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Mumbai (Bombay) Pop: 12.5 million Area Code: 022 Mumbai is India’s largest city and the capital of the state of Maharashtra. “Mumba” or “Mumbai” is a name for Parvati, the wife of Lord Siva. The name Bombay is a Portuguese corruption of Mumbai. Mumbai
is the most important business center in India, owning a high percentage
of India’s wealth. Over one-third of the income tax paid in
India comes from Mumbai, and half the foreign trade is carried out
from here. Land prices here compare to Tokyo or New York. Mumbai is
the Hollywood of India. More films are produced here than almost anywhere
else in the world. Mumbai is one of my favorite cities in India. It is a fast-paced, fairly hip, safe city, where people usually treat you good. There are not many con-men on the streets, and even the taxi drivers tend to use their meters without being asked. Many people will find the accommodations high-priced and may feel Mumbai too hectic and will want to leave as soon as they get here. The
best time to visit Mumbai is from December to the middle of February,
during which time the weather is perfect. The rains during the rainy
season are heavier than in most places in India. When the British took over, Bombay was a small town. The British government leased the islands to the East India Company for £10 in 1668. Gerald Aungier, Bombay’s East India Company governor, began construction in 1672, and the area became the capital of the Bombay Presidency in 1687. The British then built it up into an important port city. Merchants from around India were attracted to Bombay because the British were granting land and promising religious freedom. The Parsis built their first fire temple here in 1675. The fort in Mumbai was built in the 1720s. Over the next 100 years, the seven original islands were joined together by land reclamation. In 1881, the British defeated the Marathas, connecting Mumbai with the rest of India. The first railway in Asia was built in 1853 and connected Mumbai with the town of Thana. The walls of the fort were dismantled in 1864. Many cotton mills were built here, and when there was a shortage of cotton in Britain during the American Civil War, Mumbai became the main supplier. The Indian National Congress held its first meeting here in 1885. In 1942 in Mumbai, they expressed their demand for independence. After
Independence Mumbai became the capital of the Bombay Presidency, which
included Maharashtra and much of the present-day Gujarat. In 1960
the Bombay Presidency was divided into two states, Maharashtra and
Gujarat. The area called the Fort is just north of Colaba. This is the site upon which the original British fort was located and where many of the interesting, old British buildings are situated. Also located here are Victoria Terminus (VT) Station, banks, the GPO, and other business-oriented offices. To the west of this area is the Maidan, a grassy park. Churchgate Station, one of Mumbai’s main train stations, is further west. The southwestern part of the island is called Nariman Point. Running north along the bay from Nariman Point past Chowpatty Beach is Marine Drive, which runs into the high-class residential area, Malabar Hill. Located north of South Mumbai are a group of crowded bazaars. The streets in this area tend to be narrow and crowded. Located north of this area are Mumbai’s residential suburbs and the International and Domestic airports. Juhu Beach is in the North Mumbai, 20km from downtown. It takes forty minutes by train to go from downtown to Juhu. Some
time ago, the city changed many of the street names. Some name changes
were not popularly accepted, so people may know them by their old
names and not by the new ones. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Office (MTDCO) (202-6713; fax 285-2182), CDO Hutments, Madame Cama Rd, conducts tours of Mumbai and operates long-distance bus services to places such as Aurangabad. They also operate a hotel chain all over Maharashtra, and you can make bookings at this office. They have counters at the Gateway of India, VT Railway Station, and the international and domestic airports. Island is a monthly magazine listing events in Mumbai. State
Tourist Offices The MTDC Suburban Tour goes to Juhu Beach, the Kanheri Caves, the National Park, and the Lion Safari Park from 9.15 am to 6 pm for Rs 150. Guides
speaking several languages can be hired at the Government of India
Tourist Office. MTDC
runs a one-day overnight tour to Nasik for Rs 350. They also have
a luxury bus departing 6.30 am to Nasik (6 hr) for Rs 92. Equally
efficient is Thomas Cook (204-8556) on Dr D Naoroji Rd, between Flora
Fountain and the Khadi Bhavan (Mon to Sat 9.30 am to 6 pm). At Sahar airport you can change money at the State Bank of India’s 24-hour counter, where the rates are standard. You can also change money quickly at the Air India Building at Nariman Point (open all night). Be
careful of changing money on the streets. Mumbai is known for cheaters
in this regard. A man will tell you that you have to go somewhere
private to change the money, and when you agree and accompany the
man to a private place, two other men appear. You may be handed a
wad of bills stapled together, and just when you hand over the foreign
money, you are told suddenly that the police are coming. Everyone
disappears. When you count your money, you will often find the wad
of bills you were handed contains only a few real bills on the top
and the bottom of the pile, and that the rest is paper. Space Travels, Nanabhoy Mansion, Sir P. Mehta Rd, is a good discount travel agency. Good
travel agencies are Mercury Travel (202-3663), 70 VB Gandhi Marg and
the Oberoi Hotel; Sita World Travel (223-3155), 8 Atlanta Building,
Nariman Point; American Express (204-6349), Majithia Chamber, D Naoroji
Rd; Thomas Cook (204-6349), Cooks Building, D Naoroji Rd. There is a reliable poste restante service open Mon to Sat 9 am to 6 pm. They usually throw away unclaimed letters after four weeks. You have to show your passport to get your mail. Videsh Sanchar Bhavan, the government telecom building on MG Marg, has low prices for phone calls and faxes. You can also make collect calls from there and receive incoming calls for Rs 5. Courier services: DHL Couriers Services (850-5050); Airfreight House, Lok Bharati Complex, Marol Maroshi Rd, Anderi; Skypak Worldwide Couriers (850-8181), Skypak House, Marol, Andheri; and Overnite Express (372-9915), 57/59 Poona St. Internet: Asiatic Shopping Center (283-4526), Veer Nariman Rd, opposite Churchgate Station (Rs 100 per hour). Internet Cyber Cafe (267-1331; fax 267-1756; email mahendra@indiayellowpages.com), 74 Nagindas Master Rd, Fort, near the Hong Kong Bank (Rs 100 per hour). Net
Express Cybercafe (284-6278), Express Towers, Nariman Point, near
the Air India Building, has internet facilities for Rs 150 per hour. Bookshops Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulapati, KM Munshi Marg by Chowpatty Beach, has a good selection of spiritual books. Cultural
Center and Libraries American Center Library (262-4590), 4 New Marine Lines, Churchgate, has a Rs 10 fee for nonmembers (Mon and Tues, and Thurs to Sat 10 am to 5 pm). Alliance Française (201-6202), Theosophy Hall, 40 New Marine Line, Churchgate, has French newspapers, books, and films. Max
Mueller Bhavan (202-7542), Prince of Wales Annex, next to the Prince
of Wales Museum, has German newspapers and books (Mon 3 to 6 pm and
Tues to Sat 11 am to 5 pm). P D Hinduja National Hospital (444-0428), Mahim, is one of the most modern and best hospitals in all of India. Crawford
Market The house where Rudyard Kipling was born in 1865 is now the JJ School of Art. It is located south of the market on Dr D Naoroji Rd. Shopping Kranti
Marg at Kemp’s corner. Central
Cottage Industries Emporium in Colaba has a good selection of handicrafts
and gift items. Photography Swimming The Taj Mahal Hotel overlooks Apollo Bunder and the sea. JN Tata built it in 1903. JN Tata, a Parsi, is said to have been refused a room in one of the European hotels because he was Indian. It is said that he built this hotel to outdo the one in which he was refused a room. The
Church of St John the Evangelist (also known as the
Afghan Church), near the south end of Colaba Causeway, was built in
1847. It is dedicated to the soldiers who died in the war in Sind
and the First Afghan War of 1843. It has stained glass windows and
plaques dedicated to the soldiers. Prince
of Wales Museum The museum contains some interesting paintings, excellent sculptures, and historical exhibits from Elephanta Island. There are stone tools from Harappa and Mohenjo Daro dating from 2500-1700 BC, a good collection of 16th-18th century metal deities, and an excellent collection of miniatures from Mughal, Rajasthani, and the South Indian schools. In
the excellent weapon collection are the swords of the emperors Shah
Jahan and Aurangzeb and the shield and armor of Akbar. Open daily
except Mon 10 am to 6 pm. Admission: Rs 150; camera Rs 20. Bags must
be left at the cloakroom near the entrance. The National Gallery contains impressive exhibits of modern Indian art. Open daily 10 am to 5 pm. Located in the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall. High
Court & Mumbai University The
High Court is an impressive building built by Colonel
JA Fuller in the early English style. There are statues of Justice
and Mercy on top of the building. St
Thomas’ Cathedral, Tamarind St, was started in 1672
and finished in 1718. Inside the church are old British memorials
(daily 7 am to 6 pm). Marine
Drive & Chowpatty Beach Chowpatty Beach is an interesting place in the evening with its food vendors, horse rides, and fairground atmosphere. It is not a place to swim or sun bathe. The
Taraporewala Aquarium is near Chowpatty Beach on
Marine Drive (daily except Mon 10 am to 7 pm). The Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens (Hanging Gardens) were set out in 1880 and redone in 1921. The best time to visit is in the early evening as the sun is setting and you can have a pleasant walk. It is on top of Malabar Hill. From the nearby Kamala Nehru Park, there are good views of the city. The seven large Parsi Towers of Silence are next to the gardens, but they are off limits to visitors. The Parsis believe that a dead body should not be placed into the earth or cremated. When someone dies, their body is placed on the Towers of Silence and vultures strip the flesh from the body. The sun and wind then purify the bones. The actual towers are screened from view by trees and can not be seen by anyone. The Walkeshwara (Sand Lord) Temple is at the end of the peninsula. Lord Rama, on his way to rescue Sita from Ravana, is said to have stopped here. It is said that every night Laksman would provide his brother with a Siva-linga from Varanasi to worship. On this night, he did not arrive on time, so Rama made a linga from sand (waluk). The current temple was built in 1715, but there has been a temple at this site for thousands of years. At one time the temple was busy, but now it is almost deserted. There is the large, sacred Banganga bathing tank next to the temple, that is said to have been created by an arrow from Rama’s bow shot into the ground. This temple is by the Raj Bhavan. Raj
Bhavan is the home of the Maharashtra Governor and was once
the main seat of the British government. Open
daily 9.30 am to 6 pm. Located at 19 Laburnum Rd, near Gamdevi Police
Station. Mahalakshmi
Mandir It is said that Lakshmi appeared in a dream to the contractor and told him that unless he built a temple and installed the Deity of her that would appear from the sea, the breach-wall would not hold. The next day, workmen found a Lakshmi Deity and she was installed in this temple. On
weekends the line to see the Deity can be quite long. Nehru
Centre The Nehru Planetarium (492-0510), Dr AB Rd, near the Shrine of Haji Ali, has English shows (1 hr) at 3 and 6 pm. Open daily except Mon 11 am to 1.45 pm and 2.30 to 6 pm. The
park you pass on the way to the museum has animal rides and train
cars. Near the museum are the Mumbai Zoo (372-5799) (Rs 5) and the pleasant Botanical Gardens. Open daily except Wed 9 am to 5.30 pm. Elephanta
Caves (Gharapuri) The main Siva temple is carved out of the western hill, about 75m (250 ft) above sea level. The main altar, which contains a Siva-linga has entrances on all four sides and dwarapalas (door guards) on each side of the doors. There are detailed carved wall panels depicting Siva’s pastimes. One panel depicts the marriage of Siva and Parvati. The panels on the south side of the cave are the most impressive. The famous three-headed Trimurti statue is carved out of a single rock. This statue is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Indian sculpture. It is 6m (20 ft) tall; each head is 2m (6 ft) high. To one side, a panel depicts Siva’s receipt of the Ganges River on his head. In another, Siva is depicted as Ardhanari, a simultaneous male and female form. There is also a panel depicting Ravana trying to rip up Mount Kailash, and another of Siva killing the demon Andhaka. Boats leave every thirty minutes from the Gateway of India from 9 am to 2.30 pm (Rs 35). You purchase a ticket from the booth on the boat landing or just before boarding. Luxury boats cost double the price of regular boats. Both arrive at the same time, but the luxury boat provides a free guide on the island and the boat may not be as crowded. The boat trip takes about an hour. You can take any boat back if you have a luxury boat ticket. A catamaran (287-5473) departs daily at 10 am and returns at 2 pm from India Gate (45 min, Rs 125). There are official guides at the top of the hill who speak good English and know the area well. As soon as you come off the boat, freelance guides will probably approach you. Ignore them, as the official guides are both better and cost less. You can get refreshments at the MTDC Chalukya Restaurant. Visitors must climb a steep set of stairs to reach the caves. It is also possible to hire a palanquin and to be carried up (Rs 10). It takes about an hour to see everything at the top of the hill. It is best to come here on a weekday, as weekends are quite crowded. The
entry fee for Elephanta Caves is Rs 460 (US$10). On the right altar are Sita-Rama, Their servant Hanuman, and Rama’s brother Laksman. On the left are Prabhu Nityananda and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. At their feet sit Srila Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. In alcoves on either side of the courtyard, fifteen colorful dioramas depict scenes from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and Ramayana. There is an excellent vegetarian restaurant and a maha-prasada booth. To get here from downtown, you can take either an express train from Churchgate Station to Andheri Station, or a local train to Vile Parle Station, which is closer to the downtown but is served only by local trains. Then take an auto-rickshaw the rest of the way (about Rs 20 from Andheri or Vile Parle). Most of the rickshaw drivers know the temple as the “Hare Krishna Mandir, ISKCON.” Entertainment The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) (283-3737), at the end of Nariman Point, has regular, high-quality dance, music, and drama performances. The box office is open 9 am to 1.30 pm and 4.30 to 6.30 pm. Regal Cinema in Colaba shows movies in English. If you know of information that is not listed here, or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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