Magical Mumbai

From struggling actors, laborers, Bollywood stars to gangsters, Mumbai has a lot. A lot that can be written about and talked about! Mumbai is also home to one of the biggest slum areas as well as home to the richest and thus it is only fair to describe Mumbai as a city for all. The majority of spoken language is definitely Hindi, but this city has welcomed people from all faiths and religions warmly. If you want to know and experience diversity, visit Mumbai. This city also has its very own language that is Bambaiiya Hindi. Known to be a city filled with warm and friendly people, we believe that anything written about Mumbai is never enough.
If you are planning to visit Mumbai, trust us when we say it may look intimidating initially, but it is not. In fact, it is one of the friendliest cities in India. The extreme energy and the fast-paced life of the people here cannot be easily matched. The heart of Mumbai has some of the best and beautiful colonial architecture and if you venture out to the lesser-known lanes, you will also come across several distinct bazaars, temples, fancy restaurants, and a nightlife that is one of its kinds. Before Mumbai became the city that it is now, it was a collection of seven islands that was eventually formed to form Bombay. It was given to the British as dowry to Charles II who married Catherine of Braganza.

The island city that Mumbai is today is owing to these reclamations and these islands were home to several fishing colonies. The British made Mumbai an important port since it was already had a natural harbor but it rose to its richness during the American Civil War when cotton supplies were completely stopped from America to Britain. India made the most of this situation and it is said that traders earned approximately 80 million pounds which is a lot of money. This made way for Bombay’s very own merchant traders who were rich.

Here are some places to visit in Mumbai:

Ajanta Caves

A group of 29 caves constitutes the Ajanta group of Caves. This group of caves is famous for its collection of ancient unique Buddhist architecture, paintings, sculptures, ancient engineering skills, and much more. The caves provide much information about different Buddhas who gave away Earthly possessions to reach nirvana.

Although an important pilgrimage destination for Buddhists, this attraction receives an equal number of pilgrims and tourists, every year.

Apart from Buddhist cultural elements, you can also find a few Hinduism and Jainism religious elements in these caves. This group of caves was recognized as a heritage site in 1983 by UNESCO.

Gateway of India

Gateway of India situated in Mumbai is one of the most famous structures in India. This place is also the entrance point of India if you are coming from the seaways. British architect George Wittet designed this building structure. This historical building was built during the British ruling time in India.

Facts say that the Governor of Bombay on March 31st, 1913 laid down the foundation stone of this marvelous structure. The height of this building is 26 meters. It is a combination of Hindu and Muslim religious symbols and expresses the unity of India.

You can find the influence of Gujarati style in its architect. The main reason for making this building was to please King George V and Queen Mary. The British government wanted to make their visit memorable.

Considering this landmark as the entry gate has a very interesting story. From the Gateway of India, the last British headed to England after the end of their rule. Its location, architect, and the people of Mumbai make it must visit place in modern India.

Elephanta Caves

Elephanta Caves are a group of historic caves located on the Elephanta Island of Mumbai. This island is famous for its collection of ancient Hindu temples, sculptures, carvings, and much more. Elephanta Island is called Gharapuri, which means the City of Caves. This island is located around 10 km away from Mainland India. These caves belonging to the second century BC are an iconic attraction of Mumbai.

Apart from being an architectural marvel and sculpture sightseeing spot, this is the place where you can find synchronization of Hinduism and Buddhism. It is a cultural destination for those who love to relish the history of the country.

Marine Drive

The Marine Drive is a long boulevard located in the southern part of Mumbai. This road was built by philanthropists Pallonji Mistry and Bhagojisheth Keer. This road is a C-shaped concrete road with six lanes running along the coast. This road connects Nariman Point with Malabar Hill, along Babulnath. The Marine Drive is also called Queen’s Necklace. The view of this road and the street lights during the night would resemble a giant necklace with a string of pearls.

This road is officially named Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Road but, most of the locals even do not recognize it with this name. This was not a major tourist attraction built in Mumbai. It was in fact, a failed project of the 19th century.

 

The Backbay reclamation project of Mumbai started in the 19th century and was first tried out in the 1920s. Under this project, 1500 acres of land was planned to be reclaimed but, the government was able to only reclaim 440 acres of land. Even in that, 235 acres of land were allocated for military purposes.

Juhu Beach

Mumbai’s beach- Juhu beach is among the most famous beaches in Mumbai. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, this beach is quite glamorous compared to its counterparts. Whenever you visit you will find some of the best celebrities jogging here. It is among the most visited beaches when compared to all other beaches in India.

Another quite different thing you will find here is its snacks items. Its street food has unmatched taste and quality. After tasting the food from the stalls here you will simply fall in love with this place.

Juhu Beach has a lot to offer. Be it the gorgeousness of the beach or the umbilicus delicacies being sold here, there is so much flavor to all of this. While most can easily find many things that would be of interest, some might get confused.

While there are so many things you can do here but if you are traveling from abroad to this Beach, you might feel overwhelmed to see the culture and feel the shortage of time to explore this place.

Bandra-Warli Sea Link

The Bandra–Worli Sea Link (officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link) is a 5.6 km long, 8-lane wide bridge that links Bandra in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai with Worli in the South Mumbai. It is a cable-stayed bridge with pre-stressed concrete-steel viaducts on either side. It was planned as a part of the proposed Western Freeway that would link the Western Suburbs to Nariman Point in Mumbai’s main business district but is now planned to become part of the Coastal Road to Kandivali.

The sea link reduces travel time between Bandra and Worli during peak hours from 20 to 30 minutes to 10 minutes. As of October 2009, BWSL had average daily traffic of around 37,500 vehicles.