Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, is a fast paced and cosmopolitan city. This historic city, extending along the sea, has grand buildings and is the center of India's Hindi film industry. A tour of Mumbai's monuments and sights is a great way to enjoy a holiday in Mumbai. Gaze in wonder at the majestic Victoria Terminus and the impressive Gateway of India, enjoy the beautiful beaches, tour the Prince of Wales museum and the Bombay Natural History Museum to know more about India's wildlife and take a trip to one of the film studios in the city to watch a movie being made.

Mumbai or Bombay has always been a multicultural and multi ethnic society. Its culture is a potpourri of Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Parsi and Islamic elements. Whether it is the Siddhi Vinayak Temple or the Parsi Tower of Silence or Haji Ali, all of them co-exist in this metropolis. Though in the recent past, the Shiv Sena has tried to give Mumbai a very Marathi identity, most still consider this the land of opportunity, particularly to be immortalized on celluloid.

Choc-a-bloc with avenues of entertainment, from a stroll down Marine Drive to the chaos of Chowpatty, from shopping at Colaba Causeway and Linking Road to sipping coffee at the Apollo Bar at the Taj Mahal Hotel or having a cup of tea at the Irani tea stalls, Mumbai is as diverse as you can get. From the bungalows of Pali Hill to the chawls of Dharavi, the rich and the not so rich live together in this city not wrongly known as mini India.

By air - Mumbai has more flights connecting it than even the national capital New Delhi. All major airlines fly to and from Mumbai to most of the important cities of the world. The international terminal of Mumbai is known as Sahar and the domestic terminal is known as Santa Cruz. The Sahar terminal is 30 km from downtown Mumbai and Santa Cruz is at a distance of 25kms. Besides taxis, there are regular shuttle services plying between the two terminals.

By bus - If you would like to travel by bus within India, most long distance buses leave from the State Transport Terminal located opposite Mumbai's Central Railway Station. However, this is not a good option if you do not speak Hindi or Marathi as no printed information is available in English. However most of the neighbouring states like Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have their state bus company offices located here.

By rail - Central Railways runs services to the east and north, the Western Railways also runs trains to North India from Churchgate and Central stations. Some of the important connections by rail and their respective distances are -

Mumbai - Agra 1345 km

Mumbai - Delhi 1385 km

Mumbai - Calcutta 1960 km

Mumbai - Chennai 1280 km

Mumbai - Ahmedabad 490 km

Mumbai - Aurangabad 375 km

Mumbai - Bangalore 1210 km

Mumbai - Kochi 1840 km

Mumbai - Pune 190 km

Mumbai - Varanasi 1510 km

Chowpatty beach is not only a beach for Mumbai but it is heart of the city. This beach does not mean sunbathing and surfing. Chowpatty is a place where meetings were organised during the freedom struggle.

When a visitor comes to Mumbai by sea he sees a 26 m high structure. This structure is called the Gateway of India. It is the icon of Mumbai. It was designed by Wittet and is built in the 16 th century architectural style of Gujarat. Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911.

Built in the English Gothic Style the building of Mumbai High court certainly meant to impress the native of might and justice of Britishers. The attractive building was built in 1878. The main structure rises 54.2 m in height and is surmounted by the statues representing Justice and Mercy. It seems that one of the local stone carver had something else in his mind and carved a blind ape as the statue of Justice.

The Jain temple built in white marble is dedicated to Adinath the first tirthankara or apostle of Jains. The temple is decorated with paintings depicting incidents from the life of Tirthankaras. The first floor of the temple is particularly dedicated to Parasnath. His image has been carved out in black marble and images of planets adorn the ceiling as given in the Hindu mythology.

It is here that Gandhiji stayed during his visits to Bombay between 1917-34. This place has been converted into a memorial and a small museum has been made. The museum displays pictures and books related to the life of Gandhiji. There also a small library. Near Mani Bhawan is August Kranti Maidan from where Gandhiji declared the Quit India movement in 1942.

The Hanging gardens or Ferozshah Mehta Gardens were laid in 1881 on top of a reservoir on the Malabar Hills. This place has become a heaven for dating couples nevertheless the place provides a good view of the city. Nearby is the Kamla Nehru park. From the park one can have the best possible views of the Marine drive and the Chowpatty beach. The Kamla Nehru park was laid in 1952 and was developed mainly as a childrens' park.

Another structure to commemorate the visit of King George V. The building is build in Indio Sarcenic style and is set in an well laid ornamented garden. The central hall boasts of a huge dome which is believed to be inspired by the Golgumbaz. The museum was opened in 1923 and has an impressive collection of artifacts from Elephanta island, Jogeshwari Caves,

This aquarium was opened in 1951 and has a very interesting collection of marine and fresh water specimens. The aquarium was constructed at a cost of eight lakh and has shell & shell craft and fishery byproducts on display. A pipeline brings water from the sea directly for the marine species.

This mosque is located in the causeway protruding into the Arabian sea. The white mosque is the tomb of Saint Haji Ali. Haji Ali was a wealthy Muslim who renounced the world and proceeded to Mecca. It is said that he died in Mecca and the casket miraculously drifted and came to the spot where the mosque is built toady. The mosque can only be approached during low tide.

Juhu again is a beach which is not for sunbathing or swimming. The beach is lined by Bungalows and high rise apartments which have now become part of the land scape. Juhu beach is a crowded place with animal rides, balloons, acrobats, monkeys and cricket being played on the beach itsel

Eight km from the center of the city is located a center which tells about the universe. the Nehru planetarium is engaged in recreating image of the sky as seen from any where on the Earth any time. It unfolds the mysteries of the cosmos. They also screening regular film shows on the outer space which are of particular interest for children.