Mumbai Tour

The sparkling city of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, is known as the largest metropolis and cosmopolitan in the country. The glamour city is much known for its tantalizing film world giving it a sobriquet of Indian Hollywood or Bollywood. It is also the financial headquarter of the country; thus the financial, commercial or industrial capital of India. Tourists and residents from all over the country and world swarm in the city to witness the efficient system within the city.

Carved out of seven islands of Colaba, Mumbai, Mazagaon, Old Woman's island, Wadala, Mahim, Parel and Matunga Sion; Mumbai was inhabited by the Koli fishing community. In the British era, it became an important trading center and port city. This archipelago was named ‘Bombay’ by the Portuguese, which means ‘good bay’ in Portuguese. It was renamed as Mumbai after the name of the goddess Mumbadevi of the Kolis.

The Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai is one of the best museums in the country with a rare collection of art, sculpture, old firearms, rare coins and a priceless collection of miniature paintings. The Gateway of India, built in 1911 appears fabulous with four turrets and intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone. Marine Drive or the ‘Queens Necklace’ offers a spectacular view of the skyscrapers of Mumbai on one side and the vast sea on the other. The Juhu and Chowpatty Beaches are ideal for beach activities like camel and pony rides, acrobats etc. together with a breathtaking view of the coast.

Mani Bhawan is the former residence of Mahatma Gandhi in Mumbai, which now has a reference library with over 2000 books, and other belongings of Mahatma Gandhi. The Tower of Silence, an open ground where the Parsis leave the dead bodies of the deceased to be eaten by vultures, is also a major tourist attraction. The Hanging Gardens or Ferozeshah Mehta Garden and Kamla Nehru Park provide astonishing views of the dusk over the Arabian Sea. The Jain temple depicting various events in the lives of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras is also a must visit. If you love traveling then Mumbai offers some of the best excursion sites like Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Bassein Fort, Matheran, Lonavala, Khandala, the Elephanta Caves, Karla Caves, Kanheri Caves and Mahabaleshwar located nearby Mumbai.

Mumbai City Information

Ancient yet modern, fabulously rich yet achingly poor, Mumbai is India in microcosm. Once a sultry tropical archipelago of seven islands, and the Raj's brightest jewel, Mumbai was the dowry of Portuguese Princess Infanta Catherine de Braganza who married Charles II of England in 1661. Today it's a teeming metropolis, commercial hub of an old civilization seeking to find its place in the New World Order.



Forty percent of India's taxes come from this city alone, and half of India's international trade passes through its splendid natural harbour. In fact Mumbai is the very soul of human enterprise. At the city's Stock Exchange, millionaires and paupers are made overnight, and the sidewalks are crowded with vendors hawking everything from ballpoint pens to second hand mixies. Everyday, half of Mumbai's population commutes from far-flung suburbs to downtown offices, banks, factories and mills for a living.

Nearly thirteen million people live here - wealthy industrialists, flashy film stars, internationally acclaimed artists, workers, teachers and clerks - all existing cheek by jowl in soaring skyscrapers and sprawling slums. They come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and speak over a dozen tongues adding colour, flavour and texture to the Great Mumbai Melting Pot.