MUMBAI

Mumbai (Marathi:Mumba), formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial capital of India. With an estimated population of thirteen million, it is the second most populous city in the world. Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms, at nineteen million, the world's fifth most populous metropolitan area. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. Mumbai's port handles over half of India's maritime cargo.

Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5% of India's GDP and accounting for 25% of industrial output, 40% of maritime trade, and 70% of capital transactions to India's economy.Mumbai is one of the world's top ten centres of commerce by global financial flow,home to important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies and numerous multinational corporations. The city also houses India's hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood. Mumbai's business opportunities, as well as its high standard of living, attract migrants from all over India and, in turn, make the city a potpourri of many communities and cultures.

Culture and attitudes

Mumbai is the most cosmopolitan city in India. In comparison with the rest of the country, the city is quite liberal. With a regular influx of immigrants from rest of India, the citizens, popularly known as 'Mumbaikers', have shown remarkable tolerance towards other cultures, making it a true cultural melting pot. However in recent times, this tolerance has sometimes bowed under external pressures. Between the 60s and 80s, there was resentment about the non-Marathi speakers taking away jobs. The 1991 and 1993 riots between Hindus and Muslims did attempt to affect this spirit, however the city managed to recover from these, once again proudly highlighting true 'spirit of Mumbai'.

                     City Beautiful-Mumbai

Mumbai is India's melting pot — a confluence of people from various parts of India, but dominant are people from the west, then north, and followed by the south. Marathi is the state and city official language used by State Government agencies, municipal authorities, and the local police, and also the first langauge of most locals.

Nehru Center

However, being India's largest city and main commercial centre, Mumbai is now also home to migrants from other parts of India who do not speak Marathi. A local variant of Hindi, with strong Bollywood influence, called Bambaiya Hindi serves as the "lingua franca" and although almost everyone can understand normal Hindi, you may get an interesting reply from some. Most educated locals will be trilingual in Marathi, Hindi and English.
English is widely used in the corporate world and in banking and trading. At most places, you will be able to get by with Hindi and English, as most people you will encounter can communicate in broken English at the very least. However expect to hear more regional languages including Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Sindhi based on work & location.
According to 2011 census Mumbai has a literacy rate of 94.7%, higher than the national average of 86.7%. Locals in Mumbai can manage to speak in broken english and those working in corporates and belonging to middle, upper middle and high class can speak fluent english.

National Geographic - Megacities : Mumbai Part 1

                                   

National Geographic - Megacities : Mumbai Part 2

                                    

National Geographic - Megacities : Mumbai Part 3

                                    

National Geographic - Megacities : Mumbai Part 4

Mumbai- The Bollywood city 

Film City was built by the Maharastra state government in 1978 to help the Bollywood film industry and provide facilities for it to flourish. The sprawling complex covers nearly 350 acres and comes fully equipped with almost 20 indoor studios, as well as outdoor settings for filming. Film City is located in the western Mumbai suburb of Goregaon -- in the vicinity of the secluded and lush Aarey Colony on the outskirts of Sanjay Ghandi National Park.

The Film City

Sweat, struggle and success.…these three words aptly describe Mumbai, the city of dreams. From glistening skyline to growing slums, from flamboyant malls to fashion street, Mumbai – The Bollywood City has everything that makes it real and lively. The term “Bollywood” has been derived from Bombay, former name for Mumbai and Hollywood, a centre for American films.

Mumbai built on archipelago of seven islands is home to many tourist attractions that allure every person. From historical monuments to happening hot spots, from noisy lanes to silent shores, the city has everything for everyone.

                        Amitabh Bachchan



A.R. Rahman It is correctly the biggest film industry in the world, clearly superseding Hollywood in sheer volume – it churns out 800 films a year.

Movies are true reflections of Mumbai’s society and vice-versa. In fact, 90% of the movies made in India revolve around life in the city of Mumbai. In fact, great movie people of Mumbai like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai (also ex Miss World) are rages all over the 
globe.

Gateway of India

                        Gateway of India

The Gateway of India is synonymous with Mumbai. It is the most famous monument of Mumbai and is the starting point for most tourists who want to explore the city. Gateway of India is a great historical monument built during the British rule in the country. It was built as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai (then, Bombay). Gateway of India was built at Apollo Bunder, a popular meeting place. It was designed by the British architect, George Wittet.

World's Greatest Attraction

The foundation stone of the Gateway of India was laid down by the then Governor of Bombay (Mumbai) on March 31st 1913. The archway is 26 meters high and joined with four turrets and intricate latticework carved on stones. The arch alone was built at the cost of 21 lakhs. It is built in Indo-Sarcenic style, though some influence of Gujarati style is also evident in its architecture. The structure itself is quite majestic and a hybrid of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

In the past Gateway of India used to be the arrival point for visitors from the west. Ironically, when the Raj ended in 1947, this colonial symbol also became a sort of epitaph: the last of the British ships that set sail for England left from the Gateway. Today this symbol of colonialism has got Indianised, drawing droves of local tourists and citizens. This landmark of Mumbai is a must visit of the city.

The Gateway faces the vast Arabian Sea, flanked by Mumbai's another attraction, Marine Drive, a road running parallel to the sea. The majestic monument is a must-visit at night, in its pristine glory against the backdrop of the sea. It is visited by millions of people across the world every year and is a very significant figure in the lives of the people of Mumbai, as the Gateway defines the grandeur of the city that is a culmination of both, historic and modern cultural environment.

Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus

Formerly known as Victoria Terminus, designed in Victoria Gothic style architecture is listed amongst the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (UNESCO/NHK)

Marine Drive

Bordering the Arabian Sea, this famous road is a popular spot for watching sunsets, and is gorgeous when lit up at night.

For cool breeze and unending view of the sea, Marine Drive is the place to be. It gets enlightened by the street lights and is well-known as the Queen’s Necklace.

Mumbai Bridge

Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link

Mahalakshmi temple

This temple located on Bhulabhai Desai Road is a very famous temple of Goddess Mahalakshmi. The idols of Goddesses Mahakali and Mahasaraswati are also enshrined at this temple.

Built around 1785, the history of this temple is supposedly connected with the building of the Hornby Vellard. Apparently after portions of the sea wall of the Vellard collapsed twice, the chief engineer, a Pathare Prabhu, dreamt of a devi statue in the sea near Worli. A search recovered it, and he built a temple for it. After this, the work on the vellard could be completed without a hitch.

During Navaratri celebrations, devotees from distant places throng to the temple, which is decorated for this occasion, to pay obeisance. They have to stand for hours in long queues holding coconuts, flowers and sweets which they offer to the goddess.


Siddhivinayak Temple

Being one of the senior-most temples in the city, it has Sri Ganesha as the central deity of the shrine. Festivals are celebrated with a lot of pomp here. 

Multi-million-person street party: Ganesh Chathurti


Ganesh Chathurti, a 10-day Hindu festival occurring every year somewhere between mid August and mid September, and celebrated all over the country, begins with artists creating sculptures of the Hindu god Ganapati, from miniature hand-held effigies, to larger versions that can only be transported by vehicle.

These sculptures are then delivered to homes and public places all over Mumbai, to be venerated, and then, a few days later, borne along in a human procession, immersed in the nearest body of water.

The sheer scale of these final-day Ganapati immersions has to be seen to be believed.

Imagine a few million people, along with thousands of trucks loaded with statues and blasting music, singing and dancing through the streets, on their way to the nearest beach, river or tank -- in one single night.

Feel free to join in the celebrations to experience the phenomenon first-hand. 

Hitch a ride on a statue-carrying tempo, all the way to Juhu beach. Immerse yourself in the crowds and noise. 

At least everyone gets a free bath at end, if they haven’t managed to drown themselves along with their statues.


Human pyramids: Dahi Handi festival


Speaking of crowded festivals and unbelievable sights, there’s the Krishna Janmashtami or Dahi Handi festival in late August.

Commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Krishna, the highlight of the festival involves groups or Govindas, forming human pyramids with the sole aim of breaking a clay jar filled with curd, suspended high in the air, for prize money amounting to hundreds of thousands of rupees.

In fact, lakhs of young people practice in groups for weeks, in the hope of breaking that pot.

Now while the crowds, music, singing, dancing, noise and free-day-pass on alcoholism are par for the course, the human pyramids are a sight to behold.

The lowest layer comprises as many people as possible, pressed against each other, forming a strong base which supports the layers above.

The other layers are made up of sturdy but light individuals, young men or women who can keep their balance and concentration.

For the people in between, their focus is three-fold; they need to guard against those below them, whose shoulders they stand on, those above them, who use them for support, and those climbing them to form still more layers.

It makes sense to have heavier people at the bottom, and lighter ones at the top. And the lone midget that gets to break the dahi handi is usually a child.

The record number of levels for a Mumbai group is said to be nine stories nigh. Their closest international counterparts are the Catalans, who, also fond of human pyramids, managed to get to 10 layers.


Haji Ali Mosque

Haji Ali Dargah is one of the most popular religious places in Mumbai, visited by people of all religions alike. Haji Ali Dargah is one of India’s most famous and prestigious landmarks situated about 500 yards from the Mumbai shoreline in the middle of the Arabian Sea off Lala Lajpatrai Marg.


The structure was erected on a set of high rising rocks and was given its present day shape in the early 19th century after the Trust was legally formed as an entity in 1916.

Haji Ali Dargah is the complex housing the tomb of the Muslim Saint Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari (R.A.). Along with the tomb, there is also a Masjid at Haji Ali. This monument has been sentinel to the shores of Mumbai since a long time.

The structure has white domes and minarets reminiscent with the Mughal architecture of the period. The Dargah is a renowned pilgrimage site among the Muslims. Non-Muslims are also allowed to visit the Dargah. The white-coloured structure attracts visitors in large numbers. About 10 - 15 thousand people visit the Dargah daily. The number of visitors increases to 20 - 30 thousand, on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Lakhs of devotees visit the Dargah on the second day of Ramadhan Eid and Bakri Eid (Eid-ul-Uzha), and during which the pathway leading to the Dargah Complex looks like a Sea of Humanity.

People from all parts of the world without restrictions of caste, creed and religion visit the Dargah to offer their prayers and for the fulfillment of their wishes by the blessings of the Saint Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari (R.A.). Some pray for wealth, others for health, children, marriages, etc. have their wishes being granted at all the times.

On Thursdays and Fridays, the shrine is visited by at least 40,000 pilgrims. Irrespective of faith and religion, people visit the dargah to get the blessings of the legendary saint. Sometimes, especially on Fridays, people may find various Sufi musicians performing a form of devotional music called Qawwali at the dargah.

Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves (180 56’ 20” N; 720 55’ 50” E), taluka Uran, district Raigad is located on island hills about 11 km north-east of the Apollo Bandar, Mumbai and 7 km from the shore of the mainland, approximately covering an area of 7 km in circumference. The island is named after a colossal elephant found in the island, which is popularly known as ‘Gharapuri’. At present, the statue of elephant is housed at Jijamata Garden in Mumbai. In ancient period, the place is variously identified as Puri which is mentioned in the Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II. It seems, different dynasties held their sway over this island, namely, the Konkan-Mauryas, Trikutakas, Chalukyas of Badami, Silaharas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Yadavas of Deogiri, Muslim rulers of Ahmedabad and then by the Portuguese. The Marathas also had this island under their control and from them it passed into the control of the British.

There are seven cave excavations in the Elephanta group and these are datable from circa 6th – 7th centuries A.D. Among the cave excavations, the Cave 1 is the most impressive which represents the evolved Brahmanical rock-cut architecture. The cave is also famous for the exquisite and vibrant sculptures. On plan it almost resembles the Dumar Lena (Cave 29) of Ellora. The cave has a main entrance on the north with two other openings on the east and west respectively and a central hall with six rows of pillared columns, six in each row except on the western corner, where a shrine of lingam is provided.

7 Wonders of India: Ajanta Ellora Caves

On plan, there are three large square recesses divided off by pilasters each of them bearing a gigantic image of a dvarapala. The panel on the east has a figure of ardhanarisvara, a form of Siva with the combined energies of male and female; and on the west figures of Siva and Parvati playing chausar is carved. The central recess holds the most famous and remarkable sculpture of this period known as the Mahesa-murti. It is a colossal bust of the three forms of Siva, the aghora, turbulent and fearsome; tatpurusha, benign and meditative and vamadeva, mild pleasing and lovable. The other notable panels in the main cave are Andhakasuravada murti; cosmic dance of Nataraja; Kalyanasundara murti; Gangadhara murti; Ravana shaking Kailasa and Siva as Lakulisa. A panel depicting Saptamatrikas near the eastern opening is also remarkable.



Jain Temple


The temple is dedicated to Lord Adishwar (also known as Rushabhdev), the first of 24 Jain "Tirthankaras" (omniscients - also called "Arihants" or "Jinas") of the current era. The temple is presently used by thousands of devotees of the Jain religion for their daily worship. The core belief of Jainism is that "moksha" (freedom from the cycle of birth and death) can be achieved by the three-fold path of right knowledge, right faith and right conduct.

Compared to most Jain temples, it is very large. In addition to the main idol of Lord Adinath, it contains idols of several other Arihants and also many tableaux of scenes from the Jain scriptures. In the outer courtyard there is a small shrine dedicated to Shri Ghantakaran Mahavir, a "deva" (celestial being) whose worship is believed to provide powerful protection from various kinds of harm through the invocation of a special mantra.


Hanging Gardens


This green space in the concrete jungle, also called Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens, offers a splendid panoramic view of Chowpatty Beach and Marine Drive. The view is especially stunning at sunset over the Arabian sea. This terraced garden and the park gain popularity among children, mainly because the numerous hedges carved into shapes of different animals. As a matter of interest, the park was laid out in 1881 over the city’s main water reservoir.

Chowpatty

It is a favorite haunt for many, especially in the evenings; a fine place to take a stroll, grab a snack or even get a massage. The later you visit it in the day, the more festive you will find it. Musicians and other performers very often line the beach after sunset. You’ll never find anybody in bikinis since swimming is neither recommended nor is it a preferred pass time here. 

Dhobi Ghat

Dhobi Ghat (Mahalaxmi 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.



DabbaWalas


A dabbawala (Marathi: डबेवाला); also spelled as dabbawalla or dabbawallah; literally meaning ("box person"), is a person in India, most commonly found in the city of Mumbai, who is employed in a unique service industry whose primary business is collecting freshly cooked food in lunch boxes from the residences of the office workers (mostly in the suburbs), delivering it to their respective workplaces and returning the empty boxes back to the customer's residence by using various modes of transport. "Tiffin" is an old-fashioned English word for a light lunch or afternoon snack, and sometimes, by extension, for the box it is carried in. For this reason, the dabbawalas are sometimes called Tiffin Wallahs.

This service was originated in 1880. In 1890, Mahadeo Havaji Bachche started a lunch delivery service with about 100 men. In 1930, he informally attempted to unionize the dabbawallas. Later a charitable trust was registered in 1956 under the name of Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust. The commercial arm of this trust was registered in 1968 as Mumbai Tiffin Box Supplier's Association. The present President of the association is Sopan Laxman Mare. Nowadays, the service often includes cooking of food in addition to the delivery.

Everyone who works within this system is treated as an equal. The service is uninterrupted even on the days of extreme weather, such as Mumbai's characteristic monsoons.

Regardless of a dabbawala's function, everyone gets paid about two to four thousand rupees per month (around 25-50 British Pounds or 40-80 USD).

About 175,000 or 200,000 lunches get moved every day by an estimated 4,500 to 5,000 dabbawalas. All with an extremely small nominal fee and with utmost punctuality.

According to a recent survey, there is only one mistake in every 6,000,000 deliveries.

Dharavi


All cities in India are loud, but nothing matches the 24/7 decibel level of Mumbai, the former Bombay, where the traffic never stops and the horns always honk. Noise, however, is not a problem in Dharavi, the teeming slum of one million souls, where as many as 18,000 people crowd into a single acre (0.4 hectares). By nightfall, deep inside the maze of lanes too narrow even for the putt-putt of auto rickshaws, the slum is as still as a verdant glade. Once you get accustomed to sharing 300 square feet (28 square meters) of floor with 15 humans and an uncounted number of mice, a strange sense of relaxation sets in—ah, at last a moment to think straight.

Dharavi is routinely called "the largest slum in Asia," a dubious attribution sometimes conflated into "the largest slum in the world." This is not true. Mexico City's Neza-Chalco-Itza barrio has four times as many people. In Asia, Karachi's Orangi Township has surpassed Dharavi. Even in Mumbai, where about half of the city's swelling 12 million population lives in what is euphemistically referred to as "informal" housing, other slum pockets rival Dharavi in size and squalor.

Yet Dharavi remains unique among slums. A neighborhood smack in the heart of Mumbai, it retains the emotional and historical pull of a subcontinental Harlem—a square-mile (three square kilometers) center of all things, geographically, psychologically, spiritually. Its location has also made it hot real estate in Mumbai, a city that epitomizes India's hopes of becoming an economic rival to China. Indeed, on a planet where half of humanity will soon live in cities, the forces at work in Dharavi serve as a window not only on the future of India's burgeoning cities, but on urban space everywhere.


Ask any longtime resident—some families have been here for three or more generations—how Dharavi came to be, and they'll say, "We built it." This is not far off. Until the late 19th century, this area of Mumbai was mangrove swamp inhabited by Koli fishermen. When the swamp filled in (with coconut leaves, rotten fish, and human waste), the Kolis were deprived of their fishing grounds—they would soon shift to bootlegging liquor—but room became available for others. The Kumbhars came from Gujarat to establish a potters' colony. Tamils arrived from the south and opened tanneries. Thousands traveled from Uttar Pradesh to work in the booming textile industry. The result is the most diverse of slums, arguably the most diverse neighborhood in Mumbai, India's most diverse city.

Stay for a while on the three-foot-wide (one meter) lane of Rajendra Prasad Chawl, and you become acquainted with the rhythms of the place. The morning sound of devotional singing is followed by the rush of water. Until recently few people in Dharavi had water hookups. Residents such as Meera Singh, a wry woman who has lived on the lane for 35 years, used to walk a mile (two kilometers) to get water for the day's cleaning and cooking. At the distant spigot she would have to pay the local "goons" to fill her buckets. This is how it works in the bureaucratic twilight zone of informal housing. Deprived of public services because of their illegal status, slum dwellers often find themselves at the mercy of the "land mafia." There are water goons, electricity goons. In this regard, the residents of Rajendra Prasad Chawl are fortunate. These days, by DIY hook or crook, nearly every household on the street has its own water tap. And today, like every day, residents open their hoses to wash down the lane as they stand in the doorways of their homes to brush their teeth.

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