Destinations

Overview

Gateway to India and capital of Maharashtra, Mumbai was once a cluster of seven islands called Heptanasia by Plotemy in AD 150. The word Mumbai (locally called) however, is derived from Mumba Devi or Maha Amba Aai, the patron goddess of the kolis or fisherfolk, who have been its original inhabitants.

The city’s rise from the dowry of a Portuguese queen to the country’s foremost sea port, commercial centre and producer of films has been nothing short of meteoric. Mumbai’s Gothic architecture is embodied in the Gateway of India, Mumbai (Bombay) High Court, Old Secretariat, University Buildings and Victoria Terminus. Open spaces in this crowded city include Chowpatty Beach, Juhu Beach and Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the latter a fine wildlife park at Borivili. The most comprehensive beach resort in the country, Goa, is also approachable from Mumbai by air.

The city’s shopping embraces informal fashion and accessories at Colaba Causeway, antiques – and clever reproductions of antiques – at Chor Bazar, gold and diamond jewellery at Jhaveri Bazar, high fashion at Kemps Corner, Bhulabhai Desai Road and the airconditioned shopping plaza at The Oberoi.