When in Mumbai
Mumbai is the original city of contrasts. Few other major cities in the world offer the visitor as much urbane glamour, fascinating history or deprivation. With a population of 12 million, an estimated half of whom live on the streets, Mumbai is a noisy, chaotic and often upsetting city. But contrasted with this are the magnificent skyscrapers of the business district, the glitz of Bollywood and the colonial and pre-colonial history that is demonstrated in Mumbai's many wonderful buildings.
The layout of today's city, which is built on seven islands, is mainly down to the British occupation during the Victorian era. Having gained control of large parts of western India in 1818 from the Marathas, the British got to work on a massive rebuilding scheme of the city in 1864, much of which remains today.
The British relationship with Bombay, however, goes back to the 1660s, when it took possession of the seven islands before leasing them back to the East India Company. Many different immigrant groups, particularly Muslim Gujaratis, south Indian Hindus and Zoroastrian Parsis flocked to the region in the coming years as they tried to escape persecution ?explaining the cultural diversity that can be found in Mumbai today.
Bombay was at the forefront of the calls for independence and launched the Quit India campaign in 1942, five years before the last of the British forces left. Today, the city's multicultural make-up causes continued troubles between Hindu and Muslim groups, most recently in the train bombings of July 2006, thought to have been the work of a Kashmiri militant group.
Mumbai is the focal point for domestic flights, meaning it is easy to jet in from other parts of the country. The domestic Santa Cruz airport is 16 miles from central Mumbai while travellers flying in from abroad will come in to Chhatrapati Shivaji, 19 miles from the centre. A free shuttle link connects the two airports while for those wanting to get in to town, autorickshaws will take you to either Andheri or Vile Parle railway stations, from where it is a short train journey in to town.
Taking the train around India is quite an experience and one worth attempting at some point. From Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), trains head to the east and south of the country, with a few going north. From Mumbai Central, all trains travel north, with Delhi and Rajasthan among the destinations.
If you are looking to go to Chennai, however, you must depart from Dadar, a few stops north of CST.
Arriving by bus is another option. Private operators, which generally offer a faster and more comfortable service than state buses, leave to all points on the compass from Anadrao Nair Road, close to Mumbai Central station. State buses also depart to a myriad of destinations from Mumbai Central bus terminal.
Getting around Mumbai is a simple, if crowded business, thanks to the city's train services. The suburban railway has stops in many of the major tourist spots, with the service heading north from Churchgate one of the most useful to know about. The city's red double decker buses may look appealing, but soon enough you'll find yourself stuck in traffic. The same goes for taxis, although at night congestion clears up somewhat.
If arriving in Mumbai, during the Monsoon season, which runs roughly from July to September, it will be wet. If you're not a fan of hot weather either, give the March to October period a miss too, as temperatures can get up as high as 38°C.
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Introduction
