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Dabbawalas of Mumbai – The Assiduous Lunch Carriers

The teeming, noisome and colourful city of Mumbai is one of the best places in India to experience all the subtleties, wonders and quirks of what it means to be an Indian. The over-the-top hectic and rather chic lifestyle of Mumbai that is driven faster than a speeding bullet has given rise to interesting businesses and livelihoods in this bustling urban landscape. On such fascinating aspect of life in Mumbai is the Dabbawalas of the city; the tireless lunch carriers of the Indian metropolis.

The term ‘Dabbawala' literally means ‘person with a box', as these interesting ‘servicemen' carry many hundreds of little tin boxes packed with spicy Indian meals from homes to the offices and business of the city of Mumbai, where their hungry clients anticipate their arrival with the home cooked meal at lunchtime. Assuredly, they also take care of the job of bringing back the boxes from the workplaces to the homes in the suburbs in the evening. 

The sheer complexity of the task of the Dabbawalas of Mumbai, and the enthusiasm with which they handle it is both interesting and inspiring to observe, and it's not hard to catch the sight of these men rushing through the town early morning, dressed in a simple and manageable white suit and hat, carrying what seems to be an impossible cargo of lunchboxes. The Dabbawalas work with an efficient supply chain; one of the best in the world, where collecting Dabbawalas get the lunchboxes from homes and lunch makers to the collecting centres, each box marked with a unique marker to set the owner and destination. These are put on train to their destinations around Mumbai, and the local Dabbawalas wait at each station for their batch of boxes which makes its way to their customers right on time for lunch.

In present day Mumbai, the service of the Dabbawalas has become an important gear that keeps the massive engine that is known as Mumbai running through its daily businesses. Even bad weather is not enough to keep the good Dabbawalas of Mumbai down, as they know all the shortcuts and detours of the particular neighbourhood they serve better than the back of their hand. The close bond they form with their customers assures their service is highly appreciated by the busy commuters of tireless Mumbai.

Staying at the city enjoying the comforts of best Mumbai hotels, you can have a glimpse into the daily doings of the Dabbawalas. Any business hotel Mumbai is known for like the The Leela Kempinski Mumbai can offer a great hotel deal which will make your time at Mumbai worth the while.

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Top 10 Places in Mumbai

Mumbai (Bombay) is a largest populated (more than 25 millions) metropolis city in the world. It is the commercial capital of India and the capital of Maharashtra state. Originally a conglomeration of seven islands on the Konkan coastline was over time joined to form the island city of Bombay which further joined with Salsette to form Greater Bombay. 

As compared to other cities Mumbai is a young city and much of the land comprising the city did not exist until it was taken out from the sea over three centuries ago. Although Mumbai does not have large number of heritage sites still there is a never ending must see places in Mumbai. The best time to visit is during the winter between November and February.

Top 10 Favourite places of tourists in Mumbai are:

1. Gateway of India: Located on the waterfront in Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai, the Gateway is a basalt arch 26 metres (85 ft) high whose design is a combination of both Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. It was used as a landing place for British governors and other important officials.
 
2. Colonial buildings: A magnificent city built by British within the walls of Fort St. George. Influences of the Gothic revival, Neo-classical style and Indo-Saracenic style are seen on landmarks within this area.
 
3. The Elephanta Caves: These are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island (Gharapuri, literally "the city of caves") in Mumbai Harbour about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the east.
 
4. Kanheri Caves: These are a group of rock-cut monuments, which are located in north of Borivali on the western outskirts of Mumbai, deep within the green forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
 
5. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (Prince of Wales Museum of Western India): The mueseum is situated in the heart of South Mumbai near the Gateway of India. It houses approx 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objects from foreign lands, of categories like Art, Archaeology and Natural History.
 
6. Marine Drive (Queen's Necklace): It is a 3-kilometre-long boulevard in South Mumbai in the city of Mumbai. It is a 'C'-shaped six-lane concrete road along the coast, which is a natural bay (part of the Arabian Sea). Babulnath and Malabar Hill are linked to the Nariman Point through this road.
 
7. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus): It is a historic railway station exhibiting a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture
 
8. Girgaum Chaupati (Chaupati): It is one of the most famous public beaches adjoining Marine Drive in the Girgaum area of Mumbai. Ganesh Chaturthi celebration is being on this beach.
 

9. The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower: It is a five-star hotel located next to the Gateway of India in the Colaba region of Mumbai situated
 
10. Nehru Centre: It includes the Nehru Planetarium that is centre for scientific study of astronomy.
 
There are many other wonderful places in the Mumbai to visit like Essel World, Haji Ali Mosque, Jehangir Art Gallery, Prithvi Theatre etc

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Mumbai Shopping Guide

Mumbai is a great city of commerce, mass retail has yet to really catch on and department stores or shopping malls are very thin on the ground. Instead, visitors should aim for eclectic market purchases or excellent second-hand buys. Mumbai is a shoppers delight, with a variety of shops selling everything right from clothes, books and handicrafts to antique pieces. There are shops in almost every corner and pavement of the streets of Mumbai. There is this wholesale cloth market called Shantidoot cloth market in Hindmata, close to Dadar where you will find a wide variety of textiles. Also priced reasonably, you get to choose from a whole gamut of options. There are several shops in and around Dadar and Plaza area where you can shop from.

The shopping malls of Mumbai are of different nature. While some are life style stores, some others are superstores. The most prominent shopping malls that don the fashion fiesta of Mumbai are R mall in Mulund , Inorbit mall in the western suburb, Hypercity mall in Malad Link road, Crossroads mall, Phoenix mall, Center one in Vashi, V mall in Kandivali.

Also, there are several boutiques and outlets of leading fashion designers in the country in Bandra and Juhu where you can get exclusive designer wear.  The leather industry of dharavi however stands out. If you drive along Dharavi you will find leather shops on both sides of the road, displaying some of the finest leather  items. Bags, shoes, wallets, belts, jackets name it and you will find it there. Infact, some of the shops offer custom made articles as well.

One of the prime shopping areas in Mumbai includes the Colaba and Flora Fountain area in the epicenter of south Mumbai. Strategically located at an arm's length from the Victoria Terminus and Church gate railway stations, pedestrians can pick up shoes, cotton clothes, kaftans, books and ethnic artifacts. Dadar is another shopper's paradise with thronging crowds looking to strike a quick bargain in the lively milieu and buy some pretty cotton apparels, saris and children's clothes, etc. So what are you waiting for, get down to street for shopping.

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Mumbai Flights Booking Available For All Flights From Mumbai

Flight journey has become quite popular with the travelers these days.  There are a number of new airlines which have entered into the aviation industry and provide with cheap flights to Mumbai and to other parts of the country. The cheap Mumbai flights and affordable tickets for flights from Mumbai have made it affordable for people to travel by air.

Mumbai flights are one of the most popular segment as it is one of the main cities in India. A number of people travel by flights from Mumbai everyday. Some catch the Mumbai flights for their business trip while others do so for a leisure vacation. The cheap flights to Mumbai has allowed the travelers to forget about the boring train journeys and opt for the comfortable and time saving Mumbai flights.

Nowadays, the information about the cheap flights to Mumbai and about the flights from Mumbai is available over the internet. This has further made it convenient for travelers to learn about the offers and schemes offered by the different airlines and then choose their flights from Mumbai. They don't have to visit any travel agent or airline's office and can still get information about all the Mumbai flights from the comfort of their home.

There are many different travel portals which can help you know about cheap flights to Mumbai and can help you book your Mumbai flights online. They have update information about the tickets fare and about seat availability which makes it convenient for travelers to book their cheap flights to Mumbai.

If you need to get the lowest fare for your Mumbai flights then one of the best ways is to book your tickets in advance. This can help you get discounted tickets for your journey so that you may be able to travel within your budget. Alternatively, you can also book early morning flights from Mumbai as they offer good discounts to the passengers.

To book your Mumbai flights you can visit mumbai-flights.co.in. The travel portal has the best information about all the airlines and their offers. You can simply visit the site to learn about the discounts that are available to you. It is safe to make your flight booking through this site as it ensures that your payment is safe.

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Cheap flights to Mumbai

In recent years, air transport has become more accessible and convenient for everyone. Mumbai is one of the most popular travel and people have the easy availability of cheap flights to Mumbai and arrive in a very short time. Cheap Flights to Mumbai is offered by a number of different airlines makes it convenient for travelers to pay for air travel.

Almost all budget airlines offer cheap flights to Mumbai. Therefore, if you need to book flights to Mumbai then you can contact good and reliable airline and get the cheapest flight to Mumbai. All flights to Mumbai is convenient and saves time and therefore people prefer to travel in flight. Now, with cheap flights to minors or Mumbai, can train rides and instead a failure can serve the cheapest flight to Mumbai and travel in style.

If you are traveling to Mumbai, then you may have to travel by train or plane. Although people prefer flights from Mumbai, are decided by the trains of Mumbai, as they are cheaper. However, it is now very easy to book flights from Mumbai and a number of companies have come up with cheap flights to Mumbai. The plane ticket for flights from Mumbai is affordable for what they have gained much popularity among travel agencies.

These days, it is very easy to learn about cheap flights to Mumbai as information on all flights to Mumbai and Mumbai flights are available through the Internet. The online booking service has made it possible for passengers to book their airline tickets at any time of day. Since the ticket information and ticket reservations can be made via the Internet, passengers can buy tickets for cheap flights to Mumbai in no time at all.

The online booking service means that passengers are not dependent on travel agents to book. They just need to connect to the Internet to learn about the flights from Mumbai and Mumbai flights. Today, Internet is available on mobile phones has also made it much easier for travelers to get information from anywhere. Information is available online 24x7 which makes it easier to learn about cheap flights at any time of day.

Book your cheap flights to Mumbai is easy through the Internet. You can only choose a reliable travel portal that deals with online booking can book flights from Mumbai at any time. The online travel agencies can help you learn about available flights from Mumbai and can provide the flight schedule and flight information.

For the best information relating to flights from Mumbai and to book your cheap flights to Mumbai can contact MakeMyTrip.com. The travel site can provide the best information relating to flights from Mumbai. You can search for flights from Mumbai, learn about the special schemes and discounts and then make the reservation in no time at all.

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