Known as the “City of Dreams”, Mumbai is one of the bustling cities of India. Earlier known as Bombay, Mumbai is a cosmopolitan metropolis and the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai was originally a conglomeration of seven islands on the Konkan coastline which over time were joined to form the island city of Bombay. The island was in turn joined with the neighbouring island of Salsette to form Greater Bombay. Mumbai is certainly the commercial capital of India and is one of the predominant port cities in the country. Mumbai's nature as the most eclectic and cosmopolitan Indian city is represented by the presence of Bollywood, the centre of the globally-influential Hindi film and TV industries. It also has the largest slum population of India. Geography and Climate Mumbai consists of two distinct regions, namely Mumbai City district and Mumbai Suburban district, which form two separate revenue districts of Maharashtra. The city district region is also commonly referred to as the Island City or South Mumbai.[15] The total area of Mumbai is 603.4 km2 (233 sq mi). Of this, the island city spans 67.79 km2 (26 sq mi), while the suburban district spans 370 km2 (143 sq mi), together accounting for 437.71 km2 (169 sq mi) under the administration of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The remaining area belongs to Defence, Mumbai Port Trust, Atomic Energy Commission and Borivali National Park, which are out of the jurisdiction of the BMC. Mumbai has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical wet and dry climate (Aw) under the Köppen climate classification, with seven months of dryness and peak of rains in July. The cooler season from December to February is followed by the summer season from March to June. The period from June to about the end of September constitutes the south-west monsoon season, and October and November form the post-monsoon season. Between June and September, the south west monsoon rains lash the city. Pre-monsoon showers are received in May. Occasionally, north-east monsoon showers occur in October and November. The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 mm (136 in) for 1954. The highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 mm (37 in) on 26 July 2005.[131] The average total annual rainfall is 2,146.6 mm (85 in) for the Island City, and 2,457 mm (97 in) for the suburbs. The average annual temperature is 27.2 °C (81 °F), and the average annual precipitation is 2,167 mm (85 in).[132] In the Island City, the average maximum temperature is 31.2 °C (88 °F), while the average minimum temperature is 23.7 °C (75 °F). In the suburbs, the daily mean maximum temperature range from 29.1 °C (84 °F) to 33.3 °C (92 °F), while the daily mean minimum temperature ranges from 16.3 °C (61 °F) to 26.2 °C (79 °F). Demographics According to the 2011 census, the population of Mumbai was 12,479,608. The population density is estimated to be about 20,482 persons per square kilometre. The living space is 4.5sq metre per person. As Per 2011 census, Greater Mumbai, the area under the administration of the MCGM, has a literacy rate of 94.7%, higher than the national average of 86.7%. 62% of all Mumbaikers live in informal slums and the sex ratio was 838 (females per 1,000 males) in the island city, 857 in the suburbs, and 848 as a whole in Greater Mumbai, all numbers lower than the national average of 914 females per 1,000 males. English, Marathi and Hindi are the major languages spoken in Mumbai and major religions are Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christians and Zoroastrians. History of Mumbai Despite the fact that the seven islands that now make up the city of Mumbai has a history that is both long and diverse. The city is actually a combination of seven islands that was reclaimed slowly. The place was a part of the kingdom of Ashoka, a famous king of medieval India. After the death of Ashoka, the region was ruled by a number of rulers in succession and then it fell in the hands of the Muslim invaders. In the year 1534, Mumbai was occupied by the Portuguese. St. Andrew's church at Bandra in Mumbai still stands testament to the Portuguese occupation. After occupation of the land, the place was named "Bom Baia" which in Portuguese means "good bay". The city was, however, gifted to the English when King Charles II of England married a Portuguese princess. The influence of the British tongue corrupted the Portuguese name Bom Baia and made it Bombay. In the year 1668, the island was acquired by the English East India Company for 10 pounds of gold per year. The English turned Bombay into an important port in south Asia. History of Mumbai, Monuments of MumbaiThen known as Bombay, the city became the home of Parsi families who came to India from Iran to avoid religious persecution. The original inhabitants of the islands, however, were the Kolis who were fisher folks by profession. Kolis worshiped a Hindu deity called Mumbadevi. Bombay was later renamed Mumbai taking into consideration the culture and tradition of the inhabitants of the region. Bombay took a quantum leap towards modernization when in the year 1853 the first train in India ran between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Thane. With the development of railway communication, Bombay became a very important port and large amount of raw materials like cotton were shipped to England through the Bombay port. The outbreak of the American war of independence saw textile industries develop in Bombay and the industrialization of the area that began with the introduction of railways, picked up speed. After ruling India for over 200 years, the British left India in the year 1947 on August 15. Handing over sovereign power to the Indian government, the last British officials left India for England from Bombay. The Government of India split the State of Bombay into two states, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The division was done on a linguistic basis and Bombay became the capital city of Maharashtra. The Stock Exchange in Bombay was established in the year 1875 and it was the first of its kind in the country. Bombay is now arguably the most economically prosperous city in India. Culture of Mumbai The culture of Mumbai is a mixture of traditional festivals, food, music and theatres. The Mumbai music is an important part of city’s culture tradition. In the coastal areas, the people love to sing the Marathi Koli songs which are an integral part of the culture of Mumbai. Since, the city is inhabited with varied ethnic groups; there has been a change in the music culture of Mumbai. The Bollywood music is a very popular music of the city. Aside these, the Indian Classical Music, International Pop Music Heavy Metal Music are heard by the people of Mumbai. The festivals form an important of Mumbai’s culture and celebrations are observed by the people irrespective of caste and creed. Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Id, Dussera, Moharram, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja Maha Shivratri, Navratri, and Good Friday are the most important occasions of the city people. These festivals are celebrated in a grand way uniting all the people of Mumbai. The culture of Mumbai is incomplete without the traditional delicacies of Mumbai. The traditional food of Mumbai includes Potato bhaji, Batatya rassa, Batatya rassa Chinch- gulacha, Okra bhaji and many more. During Diwali, delicacies like Chakli, Chivda, Besan laddu, Shankar pale, Karanji are prepared in the houses. Modak, Puran Poli, Sheera and Basundi are the special types of sweets prepared in auspicious occasion in Mumbai. Tourist Places in Mumbai Popularly known as the “City of Dreams”, Mumbai is visited by tourists from all over the globe. It is the Las Vegas of India and the city remains awake round the clock. This magnificent city is consecrated with numerous places of tourist interest. Some of the prominent attractions of Mumbai are: Essel World Fantasy Land Suraj Water Park Water Kingdom Tikuji-ni-Wadi Juhu Beach Marine Drive Elephanta Caves Film City Flora Fountain Mumbai High Court Kanheri Caves The Gateway of India Rajabai Clock Tower University Building Worli Fort Balodyan Gardens Hanging Garden Jijamata Udyan Zoo Kamala Nehru Park Sanjay Gandhi National Park Babulnath Temple Buddhist Temple Haji Ali Dargah Jain Temple Mumbai Mahalaxmi Temple Mount Mary Church Mumbadevi Temple Siddhivinayak Temple Walukeshwar Temple Transportation Local Transportation The best way to get around the city is by a cab or auto rickshaw and auto rickshaws can be found in the suburbs, as these vehicles are not allowed any further south than Bandra. Mumbai also has a local rail network with three lines, namely Western, Central, and Harbour, which extend outwards from Churchgate in the city center. The train offers a relatively fast way to travel, but it gets suffocating crowded during rush hours. Bus services operate in Mumbai as well, but they can be slow and unreliable. Railway The city is connected by rail network with almost all the cities of the country. Mumbai is the headquarters of two of Indian Railways' zones, namely the Central Railway (CR) headquartered at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), and the Western Railway (WR) headquartered at Churchgate. Long-distance trains originate from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai Central, Bandra Terminus, Andheri and Borivali. Airport The international and domestic terminals at Mumbai Chattrapathi Shivaji Airport are separately located in different parts. The international terminal is in Andheri East while the domestic terminal is in Santa Cruz, 30 kilometers (19 miles) and kilometers 24 (15 miles) north of the city, respectively. Shuttle bus transfers are available for transfer of passengers between the terminals. Travel time to the city center is around an hour and half. The easiest way to get there is by taking a prepaid taxi from out the front of the international arrivals area.
