Mumbai City

Mumbai 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 Falsetto Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra. Along with its neighboring suburbs, it forms the world's fifth most populous metropolitan area with a population of about 20 million. The city has a deep natural harbor 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 rare cities to accommodate a national park, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits

Climate

The winter months (November to February) are the the best time to visit Mumbai, when temperatures range between 23 and 30°C. The spring and summer months are uncomfortably hot with humidity and temperatures often reaching 40°C. The monsoons arrive in July and August and these months should be avoided if possible

Religion and festivals

An innumerable list of traditional, religious and state festivals are organized and celebrated in Mumbai. Many of these festivals such as Makar Sankranti, Holi, Mahavir Jayanthi, Muharram, Nag Panchami, Nariyal Poornima, Gokulashtami, Mahashivaratri etc. are celebrated nation wide. Most of these festivals are associated with religion but a few of the celebrations are plainly secular. The fairsand festivals particularly associated with Mumbaities are Kala Khoda Fair and Festival, Banganga Festival, Elephanta Festival, Ganesh Chathurthi, Bandra Fair, Nariyal Poornima, Parsi New Year etc.
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Transport

Most of Mumbai's inhabitants rely on public transport to travel to and from their workplace due to the lack of car parking spaces, traffic bottlenecks, and generally poor road conditions. The city is the headquarters of two rail divisions – the Central Railway (CR) (headquartered at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as Victoria Terminus)), and the Western Railway (WR) (headquartered near Churchgate). The backbone of the city's transport, the Mumbai Suburban Railway, is composed of three separate networks running the length of the city, in a north-south direction. The Western Railway runs along the western region of the city, while the Central Railway covers most of the central and northeast parts of the metropolis. Both lines extend into the exurbs, each covering a total one-way length of around 125 km. The Harbour Line is a sub-division of the Central Railway, covering a distance of 54 km along the south-eastern section of the city, near the docks, and extending into Navi Mumbai (New Bombay). Mumbai is well connected by trains to all parts of India.

Public buses run by the BEST (an autonomous body under the BMC) cover almost all parts of the metropolis, as well as parts of Navi Mumbai and Thane. Buses are used for commuting short to medium distances, while train fares are more economical for long distance commutes. The BEST fleet consists of single-decker, double-decker and air-conditioned.

Black and yellow-metered taxis, accommodating up to four passengers, cover most of the metropolis. Auto rickshaws, allowed to operate only in the suburban areas, are the main form of hired transport here. These three-wheeled vehicles can accommodate up to three passengers.

Mumbai's Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (formerly, Sahar International Airport) is the busiest airport in India, and caters to cargo and international flights while Santacruz Airport caters to domestic flights. The nearby Juhu aerodrome was India's first airport, and now hosts a flying club and a heliport. With its unique topography, Mumbai has one of the best natural harbours in the world, handling 50% of the country's passenger traffic, and much of India's cargo. It is also an important base for the Indian Navy

Education

Schools in Mumbai are either "municipal schools" (run by the BMC) or private schools (run by trusts and individuals). A majority of residents prefer private schools because of better infrastructure and the use of English as a medium of instruction. All private schools are affiliated either to the Maharashtra State SSC board, or the all-India Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) boards. Demand is especially high for ICSE and CBSE affiliated schools, and those run by convents or the Jesuits. The government run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only option for poorer residents who cannot afford the more expensive private schools.

Under the 10+2+3 plan, students complete ten years of schooling, and then enroll for two years in Junior College, where they choose from one of three streams: Arts, Commerce or Science. This is followed by either a general degree course in a chosen field of study, or a professional degree course, such as law, engineering, medicine etc. All professional colleges in Mumbai are affiliated to the University of Mumbai, one of the largest universities in the world in terms of graduation rate. The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, one of India's premier engineering schools, and the SNDT Women's University are the other universities in Mumbai

Shopping

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.

Crawford market, famous for flowers, fruits, meat and fish, is certainly place worth capturing on your camera. Zaveri Bazar offers excellent range of jewellery items. For colourful and innovative carpets one should head for Mereweather Road behind Taj Mahal Hotel. Here the range is extensive, exclusive and the prices slightly higher. To be on the safer side, one could, however check at the Jammu and Kashmir Emporium first. Several state emporia in the World Trade Centre, at Cuffe Parade are an ideal place to buy souvenir, a rare artifact or textiles. The Central Cottage Industries Emporium (Apollo Bunder) and Khadi Village Industries Emporium (D.N.Road) with their fixed price tags, are genuine and of superb quality

Colaba and Flora Fountain (Hutatama Chowk) in the heart of South Mumbai and walking distance from Bombay V.T and Churchgate Railway Stations are full of shopping of all kinds, mainly ethnic artifacts and departmental stores.

Walk into Fashion Street and shop for your new summer wardrobe. The street is close to the famous Metro Cinema and Dhobi Talao.

For those who look for the glamorous the ideal place to shell out some money would be Kemps Corner, Warden Road, Breach Candy and Napean Sea Road. Bandra, the so-called Queen of Suburbs is the residential abode of Mumbai, film stars, industrialists and the likes. Linking Road joins Bandra to Khar and is lined up on both sides with showrooms for the elite. But the striking contest here is the pavement selling which adds to the thrill while you walk out of a posh showroom.

The famous essence of perfume industry in India had its prime ingredient called Itar. Although the Itar is now only concentrated towards Kanuj in U.P. right here in Mumbai you could get a sample of it the way it used to be. Yes, walk into the famous Mohammed Ali Road and shop to your heart's content for Itar, embroidery and Zari work besides artefacts and souvenirs