Mumbai

The Indian city of Mumbai, known until 1995 as Bombay, is located in western India. Mumbai is the center of the state of Maharashtra, stands on the island Salset close to the mainland in the Arabian Sea. Mumbai is the financial center of India, in the city are the headquarters of the Central Bank, the largest stock exchanges and many large Indian companies. Defined as a city of contrasts, Mumbai offers everything - from extreme poverty to lavish luxury. In the markets of the city smells like a bouquet of spices, on display in the streets are Indian traditions and the cuisine is very hot.

In this Indian metropolis are about 13, 830, 884 people (2010), making it the largest city in South Asia and second in size in the world. Mumbai sits at the center of one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world, including cities Navi Mumbai and Than. In 1995 the town was officially renamed Mumbai because of the campaign to remove the names of European cities in India. The new name is derived from the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi and "aay", "mother" in Marathi.

Hardly a clear mind can imagine the size of Mumbai. It is a vast city - it fits 17 million inhabitants, of which more than 60% live in shacks. Mumbai extends nearly 40 kilometers from north to south and is the main commercial and business hub of India. It was declared one of the world’s Alpha cities. Mumbai is the largest port in western India and handles more than half the passenger traffic in the country.

It is the financial center of India, in the city are the headquarters of the Central Bank, the largest stock exchanges and many large Indian companies. The city sets up 5% of total gross domestic product of India. It is known worldwide for its Bollywood film industry, representatives of which are considered the most influential people in the country.

With such gigantic proportions, it is understandable to have a concentration of monuments and beautiful buildings. Most of them can be seen in southern Mumbai, where they built many neo-Gothic Victorian buildings and shops for antiques. This is actually part of the coastal city where there are a lot of nice restaurants and bars, and a walk along the shore is something not to be missed. Here is popular among tourists Colaba-Fort or Fortress Colaba and the entrance of India - the country's national symbol. It is a yellow basalt passage from the Arabian Sea, which serves to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in Mumbai.

Nightlife in Mumbai offers all the amenities and can please all parties. Overall, alcohol is prohibited in the city, but tourists can drink if they have a permit. An important condition is that alcohol consumption is not shown. Around Colaba are many beer bars and some nice nightlife. Dharavi Quarter is what might be called the slums of Mumbai. A unique place in Mumbai is Dhobi Ghat, which is generally an open automatic launderette in Mumbai.

Dirty clothes here are handled by hundreds of laundry bots, called dhobis, who toss the stones shampooed clothing that is later placed in huge vats of starch and dry-clean after the owners returned. Haji Ali Mosque is from the 19th century, which is located on a scenic spot in the sea.

If you want to enjoy the sunset over the Arabian Sea, an ideal place for this are the Hanging Gardens of Mumbai, situated on the slopes of Malabar Hill, opposite the Park "Kamala Nehru".

These hanging gardens were built in 1880, just above the largest reservoir of water in Mumbai. In 1921 they were fully reconstructed. The most remarkable parts of this park in Mumbai are clever hedges, cut in the shape of various animals - elephants, camels, giraffes and more. You may even see the massive and impressive clock flowers. The gardens are constructed so that they can look at Colaba and the inner part of Mumbai.

Only an hour away by ferry from Mumbai is the included in the list of World Heritage by UNESCO- Elephanta Island. Here at the top of the hill lies a unique cave complex (Elephanta Caves), made of rock carved with scenes and images of Shiva. Within Mumbai is situated Borivari National Park, one of the few in the world, coming within a populated area.