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Mumbai Travel Guide
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History of Mumbai Getting into Mumbai Getting out of Mumbai Getting around Mumbai Places of interest in and around Mumbai Accommodation in Mumbai |
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the largest city in India, and the capital of Maharastra state. Mumbai has an estimated population of 13 million, and is located within a metropolitan area with a total population of 25 million people. Mumbai occupies the island of Salsette - to be precise, the city was originally built on a group of 7 islands that formed the island city of Bombay. That island was then joined to the island of Salsette to form Greater Bombay.
Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. The whole over knows it as Bollywood, the centre for Hindi film production. It is a fast moving, cosmopolitan city quite unlike the rest of India. The Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India as well as the headquaters of numerous Indian companies such as Tata Indicom and Crompton Graeves are all located here.
History of Mumbai
In comparison to Delhi and other major Indian cities, Mumbai is relatively young. Although there is documented evidence of human habitation in the Mumbai area going back to 250BC, the actual Mumbai was sea that was only formed through land reclamation. Mumbai came to being when the Portuguese appropriated the original islands from the Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in 1534. They were then ceded to Charles II of England in 1661 as dowry for Catherine of Braganza, daughter of the Duke of Braganza, the future King John IV of Portugal.Getting into Mumbai
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle, the founder of the Maratha empire in 1674, is the gateway to Mumbai. The airport has two terminals: Terminal 1, called Santacruz terminal, for domestic flights, and Terminal 2, Andheri terminal, for international flights. A free shuttle bus service connects the two terminals. Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport is located 28 km from downtown Mumbai. Getting to town is by prepaid coupon taxi: go to the taxi counter, buy the coupon, and give it to the taxi driver. The coupon has the taxi registration number on it, so you shouldn't take any taxi. The charges includes any tolls to be paid.Getting out of Mumbai
In addition to the domestic flights at Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport, you may also take the train from Mumbai to most destinations in India. To purchase Indian Railway tickets online, go to the Indian Railway Online Passenger Reservation Site, http://www.indianrail.gov.in/Getting Around Mumbai
The easiest way to get around in Mumbai is by taxi. There are two types, the air-conditioned, blue/silver taxis called Cool Cabs, and the standard non-airconditioned yellow-and-black taxi. Minimum fare is Rs13. You can either rely on the meter (which is matched against a tariff card) or prepay for the journey. Cool Cabs 40% higher than the ordinary taxis, but may be worth the comfort. To call them, contact:City Cool Cabs: +91 22 2216 4466, +91 22 2218 9620, +91 22 5688 4466
Cool Cab: +91 22 2490 5151, +91 22 2490 5152
Places of Interest around Mumbai
Most of the tourist sights in Mumbai are concentrated in South Mumbai. - Elephant Caves a Unesco World Heritage Site one an island in Mumbai Harbour, east of Mumbai, is famous for its cave temples. - Walkeshwar Temple, a temple dedicated to Shiva, on Malabar Hill, Mumbai. Equally famous here is the Banganga Tank.|
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About the Author: AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. We take reasonable care to check and verify the accuracy of the content. However, we disclaim any responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the advice provided directly or indirectly by AsiaExplorers and the comments on its pages. All the photographs in AsiaExplorers are available for publication. Please contact AsiaExplorers at the following email address for your enquiries: |