MUMBAI
General Information about Mumbai

Mumbai is the glamour of Bollywood cinema, cricket on the maidans on weekends, bhelpuri on the beach at Chowpatty and red double-decker buses. It is also the infamous cages of the red-light district, Asia's largest slums, communalist politics and powerful mafia dons. This tug of war for the city's soul is played out against a Victorian townscape more reminiscent of a prosperous 19th century English industrial city than anything you'd expect to find on the edge of the Arabian Sea.

An island connected by bridges to the mainland, Mumbai is the industrial hub of everything from textiles to petrochemicals, and responsible for half of India's foreign trade. But while it aspires to be another Singapore, it's also a magnet for the rural poor. It's these new migrants who are continually re-shaping the city, making sure Mumbai keeps one foot in its hinterland and the other in the global marketplace.
 

Orientation
Mumbai is located on India's central-western coast along the Arabian Sea. The city developed for 150 years in isolation from its hinterland and still seems to belong in a different world to the huge, predominantly Hindu state of Maharashtra which encompasses a 500km (310mi) coastal strip, a portion of the Western Ghats and a significant part of the Deccan plateau. The Western Ghats (literally, steps) start to rise just north of Mumbai and run parallel to the coast. They have an average elevation of 915m (3001ft) and are covered with tropical and temperate evergreen forests and mixed deciduous forest and harbour a rich array of plant and animal life, including 27% of India's flowering plants.

Mumbai itself is an island connected by bridges to the mainland. The principal part of the city is concentrated at the southern claw-shaped end of the island. The southernmost peninsula is known as Colaba and this is where most travellers gravitate since it has a decent range of hotels and restaurants and two of the city's best landmarks, the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel. Directly north of Colaba is the area known as the Fort, since this is where the old British fort once stood. Further west is Marine Drive, which sweeps around Back Bay, connecting the high-rise modern business centre with Chowpatty Beach. To the north are the suburbs of Greater Mumbai. Here you'll find the two airports, Sahar International and the domestic Santa Cruz.

Disclaimer: Although we've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with the relevant authorities before you travel. This includes information on visa requirements, health and safety, customs, and transportation.

PLACE OF ATTRACTION
Bombay University
The University of Mumbai (known earlier as University of Bombay) is one of the oldest and premier Universities in India. It was established in 1857 consequent upon "Wood's Education Dispatch".

As a sequel to the change in the name of the city from Bombay to Mumbai, the name of the University has been changed from "University of Bombay " to "University of Mumbai " ,provide notification issued by the Government of Maharashtra and published in the Government Gazette dated 4th September, 1996.

The profile of this University carved out in 142 years of its functioning attests to its manifold achievements as the intellectual and moral powerhouse of the society. The University has always given its best to the country in general and to the city of  Mumbai in particular by enthusiastically shouldering an ever-growing load of social values and opportunities  Initially, the University concentrated its efforts on controlling teaching at the undergraduate level and in conducting examinations. Later on it took up the task of imparting instructions at the Post-Graduate level. This resulted in the establishment of the University Departments beginning with the School of Sociology and Civics & Politics. The independence of the country led to the re-organization of the functions and powers of the University with the passing of the Bombay University Act of 1953.i.

Chowpatty Beach
Is in the heart of Mumbai. Chowpatty has rich historical links to the freedom movement. Several important meetings were organized here during the freedom struggle. At present, this is where images of Ganesha are immersed after the ten days of Ganesh Chaturthi. Though the beaches remain empty throughout the day, it is a hub of activity in the evenings. On this beach the most famous are the kiosks. These stalls sell all kinds of chatt, tikki and the famous bhelpuri of Chowpatty. On the beach itself is a small colony of the original inhabitants of Mumbai, The Koli fishermen who can be seen drying their catch or mending their nets. Statues of Lokmanya Tilak and Sardar Patel, two of the most outstanding Maharashtrian freedom fighters, stand on the beach.

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