Mumbai is a cluster of seven islands into one, on the west coast of India just south of the tropic of Cancer. The bay that separates the city from the mainland proved to be an important shipping port for the city throughout its history. Mumbai is also seismically active zone.
Being an island, the city experiences a moderate and sultry weather throughout the year, with a bit of variation during the monsoon. The climate becomes cooler as it rains heavily in the city.
Mumbai…. India's most dynamic and cosmopolitan city, with frenetic lifestyles and a multicultural society. Mumbai, a hardworking city that never sleeps, is the capital of Maharashtra. People from all over the country come here to fulfill their dreams thus making Mumbai a big melting pot of all the cultures, traditions and languages. This confluence of varied cultural currents and cross currents has given Mumbai a unique position of the most multi-ethnic city of India. This enigmatic city, which houses the richest families of the country, also has the largest slum area of Asia. It has fashion and glamour but pursues the age old customs and values. This contradiction in every phase of life is what makes Mumbai an enchanting place.
Once, a sultry tropical archipelago cluster of seven islands is the commercial capital of the Indian sub - continent, today. Forty percent if the country's taxes come from this city alone and half of India's international trade passes through its natural harbours. The much talked about India's underworld, operates in this city.
The original inhabitants of the island were fishermen or the 'Koli' tribe, who worshiped a goddess, 'Mumba', and 'aai' in the local Marathi language means mother, hence the city derives its name, Mumbai.
Around the third century BC, Mumbai became a part of the Magadh Empire of Ashok. Mumbai was ruled by many rulers and eventually came under the Sultan of Gujarat in the 14th century. Bahadur Shah of Gujarat lost the island to the Portuguese in 1534 A.D. The Portuguese called it Bom Bahia, or the good bay and hence the name Bombay.
Bombay was passed on to the British as part of dowry during the wedding of Princess Infanta Catharine de Briganza to Charles II in 1661. After this Bombay never looked back. The British recognized the importance of its port and started with its development, beginning with reclamation of land and merging the seven islands into one big island called Bombay.
Bombay played a major role in the freedom movement and after India's independence became the economic centre of the country. In 1960 Mumbai became the unopposed capital of the new state of Maharashtra. Mills and factories producing just about anything are present in Mumbai. Bollywood, India's answer to Hollywood is a booming industry producing maximum number of films than any other country in the world. Being one of the traditional centers of India, Mumbai offers an exciting range of hand woven and hand printed silks and cottons in traditional dresses, as well as in trendiest new fashions.
Mumbai with its uniqueness has few distinctive features like the local trains, the Dabbawalas and its own typical fast food which originated here. Sky scrapers and slums, old and new, theatre or cinema, shoppers and foodies' delight, Mumbai entertains every one. The vibrant and bustling capital of Maharashtra is bubbling with social and cultural activities throughout the year. Truly a city that never sleeps, a city of dreams.
