Mumbai City-Info
Mumbai is the most happening city of India, where every moment is marked
by one or the other event. Bearing in mind that Mumbai lacks space for
horizontal expansion, skyscrapers and flat housing systems are defining
the infrastructure of this bustling city. Mumbaikars prefer using local
means of transport to travel around the metropolis, as insufficient
parking places and traffic bottlenecks don't allow them to draw out their
own vehicles. Thus, there are enough means of transportation in Mumbai
(Bombay). Getting around the city just involves gaining entry in any
public transport and then, you are prepared to knock the roads.
Situated on a peninsula halfway up the west coast of India, Mumbai
(formerly Bombay) is India's economic powerhouse and home to more
millionaires than any other city on the Indian sub-continent. As well as
being the country's financial capital, Mumbai is also an important port,
handling a third of all international trade, and a base for many of
India's largest companies. However, among all this wealth and the
Bollywood lifestyle are cases of extreme poverty with almost half of the
population living in slums. In the last count the population was 15
million, and growing rapidly.
The Portuguese established this old Hindu city as a colony in 1509. In
1661 it passed to England as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza
when she married Charles II, and became a vital trading base for the East
India Company and later the Crown. The centre of Imperial Bombay, an area
known as Fort, contains a breathtaking array of High Victorian buildings
and is reminiscent of a prosperous 19th century English industrial city.
The fascinating range of architectural styles reflects the British passion
for the Gothic and demonstrates the wealth, panache and confidence of
British Bombay. Prosperity has always been considered more important than
religious homogeneity in Mumbai, and this is reflected in the range of
places of worship throughout the city - churches and cathedrals sit
alongside countless mosques, Hindu and Buddhist temples.
Like many Indian cities, the streets of Mumbai are congested with cattle,
carts and motor vehicles and the air is thick with smog and the sound of
horns, but despite this the city has much to offer and those en route to
Goa should take time to discover Mumbai's colourful and fascinating
history and its vibrant, energetic and friendly people. At worst, the
experience will make Goa's beaches seem even more peaceful.