Mumbai City Guides

Mumbai formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, the most populous city of India, and by some measures the most populous city in the world with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2007). Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra. Along with its neighbouring suburbs, it forms the world's fifth most populous metropolitan area with a population of about 20 million. The metro population ranking is projected to rise to 4th in the world by 2015 due to an annual growth rate of 2.2%. The city has a deep natural harbour and the port handles over half of India's passenger traffic and a significant amount of cargo.

Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India, and houses important financial institutions, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. Mumbai has attracted migrants from all over India because of the immense business opportunities, and the relatively high standard of living, making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures. The city is home to India's Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood. Mumbai is also one of the few cities that accommodates a national park, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits.

Climate of Mumbai

The climate of the city, being in the tropical zone, and near the Arabian Sea, may be broadly classified into two main seasons — the humid season, and the dry season. The humid season, between March and October, is characterized by high humidity and temperatures of over 30 °C (86 °F). The monsoon rains lash the city between June to September, and supply most of the city's annual rainfall of 2,200 mm (85 inches). The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 mm (135.89 inches) in 1954. The highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 mm (37.16 inches) on 2005-07-26.

The dry season, between November and February, is characterized by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill during January and February. Annual temperatures range from a high of 38 °C (100 °F) to a low of 11 °C (52 °F). The record high is 43.3 °C (110 °F) and record low is 7.4 °C (45 °F) on 1962-01-22.[20] Mumbai's mean monthly temperatures in middle summer (May) is 33°C (91°F) & in middle winter (January) it drops to 19°C (67°F). Due to humidity & overall weather pattern, people do not suffer from any extremity in weather with exception of Monsoon in some cases—ie. floods.

People and culture

A resident of Mumbai is called a Mumbaikar, or Bombayite. Many residents live close to major railway stations for easy access to their workplaces, as a significant amount of time is spent on daily commuting. Thus, many live a fast-paced life. Mumbai residents celebrate Indian and Western festivals with great fanfare. Among the popular festivals celebrated in the city are Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali, Holi, Ramazan, Dahi Handi, and Mount Mary Carnival.

The metropolis has its own local roadside fast food flavour, comprising vada pav (leavened wheat bread split in half, with fried dumplings as filling), panipuri (deep fried crêpe with tamarind and lentil sauce), paav bhaji (leavened wheat bread accompanied with fried vegetables), sandwich (White sandwich bread with butter hot sauce (Chutney) tomato, potatoes, onions, cucumber and beetroot) and bhelpuri (puffed rice mixture), while South Indian and Indian Chinese are also very popular. The cosmopolitan residents have unique tastes in cuisine, music, film and literature, both Indian and international. Mumbai has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Elephanta Caves.

Geography of Mumbai

Mumbai is located on Salsette Island which lies at the mouth of Ulhas River off the western coast of India in the coastal region known as the Konkan. Most of Mumbai is at sea level and the average elevation ranges from 10 to 15 metres. The northern part of Mumbai is hilly and the highest point of the city is at 450 metres (1,450 feet). Mumbai spans a total area of 468 km? (169 square miles).

Three lakes are located within the metropolitan limits ? the Tulsi Lake, Vihar Lake and the Powai Lake. The first two are located within the Borivali National Park and supply part of the city's drinking water. Mumbai also has three small rivers within the city limits originating in the National Park. The coastline of the city is indented with numerous creeks and bays. On the eastern seaboard, large mangrove swamps rich in biodiversity occupy most of the region.