Mumbai is a city that never sleeps. This is the most ideal place for the people who want to feel fresh young and rejuvenated. Brimming with discotheques, Restaurants and night clubs Mumbai in actual is the Las Vegas of India. Mumbai is a city where every night seems like a festival night.

The major sights of the city are the Gateway of India – a 262 ft high gateway of overlooking the sea, built to commemorate the visit of king George V and queen Mary in 1911. Also visit Rajabai Clock Tower, the high in the Gothic architectural style, Hanging Gardens, the Aquarium and Marine Drive (also known) as "Queens Necklace". The street lights shinning like jewels at night.

Mumbai formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India, with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006)[1]. 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 city has a deep natural harbour and the port handles over half of India's passenger traffic and a significant amount of cargo.[2]

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 rare cities to accommodate a national park, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits.

Present-day Mumbai was originally an archipelago of seven islands. Artefacts found near Kandivali, in northern Mumbai indicate that these islands had been inhabited since the Stone Age.[5] Documented evidence of human habitation dates back to 250 BC, when it was known as Heptanesia (Ptolemy) (Ancient Greek: A Cluster of Seven Islands). In the 3rd century BCE, the islands formed part of the Maurya Empire, ruled by the Buddhist emperor, Aşoka. The Hindu rulers of the Silhara Dynasty later governed the islands until 1343, when the kingdom of Gujarat annexed them. Some of the oldest edifices of the archipelago – the Elephanta Caves and the Walkeshwar temple complex date from this era.

In 1534, the Portuguese appropriated the islands from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, naming them Bom Baia, Portuguese for "good bay". They were ceded to Charles II of England in 1661, as dowry for Catherine de Braganza. These islands, were in turn leased to the British East India Company in 1668 for a sum of £10 per annum. The company found the deep harbour on the east coast of the islands to be ideal for setting up their first port in the sub-continent. The population quickly rose from 10,000 in 1661, to 60,000 in 1675; In 1687, the British East India Company transferred its headquarters from Surat to Bombay. The city eventually became the headquarters of the Bombay Presidency.

From 1817 onwards, the city was reshaped with large civil engineering projects aimed at merging all the islands in the archipelago into a single amalgamated mass. This project, known as the Hornby Vellard, was completed by 1845, and resulted in the total area swelling to 438 km².In 1853, India's first passenger railway line was established, connecting Bombay to the town of Thane. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the city became the world's chief cotton trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy and subsequently enhancing the city's stature. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea.[6]

Over the next thirty years, the city grew into a major urban centre, spurred by an improvement in infrastructure and the construction of many of the city's institutions. The population of the city swelled to one million by 1906, making it the second largest in India after Calcutta. As capital of the Bombay Presidency, it was a major base for the Indian independence movement, with the Quit India Movement called by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 being its most rubric event. After India's independence in 1947, it became the capital of Bombay State. In the 1950 the city expanded to its present limits by incorporating parts of Salsette island which lay to the north.

After 1955, when the State of Bombay was being reorganized along linguistic lines into the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, there was a demand that the city be constituted as an autonomous city-state. However, the Samyukta Maharashtra movement opposed this, and insisted that Mumbai be declared the capital of Maharashtra. , Maharashtra state was formed with Mumbai as its capital on May 1, 1960.

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. Much 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)[8]. Mumbai spans a total area of 468 km² (169 mi²).

Three lakes are located within the metropolitan limits — the Tulsi Lake, Vihar Lake and 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. The eastern seaboard of Salsette Island is covered with large mangrove swamps, rich in biodiversity.

Soil cover in the city region is predominantly sandy due to its proximity to the sea. In the suburbs, the soil cover is largely alluvial and loamy. The underlying rock of the region is composed of black Deccan basalt flows, and their acid and basic variants dating back to the late Cretaceous and early Eocene eras. Mumbai sits on a seismically active zone[9] owing to the presence of three fault lines in the vicinity. The area is classified as a Zone III region, which means an earthquake of up to magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale may be expected.

Mumbai is classified as a metropolis of India, under the jurisdiction of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation. It consists of two distinct regions — the city and the suburbs, which also form two separate districts of Maharashtra. The city region is also commonly referred to as the Island City[10].

The Gateway of India

The ceremonial arch was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary. Complete with four turrets and intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone, Gateway of India is the most famous monument and starting point for most tourists who want to explore the city. It is situated on the Apollo Bunder.

Elephanta Island

Elephanta Cave Island - 10 Kms across Bombay harbour is a small island called Elephanta or Gharpure. It contains a fine cluster of 6th-8th century rock cut caves. The sculptures are beatifully executed and the most outstanding of these is the Mahesmurthy or Trimurthi, a five metre (18 ft) high three headed bust hewn from a single rock. Representing the three aspects of Shiva, viz. The creator. The preserver and the destroyer.

Prince of Wales Museum

Built in 1914, the Prince of Wales Museum is surrounded by a beautiful landscape making an ideal getaway from the busy lifestyle of the city. One of the best museums in the country, it is a treasure house of art, sculpture, china, rare coins, and old firearms. It also houses priceless collection of miniature paintings.

Marine Drive

Overlooking the Marine Drive are the beautiful Kamala Nehru Park and the Hanging Gardens. This is one most ideal place to hangout in the evening.

Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus is an imposing structure formerly known as Victoria Terminus. Built in 1888, designed by Frederick William Stevenson, the entire façade is covered by sculpture of animals and birds.

By Air

Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bangalore, Bhopla, Bhubaneswar, Calcutta, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kathmandu, Lucknow, Madurai, Patna, Trivandrum, Udaipur, Varanasi, Vishakapatnam.

By Rail

Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Bangalore, Madras, Cochin, Delhi, Gwalior, Jhansi, Calcutta, Trivandrum, Varanasi.

By Road

One can easily reach Mumbai by road from the neighbouring states.

Shopping in Mumbai is a memorable experience as you wander through its Bazaars with striking names like Chor Bazar, Mutton Street and Zaveri Bazar. At Chor Bazar you'll find a phenomenal collection of antiques, jewellery, wooden articles, leatherware and general bric-a-brac.