Mumbai is the largest city in India, with close to 21 million people in the metro area it makes it one of the most populated cities in the world. Formerly Bombay; the name was changed to Mumbai in 1995. The city has the countries biggest film scene (Bollywood) and is the leading financial center in India as well. I loved exploring this beautiful old city in the limited time I had here. I loved the architecture that changed so much with the times from the Victorian buildings built at the end of the 19th century to the Art Deco buildings from the early 20th century. I was there during the monsoon season but luckily the rain only happened at night keeping things much cooler and more manageable than it was in Delhi and Agra in the north. I stayed in the Colaba area of South Mumbai, which is a great location close to all the historic sites.
The first place I went, which was only a 15 minute walk from my hotel was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Also known as the Victoria Terminus, this building is not only an incredible blend of Victorian, Hindu and Islamic styles but it’s an enormous railway station. This was a beautiful place to visit. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site that draws thousands of tourists and travelers alike on a daily basis.
Sadly the Victoria Terminus was also one of the 12 sites chosen by the terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Of the ten terrorists, they were only able to capture one of the them alive and this is where they caught him.
The next place I went was the Gateway of India. This iconic archway is not only a symbol of Mumbai but also a national symbol of India. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V in 1911 but wasn’t completed until 1924. Today it’s a favorite place for locals to hang out and plenty of people trying to take photos for tourists, for a small fee of course.
The Gateway of India faces outward towards the Bay of Mumbai. This is also the place where you can catch a ferry for a cruise around the bay or to Elephanta Island. I chose to go to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the latter.
The ferry ride to Elephanta Island takes about 60 minutes and It leaves from both the island and the mainland once an hour despite what some eager hustlers might try to tell you.
Elephanta Island, also known as Gharapuri contains incredible rock cut temples found in a labyrinth of caves on the island created around 450 AD. The main temple is dedicated to a three faced Shiva. Shiva is the destroyer, creator and preserver of the Universe.
This was an incredibly beautiful site to explore but the short hike up to the caves was pretty miserable in the extreme humidity and heat. I’d recommend not doing this in the Summer.
This time on the hike back down the steps and through all the souvenir stalls there were monkeys everywhere. They put a blue tarp over the steps to block the hot sun which was an excellent move on this insanely hot/humid day.
After the one hour ferry ride back to the Gateway of India I decided I had to check out the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. This hotel is a luxury hotel that sits next to the Gateway of India and has housed everyone from John Lennon to Barack Obama.
Architecturally it was designed at the turn of the 20th century so it has a beautiful Victorian design. This gorgeous building has become an iconic landmark in Mumbai. Unfortunately it was one of the main sites chosen by the terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Earlier this year, a movie was released called “Hotel Mumbai’ that tells the story of the courageous crew that works at the hotel who’s quick thinking on their feet managed to save the lives of dozens of guests from the attackers.
The next place I went was Oval Maidan, the perfect place to enjoy the third UNESCO World Heritage site of Mumbai called “Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai”. The Oval Maidan is a large open field used for recreation such as cricket and football, The other interesting thing about it is you clearly see two different eras of Mumbai from here. One side of the street is all Victorian Gothic architecture from the turn of the 20th century and the other side is all Art Deco from the 1930’s.
It was really cool to be able to see two distinct periods of time while standing in the same place and imagining what life must have been like when these buildings were constructed.
The last place I visited was the Haji Ali Dargah Mosque and Tomb found on a little Islet of South Mumbai. This mosque is dedicated to Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, a wealthy Sufi merchant from Uzbekistan, it was built in 1431 in his memory.
I really enjoyed my time in Mumbai. I was feeling a little disappointed in my first visit to India from the weather to the chaos that is Delhi. It was an often difficult but also rewarding trip. I’m glad I made sure to visit Mumbai, it’s an incredible city I’m certain I will return to at some point.
Piece of good read…miss visiting India