Mumbai is popularly known as the ‘City of Dreams’ or ‘Mayanagri’. It is the financial and ‘film’ city of the country. Mumbai is one of the most attractive cities in terms of all sorts of employment and therefore, one of the many reasons why it is called a ‘City of Dreams’. Here is a list of the most famous places that one must visit in Mumbai.
Gateway of India, Mumbai
It is one of the most historical monuments of India and as a result, one of Mumbai’s monuments that garners the most tourist attraction. The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to the city in 1924. It’s also where the last of the British troops departed, marking the end of British rule when India gained Independence in 1947. It is indeed, one of the most historical places that carry patriotic sentiments attached to it. The looming Gateway is designed to be the first thing that visitors see when approaching Mumbai by boat. It’s a popular place to start exploring Mumbai. There are numerous vendors peddling everything from balloons to Indian tea all around the monument. The prestigious was opened for public on 4 December 1924 by the Viceroy, the Earl of Reading. Mainly, the construction composition of the monument consists of reinforced concrete and yellow basalt and brings together the combination of Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. The diameter of the central dome is 15 m and the archway is 26 m high. From this gateway, people can take a ferry boat to Elephanta Caves, or luxury boats that take visitors around the harbor. To the front of the gateway is a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Tourists can hire taxis, autos, or by boarding buses from elsewhere in the city; be its city center, downtown or the suburbs to reach the Gateway of India..
Heritage Buildings
Mumbai is home to some of the most artistic and attractive heritage buildings where you can gaze and set your eyes over amazing works of intricate colonial architecture. The Gothic-looking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum (formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum) in the Kala Ghoda art precinct, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus (CST)) railway station, the Bombay High Court and the buildings of Horniman Circle in the Fort area. The feature of Horniman Circle is its huge gardens, which is a spot that provides peace to the mind amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Also, have a wander past the historic 18th-century homes in Khotachiwadi village.
Iskon Temple
There are around 400 iskon temples all across the world build by Krishna devotees and the Mumbai Iskon is one of the 400. ISKCON stands for International Society of Krishna Consciousness. Poularly known as the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple, it was established in the year 1978. This name dates back to the fact that the temple was established under the Hare Krishna Movement founded by his Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The Iskon Temple has been made up of white marble. The temple looks breathtaking both from the inside as well as outside. There is an inbuilt publishing house, guest house and a restaurant serving Vaishnavite food inside the temple itself. The walls of the temple are adorned with scenic paintings. Aimed to preach the sayings of Bhagwad Gita, the presiding deity of this temple has Radha Rasabihariji.
The most lively and best time to visit the Iskcon Temple is during Janamashtmi, the celebration of Lord Krishna’s birthday, which falls in the month of August or September. Millions of devotees from all over the world visit the temple during Janmashtami. There is a robot show as well, presented in the temple.
Nearest train stations to the temple are Vile Parle (West) or Andheri (West). From either of the two, auto rickshaws and taxis are available to travel to the site.
Siddhivinayak Temple
Situated at Prabhadevi, the Siddhivinayak Temple is Lord Ganesha’s temple. The temple is known by names like ‘Navasala Pavanara Ganapati’ or ‘Navasacha Ganapati’ among Mumbaikars. Though it is a very old temple (built in the 18th century), it was visited by a large number of devotees only after 1952. The first time the temple witnessed a large number of devotees was in the year 1965 so much so that people waiting in long queues were seen and now, the twmple gets a large number of visitors per day and people have to wait for their turn for hours.
Inside the temple is an idol of Hindu God ‘Ganesha’ that is carved out of a single black stone. It is 2 feet 6 inches high and 2 feet wide, with the trunk on the right. The upper left and right hands of the idol hold an axe and a lotus, respectively. Lower left and right hands hold a bowl full of ‘Modak’ and a rosary (japmala), respectively. Idols of Riddhi and Siddhi Goddesses are placed on either side of the main idol.
The nearest station to the temple is the Dadar station from where the station is hardly 10 minutes’ walk away. Any mode of transport can be used to reach the temple.
Bandra Worli Sea Link
The famous Bandra Worli Sea Link, also known as the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, is a cable-stayed bridge linking Bandra to western suburbs of Mumbai. One part of the sea link was opened for public on 24th March 2009; however, it was completely opened on 1st July 2009. The Sea Link was inaugurated by Smt. Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of UPA. It garners a huge tourist attraction because of the sea link.
This sea link is the first phase of the project initiated by the Mumbai government to start a West Island Freeway System. The link has 8 lanes for traffic to operate and caters to around 37500 vehicles per day. The link has reduced the time taken to travel from Bandra to Worli by a big margin. The whole journey of 8 km, which earlier used to take 45 to 60 minutes, can now be completed in just 7 to 10 minutes.
Tourists can reach the place from either of the two sides of the link. Nearest bus depot is Bandra (2 km) and the nearest train station to the link is Bandra Railway station (5 km). Taxis and auto rickshaws are among other available modes of transport.
Marine Drive
Marine Drive is a major representative of Mumbai. The place attracts a huge number of visitors and tourists on a daily basis. It is a skilfully laid-out boulevard, stretching along the coastline of Arabian Sea in South Mumbai. Built in an inverted C shape, this 3 km long concrete road connects the Nariman Point to Malabar Hills. Officially, it is named as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road. People come here to see sunsets and that is a reason why it is also known as ‘the sunset point’ among people. The road is lined by palm trees, which make it, appear like a beautiful walkway that is perfect to take a stroll. Besides, the road also houses plenty of hotels alongside that have the highest real estate prices in India in today’s time. To the north is the Chowpatty Beach, which is famous among Mumbaikars and travelers for local fast food.
The nearest local station to the Marine Drive is the Churchgate Station. Tourists can either walk to the road from the station or take up taxis, auto rickshaws, buses or even a tanga.
Haji Ali Dargah
Built-in 1431 in the memory of Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, Haji Ali Dargah is one of the most visited places in Mumbai. The popular shrine is visited by over 40,000 people on all days, particularly Thursdays and Fridays. The dargah remains closed at the time of high tide as it is located near the sea and has high chances of being harmed.The Indo-Islamic style of architecture is represented by the dargah. It consists of a narrow pathway from the Worli bay that connects the shrine with the city. It is just a 500-yard walk for the devotees from the bay to the shrine.
Tourists can reach the shrine by any means of transport- taking taxis, auto rickshaws or buses to the Worli bay and then walking up to the dargah. The nearest railway station is Worli station; hence, people can also board on trains to reach the site. From the station, any means of public transport can be used to reach the bay, from where the dargah is just 500 yards’ walk away.