In 17th century, Portuguese gave Mumbai to Charles II of England as dowry when he married Catherine. The group of seven islands was leased to the East India Company who offered freedom of business and religion to persons who came and settled here. Initially a few Parsis and Gujarati came but soon a sizeable population began to thrive. Present day Mumbai is a city of migrants consists of peoples from very nook and corner of India. Mumbai is a multi-lingual and multi-cultural society.
MUMBAI TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Gateway of India: Gateway of India, 26 metres high stone archway is the first landmark of Mumbai is visible when arriving by ship. The monument is situated on the waterfront in the southern part of the city. This 16th century emblem is built in Gujarat architectural style to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India. An equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji and statue of Swami Vivekananda are installed here.
Haji Ali Mosque: The tomb of a Muslim saint who died while on pilgrimage to Mecca. It is believed that a casket containing his mortal remains floated and came to rest on a rocky bed in the sea, where devotees constructed the tomb and mosque. It can be visited only at low tide.
Nariman Point: It is the leading business center in Mumbai situated on the southern end of Marine Drive in South Mumbai; Nariman Point owes its name to Khusheed Framji Nariman - a futurist Parsi, who wished to retrieve the land from the sea in 1940.
Flora Fountain/ Hutatmas Chowk: Flora Fountain is a stone fountain in South Mumbai. Located in the fort business district, the splendid fountain was built in 1864. It is inspired from Flora - the Roman Goddess of Flowers. The Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India constructed it. This is the business centre of Mumbai, surrounded by offices, banks, colleges and shops.
Mahalaxmi Temple: An important Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess of wealth.
Mani Bhavan (Gandhi Mamorial): A memorial dedicated to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. He used to stay at House No.19 called Man Bhavan, from time to time between 1917 and 1934. He was arrested here in 1932 and taken off for one of his many prison terms. The building now contains a pictorial gallery, research library, film and recording archive and diorama on the Mahatma's life.
Nehru Science Center: The museum has children's science park and gallery. There are antique exhibits as railway engine, tramcar, supersonic aeroplane and steam lorry.Raudat Tajera: The Dawoodi Bohra Muslims erected a marble mosque and mausoleum in the honour of their spiritual leader Late Dr. Syedna Taher Safuddin. The lavishly decorated mausoleum has four silver doors and the holy Koran is inscribed on the inner walls in gold. The air-conditioned Fatemi mosque has 17 arches.
Pherozsha Mehta Gardens: The garden was laid in 1881 on top of the reservoir, which supplies water in Mumbai. It is popularly known as hanging gardens, renamed after the celebrated barrister Pherozshah Mehta. The special feature of the garden is that the hedges are cut into animal shapes. In the evening at sunset excellent view of the city harbour and hills beyond can be seen. There is also a flower clock.
Chowpatty Beach: It is a popular common men beach always busy and extremely busy at festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi and Coconut Day. There are several small kiosks selling Mumbai special snacks Bhelpuri. Apart from that you may find masseurs, pony riders, bee bee-gun shooting galleries, contortionists, snake charmers and monkey-trainers etc. There are statues of towering freedom fighters Lokmanya Tilak and Vithalbhai Patel on the beach.
Rajbai Tower: It is a beautiful structure designed by Sir Gilbert Scott. It is a majestic 79 meters clock tower in South Mumbai built in the19th century on the university campus. The clock tower commands an excellent view of the city.
Banganga: Banganga, which had been a gorge, is present in the form of water tank in the Malabar Hill area at present in the Walkeshwar Temple complex. This tank has a mythological legend behind its emergence. According to the legend, Lord Rama took halt at the point while searching for his wife – Sita around five thousand years back. As he felt thirsty, he asked his younger brother Lakshman to fetch some water for him. Then Lakshman shot an arrow in the ground and fresh water gushed out. Every year in the month of February the Banganga Music Festival is celebrated.
Film City: The Film City of Mumbai located next to the precincts of Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Goregaon (East) is synonymous with the Film City of India. Film City was the dream endeavor of Dada Saheb Phalke, the renowned cine-figure of India. Indian Film Industry is the largest in the world and produces thousands of films every year. Bollywood is only next to Hollywood. The Film City is sprawled over a large area well equipped with indoor and outdoor shooting facilities. A prior permission from relevant authorities is required to access this place.
Churchgate: It is a downtown business district in South Mumbai. It imbibes its name from Churchgate Railway Station. The city center is crammed with several offices and banks. Originally the name Churchgate has been derived from St Thomas Church that is situated about 500 meters from the railway station. Nariman Point the class business center of Mumbai is just a kilometer away. The Marine Drive lies to its west is a beautifully designed avenue in Mumbai.Mahalaxmi Racecourse: It is an elite horse racing ground in Mumbai. This oval shaped ground is situated in the Maha Lakshmi area of Mumbai. The season for horse racing is from November to February. The Derby that is held annually on the first Sunday in February is the most awaited event.
Prithvi Theatre: Prithvi Theatre is a well-known theatre of performing arts in Mumbai belongs to Kapoors - the leading actor/director families in Bollywood. Prithviraj Kapoor, a legend is the source of inspiration for the establishment of Prithvi Theatre. Shashi Kapoor, the youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor, along with his wife Jennifer Kendal, worked enthusiastically realizing his father's dream of establishing it. At present Prithvi Theatre organizes an annual drama festival that features the best plays from India.
Malabar Hill: It is a small hill in South Mumbai that consists famous Hanging Gardens, Walkeshwar Temple and Kamala Nehru Gardens of Mumbai. It is the highest point in the city center with 50 meters height presents excellent view of the foothills. It is an elite residential area of the city. Malabar Hill is a worth visiting tourist place.
Town Hall: It is one of the best imperial structures among the heritage buildings of Mumbai. It is located the fort area of South Mumbai. The pillared monument is very significant for its exquisite edifice with old wooden flooring and spiral staircases. It houses the Asiatic Society of Mumbai consists of city's largest library with a collection of 800,000 antique volumes.
Climate of Mumbai
The climate of Mumbai is warm and humid throughout the year. From November to February, the skies are clear, and the temperature is cooler. From March to mid June, the temperature is warm and humid. Mid June is the beginning of monsoon, brings torrential rains sometimes disrupt the city life completely. The average rainfall in Mumbai is 180 cms. Monsoon ends by the end of September. October is comparatively hot and humid.
