Mumbai The Finest City To Be In

I have managed to travel to India- Mumbai 3 times. The Most recent being in 2016. My first two experiences were not all that, but the third time round I must say I had the time of my life. Having being there I managed to meet my friends from Dubai and friends that I had made over other travels. Not Dwelling into the negative, let’s write about the positives of this city.

When we think of Mumbai… chronologically three things pops out in our mind. The Hindi Film Industry a.k.a. Bollywood followed by Bombay Stock Exchange and lastly the suppurating sore of terrorism and mafia war. Well… the picture is clear. Most of you are aware of the nitty-gritty of Mumbai’s mass spectrum. In spite of such sporadic-drama, life in Mumbai runs wild chords. If you were in the city, surely you have the idea but one who is still roving Mumbai over the gossip… let’s give them a swarm-o-graphic picture.

Life in Mumbai for some is a dream and for some it turns to dust but for both the city offers huge traffic. The life of a common man starts here outside a shared “Sandas”, moves on an overcrowded local train that cuts and runs to an overloaded schedule and winds up in an overanxious office state. And then comes the monsoon… life in Mumbai goes miserable. Waterlogged road delaying the traffic, yet the drenching life of a common man goes on… the stock market still bells at 9.30 and knells at 3.30, blockbusters still score crores and hooliganism finds a shelter under the dark clouds. Let’s have a look at the life line of the common people of Mumbai. Be it in a sarcastic way… but as a traveller if you are not experiencing the LIFE LINE of Mumbai then the city is not a part of your travel diary.

The Life Line of Common People

Hope you are going to experience this madness once in your life.

Coming out from the swarm-o-graphic picture it’s time to step on the Dalal Street, which is one of the bustling hubs of Mumbai. From a tourist’s point of view, who seeks for heritage sites and natural diorama, D-Street could be a stretch of boredom. But a traveller who pens down in his diary the heartfelt essence of a city like Mumbai… D-Street tunes even the veiled sounds of the city. Dalal Street, what we are aware of is the Bombay Stock Exchange where thousands of investors combats the fight against bull and bear. It’s a trading game that glares two colours, red and green, either making a time of your life worthy or ruin forever. What’s more about this Dalal Street? History that unwraps the 22 traders of 1875 and behold the outbursts of 1993… Dalal Street to an investor is truly a heritage site

Well… that was the intrinsic part of Bombay to Mumbai. But that’s the alloy.
Now spray and rhyme your trip to Mumbai with patches of colours and beats from the charming Bollywood Tour. This is where you are going to sway your head and twist your waist. Bollywood tours give you opportunity to see real bollywood shootings, studios sets and to meet your favorite stars, also to see technical aspect of art of making movie in India. It’s a fun and knowledge tour as well!

Let’s steer once again to another contrasting picture. Mumbai on one hand that houses the stardom of the nation, on the other hand the city houses the largest slums. From Dharavi, which is one of the largest slums in the world that is sandwiched in between Mahim and Sion, to Juhu en route Santa Cruz, Mumbai is home to 60% slums of city’s population. As a traveller… this is also a part of your Mumbai diary.

Hard sledding conceals when we talk about Mumbai’s heritage and its palatial houses. Dating back to the colonial era, Mumbai today houses three major heritage sites.
The Gateway of India that overlooks the Arabian Sea and close to the Taj Mahal Hotel was completed in the year 1924 and the Indo-Saracenic architecture was designed by Sir George Wittet. During the British India period the Gateway of India was served as the ceremonial entrance to India for Viceroys and the new Governors of Bombay.

The Victoria Terminus that was renamed to Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus was built in the year 1887. It was designed by Sir Frederick William Stevens revealing the Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Mughal buildings. Today it is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India and one of the busiest railway stations in India. Let’s take a glimpse of the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus from the lens of an international traveller.

Shivaji Terminus Located in South Mumbai, the Municipal Corporation Building is another heritage site. It is a Grade IIA heritage building that was constructed in the year 1865. The Gothic architecture was designed by Sir F. W. Stevens and Sir Robert Fellowes Chisholm. Below here is one of the Mumbai best travel videos of the Municipal Corporation Building of Mumbai.

Here comes something unique to write in your Mumbai diary. The Sassoon Dock Fish Market is the biggest port and fish market in Mumbai. There’s the salient feature on your trip to Mumbai that can differ from others’ frame.

Nonetheless… owing to the pre-history to the rock cut caves of the 5th century, the Elephanta Caves is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai. The network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island is approximately 10 kms from the city of Mumbai. It is reached by a ferry from the Gateway of India. The local myth goes that the caves are not man-made but the art historians have dated the caves in the range of late 5th to late 8th century AD. Unearthed evidence dilate the diorama of the Mauryan and the Badami Chalukyas. Traces of sculptures reveals the Trimurti of Elephanta showing the three faces of Shiva is akin to the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva). Earlier, before the Portuguese intruded in the 16th century, Elephanta was called Gharapuri. The Portuguese named the island “Elephanta Island” in honour of a huge rock-cut black stone statue of an elephant that was then installed on a mound, a short distance east of Gharapuri village. The elephant now sits in the Jijamata Udyaan zoo in Mumbai. Let’s take a glimpse of the Elephanta Caves from the below footage.

There is so much more to write about India and all of its wonderful cities that shall continue in a part 2… 

Article By Darling Amin