MUMBAI BOMBAY HOTELS

About Mumbai

Mumbai also called the 'Commercial Capital' of India is a sought after tourist destination. The city acts as a reservoir that withholds a gamut of interesting facts, sites and events that are simply unparalleled. Placed on the western coast of India, the city proudly vaunts Arabian Sea as its background. Mumbai is an apt amalgam of seven islands namely Isle of Bombay, Mazagaon, Colaba, Old Woman's Island, Parel, Worli, and Salsette Island. The city is also dotted with several beaches like Marine drive, Madh island beach, Juhu beach etc and lakes like Powai, Tulsi and Vihar Lake that give tourists all the more reasons to visit Mumbai. Mumbai is most famous as it houses the biggest film industry in the country 'Bollywood'. Due to the presence of Bollywood the fashion trends are most observed by the people in the city. Mumbai also enjoys a cosmic status as it homes a large number of people from all states and cities in the country.

Mumbai also boasts of its variety of lip smacking food that is simply irresistible and liked by almost all tourists visiting the city. It is often said that Mumbai never sleeps. You can find people and vehicles running on the streets even in the middle of the night. People are awake either for work or for fun but yes one thing for sure, the city's zest for life is no less than incredible. Mumbai enjoys three major seasons summers, winters and monsoons like the rest of the country, however due to its existence in the tropical region and near the sea, the most observed climate throughout the year is humid. Mumbai is also an apt shopping destination as it stores almost all from clothes to shoes to jewelery to handicrafts ranging from most expensive to most affordable ones. So all in all we can say that a trip to Mumbai is a must if you are a travel freak and looking for a new destination to be traversed. Pack your ruck sack and head on and trust us the trip to Mumbai will certainly be one of the most distinguishing and memorable journeys of your life.

History of Mumbai

Mumbai is also called the 'Financial Capital' of the country. The city has a very enticing history attached to its origin. Bombay was initially a group of seven islands namely Isle of Bombay, Mazagaon, Colaba, Old Woman's Island, Parel, Worli, and Salsette Island on the Konkan Coastline which were inhabited by Kolis fisherman, a Hindu Sect. In the later years, the Portuguese traveler, Vasco Da Gama discovered the sea route to Bombay and in 1534 the islands came under the rule of Portuguese. In 1661, the Portuguese on finding the islands of no use presented them to Charles II of England, who later leased them to the East India Company in 1668. It was during that period that Bombay developed as a major commercial hub. The strategic location of the islands (on the edge of the Arabian sea) facilitated the construction of docks and trading posts. This lead to businessmen from all parts of the country to come and settle in Bombay. The booming port attracted the capitalist communities like the Parsis, Gujaratis and Marwaris, who established trading companies and factories in the city. In 1708, Bombay became the headquarters of the East India Company. During the 18th century, the population of Bombay increased considerably that called for massive growth and development in the city. It is during this period, Bombay observed the construction of various buildings, monuments, railway stations, offices, banks etc. By the year 1862, the seven islands saw amalgam to form one city. The city noticed further growth with the advent of the Great Indian Peninsular Railways and Suez Canal in 1869. The two facilitated excellent transportation and trading facilities in the city hence proclaiming it the chief commercial and industrial center in India. Bombay was declared the capital of Bombay state when India became independent in 1947. In 1960, Maharashtra, the state, came into existence and Bombay state was dissolved and the city became its capital. Bombay was named as Mumbai after 'Mumbadevi', the patron goddess of Koli fisher folks in 1995.

Culture

Mumbai also called 'the city of dreams' is an enchanting city that catches fancy of people from all over the country. The city has all from beautiful sight seeing places to ambrosial cuisines to shopping destinations that certainly make Mumbai a must see place for travelers. Mumbai is a metropolis made of seven islands and homes people from all states and places in the country. Some come to the city for earning money while the others come to become a part of the glitzy tinsel town. This massive influx of people in Mumbai makes the city an olio of different lifestyles and cultures. People here speak different languages, follow different religions and eat different foods. But despite of all the disparities the city is still bound with the chord of unity and oneness. Mumbaikers are extremely happening people and believe in living life to the fullest. They enjoy all festivals with loads of fun, frolic and zest.

Though Mumbaikers speak all languages like Hindi, English, Punjabi but Marathi undisputedly rules the roost. People of Mumbai are great food lovers and have a penchant for hot and spicy food. The most desirable grubs of the city comprises of 'Vada Pav', 'Pani Puri', 'Bhel Puri' etc. Religion plays an important role in the lives of people in Mumbai. Like any other part of India, Hinduism is the major religion observed by most of the residents of Bombay. Although other religions like Sikhism, Islam, Christianity etc are also equally revered and followed here.

Climate

Mumbai, the island city of India, witnesses a humid type of climate most parts of the year. The city is located near Arabian Sea that is what makes it humid but the city too has its share of good climate.

Monsoon - Mumbai receives an average rainfall of 2,200 mm during rainy season. Monsoon season starts from the month of June till the month of September. The climate of the city turns awfully humid during the rainy season.

Summer - Max.Temp reaches up to 35˚C and the Min.Temp is around 25 ˚C. The summer months are from April till June. These months observe maximum temperature and high humidity. The hottest month is May with an average high temperature of 33.3 °C.

Winter - Max. Temp is around 25˚C and the Min.Temp is around 15 ˚C. The winter months are from November to February. The coolest months are December and January with an average low temperature of 16.4 °C. Evenings and nights are quite cold.

The city neither faces extreme summers nor extreme winters. The summer temperature is lowered down by fairly frequent rain showers. The months from October to February provide the best time to visit Mumbai.

How to Reach

By Air : Mumbai has an International as well as a domestic Airport just a few kilometers away from its downtown. The city is well connected with major metropolitan cities in India - Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai etc through direct flights around the year. Taxis and shuttles also operate on a regular basis from both the airports.

By Train : Mumbai has 5 significant railway stations namely Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, Bombay Central, Churchgate, Dadar and Kurla. The city is directly connected with the major cities like Delhi, Chennai by direct trains. Trains are easily available throughout the year.

By Road : Mumbai is well-connected to other cities of Maharashtra and neighboring states by Indian Highways and State highways. State Transport Terminal is the largest Bus Terminus of Mumbai. To commute with in the city you can avail the public transport i.e buses or cabs.