar. The people lead a fast-paced life and get a very little time for social activities. The cosmopolitan city is home to liberal minded people who celebrate Indian as well as Western festivals with great harmony.

Food of Mumbai

The people mostly like road side fast foods such as Vada pavs, Paani puri (split wheat bread with fried dumplings as filling), Pav bhaji (split wheat bread with fried vegetables) and Bhelpuri (puffed rice mixture). In addition the people also like the South Indian and Chinese cuisine.

What attract tourists

The city has several places of tourist, in addition tourist can visit the nearby tourist destinations from Mumbai, Some of the famous attractions in Mumbai are

Gateway of India One of the famous landmark of Mumbai, the Gateway was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. The monument has important historical importance, as the last British troops that left India by sea, marched through it. The Gateway consists of a central hall with great archways, and side halls which can accommodate around 600 people.

The Prince of Wales Museum Built in the year 1914, this is one of the best museum in the country. The museum has the large collection of art, sculpture, rare coins, old firearms and a priceless miniature paintings.

Marine Drive

The famous road located along the seaside, runs from Nariman Point to Malabar Hills. With high buildings on one side and beautiful sea on the other, it was once called as Queen's necklace.

Malabar Hill Juhu beach MumbaiMalabar Hill is the posh colony of the city. It is famous for its colonial buildings and tall apartments. Malabar Hill has the Chief Minister's residences and state guest house. The cool winds and spectacular view of the surroundings is a major attraction.

Juhu Beach The world famous beach stretching over 5 Kms, offers the spectacular view of the sea. The beach is famous for camel and pony rides, acrobats and performing monkeys. The vendors sell the Bhelpuri and other eating items on the beach.

Hanging Gardens Hanging gardens was built in the early 1880, atop the Malabar Hills. The garden provide splendour view of the setting sun over the Arabian Sea.

Kamla Nehru Park Situated at the top of Malabar Hills, this park is close to the Marine Drive. The attractions of the park include 'Old Woman's Shoe', well maintained hazes and spacious walkaways. The park offer the spectacular view of the surroundings and the sunset.

Jain Temple The temple located on the Malabar Hills, is visited by a large number of devotees as well as tourists. The frescoes of the temple depict many events of 24 Jain Tirthankaras. The temple has a nicely decorated black marble shrine.

Siddhivinayak Temple Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the temple lies in the Prabha Devi area. The temple houses a black stone idol of Ganesh. Hundreds of devotees visit the temple everyday.

Excursions

Elephanta Caves The Elephanta cave temple on an island 6 miles off Mumbai The caves are UNESCO World Heritage Site. An interesting boat ride of about an hour from the Gateway of India, takes one to the forested island of Elephanta. The caves has rock carvings dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Essel World Located near Mumbai this is the perfect place for vacations. The first and foremost amusement park is situated on Gorai Islands. Essel World spreads over 64 acres of green lands, offer exciting rides, games and tourist attractions. The Water kingdom of Essel World is considered to bes the largest of its king in Asia.

Matheran Matheran is a small hill station located near Mumbai. The hill resort is the ideal place for the weekend far away from the busy city life. Matheran is only hill station of the country where motor vehicles are not allowed to maintain its fresh environment and beauty.

How to Reach Mumbai

Mumbai is well connected by Air, Rail and Road to rest of the country.

Air : Santacruz and Sahar are the main airports of Mumbai. The flights are available for domestic and international destinations. The Domestic airlines operate flights to and from Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad etc.

Rail : Mumbai is the headquarters of central and western railway zones. The main railway station in Mumbai Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Dadar, Churchgate and Kurla. The trains are available from these station to major cities of the country.

Road : Highways and good roads connect Mumbai with major cities of the country. The BEST (Bombay Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking) and private operators operates buses within the city as well as outside the city. The distance of some important tourist places from Mumbai are Elephanta Caves (9 Kms), Kanheri Caves (142 Kms), Lonawala (101 Kms), Nasik (185 Kms), Pune (163 Kms) and Surat (313 Kms) etc.

Where to Stay in Mumbai

The city is dotted with several hotels, which offer a pleasant stay to guests. There a many hotels range from Deluxe, Star to economic hotel according to the requirements of the tourists.

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