This amazing Bombay (Mumbai). Mumbai or still Bombay? Difficult choice Origin of the city name

Using the example of the largest slum of this city, Dharavi. More than a million people live on an area of 215 hectares (according to some sources, 3 million people live here), and there are also various social institutions and industries. A blogger who recently visited Mumbai talks about how life goes in this area.

Let's start from the very bottom. The poorest residents of Bombay live in tents. Tents are built near the sea or very close to railways, where it is impossible to build normal houses. This is also where they cook, where they throw out garbage and wash dishes.

The life of such tents is short-lived, they are blown away by the wind, and they burn down when residents try to keep warm on a cold night.

In some places you can find entire blocks of rags, tarpaulins, and plywood.

A courtyard in one of the blocks of such slums.

Local residents.

Despite the dirt around, the residents themselves try to take care of themselves, their clothes are clean, everyone washes regularly, the girls dress up. If you meet them in another place, you wouldn’t even think that they could live in tents in the middle of a garbage dump.

They also try to maintain cleanliness in the dwellings themselves and the passages between them.

Basic type bombay slums- these are these multi-story houses made of metal sheets and plywood. It all starts with one-story houses, and then grows upward. I've seen 10-story slums!

On the left is one of the blocks

It is impossible to understand these houses. Nobody knows where one ends and the other begins. Of course, there are no addresses here and these houses are not on any map of the world.

Such slums are terribly picturesque!

Let's go inside. Narrow passages where it is sometimes difficult for two people to pass each other. Almost no sunlight gets here. Numerous stairs that lead to the upper floors.

Entrance to one of the dwellings. The home here is actually a bedroom-living room. They eat, cook, relieve themselves on the street.

Minor needs are relieved wherever necessary

Another type of slum is along railways.

They are built in close proximity to the railway.

Indian train is coming

Slum dwellers run off the tracks. I wonder if anyone keeps statistics on how many people die here under the wheels of a train?

The rails are often used as the only road to get out of the anthill of the slums.

Children play on the rails

The outskirts of the slums and the famous big pipe

Look how cozy it is!

One of the courtyards

The White house.

Some slums are located on the banks of rivers and canals. In ordinary cities, the proximity of a river or seashore is rather a plus. In India it's the other way around. Garbage is dumped into rivers, beaches are used as large toilets, so the poorest sections of society live on the banks.

Sometimes the river is not visible because everything is littered with garbage.

Please note that garbage here is thrown directly from the back door of one of the houses. That is, people could live on the banks of the canal, but they decided to live near a stinking garbage dump.

This is also a canal completely filled with garbage. Somewhere down there there is water flowing... The garbage is decomposing and rotting, the stench is terrible.

But people like it!

Here is such a resident. The monkey turned out to be evil and almost ate me!

Let's take a look inside the home. As you can see, it is very clean there.

Living room

Some houses house tailoring or food preparation businesses. Maybe your favorite jeans are made here somewhere!

Now the slums are being actively developed. They are building on the site of dilapidated houses multi-story houses, instead of narrow passages they make overpasses. So, soon you will only be able to see the famous slums of Bombay in old photographs.

Be sure to take a walk here

You will not regret.

I won't give bad advice.

Tomorrow Bombay will be like this!

When I was planning a trip to India, I budgeted only a day for Bombay: I flew in from Goa in the evening, and flew from Bombay to Calcutta the next evening. I decided that one day of light would be enough for Bombay, but in the end I was greatly mistaken: the city is absolutely magnificent and majestic. And not so much even for its monumental British (Victorian) buildings, but for the amazing mixture of cultures and architectural styles of the city as a whole. We will make an allowance for the fact that this is far from " a quiet harbor", where you can relax and enjoy the aura. This is a gigantic 25 million metropolis full of poverty and garbage, critically overpopulated, with a bunch of inter-religious problems (70% Hindus, 20% Muslims, 5% Christians, 5% Buddhists) overloaded with transport and with a depressing environmental situation. India, her mother! And yet, I liked Bombay more than anything, I would like to return here. The city, by the way, is quite young: it was founded by the British in 1672 (it is significant that the British East India Company). bought this land from the Portuguese, who landed in India a hundred years earlier), it remains to this day the business and financial capital of India, leaving even Delhi behind in this context.

One of the symbols of Bombay (and India as a whole) is the Gateway of India monument, or Gateway to India. A lot has been written about it in guidebooks and I won’t repeat it. Let me just say that this massive gate in the very center of Bombay was erected by the British in 1924 as a symbol of their colonial greatness and conquest of India. It is ironic that just 23 years later the last British soldiers were leaving India in a hurry after independence.

Opposite the Gateway to India stands the classic and most expensive hotel in the city, the Taj Mahal Palace, also business card Bombay. By the way, it has nothing to do with the British and was built in 1903 by the richest man in India and the founder of the Tata corporation (almost the entire Indian industry is part of his empire), Jamshedji Nasserwanji Tata. It is believed that he, being offended by the disrespectful attitude towards himself (due to the color of his skin) from the staff in a London hotel, decided to create a hotel of a level of chic that Europe had not seen. And he succeeded; at the beginning of the 20th century it was certainly one of best hotels peace.

On November 26, 2008, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel became the scene of a bloody drama when dozens of Islamic militants attacked the hotel and took scores of tourists hostage. During the storming of the hotel by the Indian army and police, 37 people were killed and the building was seriously damaged, below are a couple of photographs from those days -

In my opinion, the main Train Station Bombay's Victoria Terminus (nowadays renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) is the most beautiful architectural monument of Mumbai. Moreover, having traveled to a bunch of countries around the world, I have never seen such a majestic station -

The station was built by the British in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It is logical that for Indians this “significant” day has absolutely no value, but rather reminds of colonialism. But the building itself is beautiful, you must agree!

By the way, below Supreme Court(High court), also built at the end of the 19th century -

What do children play? Something like tic-tac-toe?

At nearby Bombay University, youth celebrated the founding of a new political party and declared their intention to actively fight corruption -

The taxi driver is sleeping, but the service is going on -

Scientists are resting -

Street entertainment -

Sugarcane juice -

By the way, the place below is called Oval Maidan (hello to Kyiv), where Bombay residents play cricket -

You know, in less than a full day in Bombay, I managed to see quite a lot, for example, the tomb of Haji Ali, located in the northwestern part of Bombay on an island. But more about that next time -

And, yes, about “burning ass” (not to be confused with diarrhea!), it’s downright embarrassing to say. Fellow travelers, is it just me who experiences a similar natural phenomenon from highly spicy Indian food? Who understood me on the topic, and who didn’t - it’s awkward to translate, the topic is painfully intimate :)

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Mumbai is the largest Indian cities, on its vast territory Indian flavor and the architectural heritage of the British are closely intertwined. Those who want to plunge into the world of new experiences, enjoy the atmosphere of a large city and at the same time see ancient sights should consider a trip to this unique Indian Manhattan. Features of holidays in Mumbai in 2019, attractions, entertainment and prices, you can learn from the article in order to better plan your trip to this stunning city.

Brief historical background

The history of settlement of this area goes back deep into the Stone Age. The settlements were located on seven islands. During the colonization of India, at the very beginning of the 16th century, a Portuguese settlement was founded here.

In the 17th century, the islands became a dowry for a princess who was married to the King of England, and the enterprising ruler leased them to the East India Company. At this time, Mumbai harbor became an important point on the maps of merchants, and the military was also based here. In the last third of the 17th century, the city became similar to the one that stands here to this day. Then it was called Bombay - this name thundered throughout the world.

In subsequent centuries, the city's infrastructure developed: roads were built, industrial enterprises appeared, and transport developed. Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century the city became a million-plus population. Residents of the city actively participated in the movement for the independence of the country, and in the middle of the century locality finally became Indian.

Planning a trip to Mumbai: transport and accommodation

How to get there and how to get around?

Air travel is the only option to get from Russia to Mumbai. A one-way ticket will cost at least 170 euros. There are no direct flights. Depending on which company the flight is on, the transfer may be in Istanbul, Arabian Dubai or other cities. international Airport Chhatrapati Shivaji is the leader among Indian airports by the number of accepted flights and passenger traffic. It consists of two terminals located one kilometer from each other. Free shuttles are a means of transporting passengers between terminals. Terminal 1 serves domestic flights, Terminal 2 serves international flights.

By the way, each of the terminals, in turn, is divided into two parts.

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is 30 km from the city. The most convenient way to get to the center of Mumbai is by taxi.

Taxi payments are only possible in cash. national currency, and in international terminal There are no ATMs. Therefore, it is worth making a preliminary exchange in exchange offices airport.

Option 1: Order a car at a special counter in the airport building. The cost of the trip is paid immediately.
Option 2: Use a metered airport taxi. The benefit compared to the first option will only be in case of a long trip.
Option 3: Catch a taxi on the street. The cost of the trip will depend on your bargaining ability.

An alternative to a taxi is to take a bus to railway station Vile Parle, then by train to the central part of the city. You should not use this option in the morning and evening hours, when the trains are very crowded. The ticket class must be at least first if you want to travel comfortably.

How to get around the city?

Mumbai Metro is a popular way to travel local population and an attraction for tourists. The train consists of first and second class carriages. A second class ticket costs INR 10 and a first class ticket costs INR 80. There are special carriages for women and men.

A more comfortable way to travel is by taxi. And for those traveling in a large group - it’s also cheaper. So, a trip along a route of 20 kilometers will cost about 350 rupees.

Besides these, Mumbai has buses, rickshaws and water transport. It is worth traveling by bus if you plan to leave the city or go to another locality. A motorized rickshaw is a unique way to move around the city with interest during the trip itself, but you should remember that not all drivers have a clear conscience, so it is worth agreeing on the price clearly and in advance. On water transport You can take a ride to admire the city from the water and listen to the tour.

Where to stay and where is the best place to live?

Previously, the city consisted of 7 separate islands, which were later united into one settlement with centralized management.

Areas of modern Mumbai:

South Mumbai is the oldest district where elite housing of the richest Indians is concentrated, interesting tourist sites, museums, exhibitions, and restaurants are collected. This area is the commercial center of the country.
The southern center of Mumbai - office buildings, the only tourist attraction is the zoo.
North Central Mumbai is a middle-class and immigrant residential area.
The outskirts in the west are a residential area of wealthy Indians, there are several beaches.
The central area is a residential area, unremarkable for tourists.
The harbor area is Mumbai's atomic research centre.
North Mumbai – beaches that are clean by Indian standards, ancient temples.

Mumbai is full of hospitality establishments to suit every taste. India is popular among tourists who love adventure and are willing to sacrifice the European level of comfort in order to save money and see more. interesting places. And in Mumbai it is quite possible to stay in an inexpensive hostel, where a night will cost about 500 rubles. However, not everyone wants to sacrifice comfort.

There are also mid-price establishments in the city: a night in a three-star hotel in the city center will cost approximately 1,500 rubles per person. Finally, there are some amazing five star hotels, not many in India but Mumbai has a good selection. So, in the city center you can stay in a hotel of an international chain, where there will be a rooftop bar, a swimming pool, a spa and fitness center, as well as a European level of comfort in the rooms. This will cost the traveler approximately 10,000 rubles per day.

Travel to Mumbai: where to go, what to do and what to see?

Attractions in Mumbai

Variety is what makes holidays in Mumbai, India different in 2019. For connoisseurs of Indian culture, architecture and history, sights of various types are presented here.

First of all, it is worth remembering that this is a city with ancient history, with stunning nature, and therefore in Mumbai there are many standing places for visiting by tourists.

Definitely worth a visit Elephanta Island, famous for its cave temples and annoying monkeys. A trip as part of an excursion will cost 2000 rupees. You can get there on your own by tourist ferry for 160 rupees. It departs from the pier near the India Gate monument. Caves on the island are included in the list world heritage UNESCO, you can admire stone sculptures and rock paintings, the earliest of which date back to the 5th century.

Historical Quarter Kala Goda– a must-see place for lovers of museums and exhibitions. The most popular and largest museum is the Prince of Wales Museum with an attached gallery - a venue for exhibitions of Indian artists. In addition, this quarter will appeal to all lovers of colonial architecture; it is the center of the architecture of this period.

It's worth admiring buildings of the University of Mumbai and the Supreme Court. The University of Mumbai was built in the 19th century and is currently one of the most prestigious in the country. It is of interest from an architectural point of view: the monumental building is decorated with elegant, carved decorative elements. And the Supreme Court is somewhat reminiscent of a medieval castle, only it is surrounded by a park with palm trees - a suitable place for walks in the hottest hours.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Station, formerly known as Victoria Station, looks more like a palace. This example of Victorian Gothic architecture has been active since the 1990s. The neo-Gothic base is complemented by Indo-Saracenic elements; the station is not only worth using for its intended purpose, but you can simply admire it.

Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, whose construction began at the end of the 19th century, has rich history and is an example of a successful mixture of Indian, Florentine, Moorish and victorian styles. Now it is one of the most luxurious hotels in the whole world. By the way, you can still stay there - for about 11,000 rubles per day per person.

India Gate Arch was erected at the beginning of the 20th century in honor of the visit of the British royal family.

If you get tired of contemplating majestic buildings, then you can go closer to nature. Malabar Hill, with those located there hanging gardens, Jogeshwari caves and a host of other interesting objects is great place to visit on a hot day.

You can get to Malabar along the beautiful and distinctive embankment of Mumbai - Marina drive. It's always crowded here. But it looks especially picturesque at sunset, when the sun’s disk descending behind the Malabar Hill is reflected in the sea, and sellers of various snacks and local residents flock to the embankment.

Hanging Gardens of Mumbai were also created by the British, and therefore represent an interesting example of landscape design. Well-groomed bushes and flower beds, gazebos are surrounded by flowering vegetation. In the gardens you can see bright fluttering butterflies. In turn, the Jogeshwari caves are in complete contrast to the well-kept gardens: these are ancient caves containing dilapidated sculptures from around the 6th century.

Hunters of unique footage should definitely visit Jobi Ghat block, where thousands of women wash clothes in concrete baths standing close to each other. True, a very aggressive washing method, which involves hitting soaped laundry on a special sharp stone for many hours, is quite consistent with a similar attitude towards tourists. It is better not to come close to laundresses. A suitable place for shooting is the nearest bridge.

For those who love Indian culture, however, not in such an exotic version, there is an opportunity to penetrate Bollywood. This is a huge film studio, the name of which has probably been heard by almost every person, and even more so by those who are interested in cinema. For several years now, the film studio's pavilions have been accessible to tourists. It is worth purchasing an excursion, which will cost about 3,000 rubles, and the guides will take you among the stunning scenery, tell the history of Indian cinema, and allow you to admire the filming process.

Entertainment in Mumbai

The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, and therefore several beach activities. There is Chowpati Beach, where swimming is prohibited, but you can ride a jet ski, go parasailing or go on a cruise along the bay. The prices for such attractions are not the lowest. Parasailing, duration 3 minutes, will cost 2500 rupees. You will have to pay 1900 rupees for a 10-minute jet ski ride.

For a beach holiday in Mumbai, you can go to the small island of Manori. If the beaches within the city are not clean, then here you can sunbathe, have a picnic or have lunch in a cafe or restaurant. However, you still shouldn’t swim, since there are a lot of fragments of corals and stones in the local waters.
However, there is no need to despair: you can go to the Esselworld water park and amusement park. A ticket to this establishment will cost approximately 600 rupees for an adult and 400 rupees for a child. It is located on the shores of Manori Bay. The water park has a swimming pool for kids, extreme slides, and a kind of “sea” with waves.

Those interested in science can head to the Nehru Center and Planetarium. The ticket price will be only 50 rupees for an adult and 25 rupees for a child. Currently, this center is a large educational complex where you can listen to shows in English.

Those who love shopping will love Mumbai. Having previously been a center of trade, the city remains so to this day. You can buy branded items in boutiques and shopping centers, or you can visit the Indian market. Fashion Street is the most the best place for the “European type of shopping”, and for some flavor you can go to the Chor Bazaar, Zaveri Bazaar, Crawford Market and others. What to bring from Mumbai? These can be souvenirs and gifts such as:

bronze products;
silk products;
incense, spices;
Ayurvedic cosmetics and medicines;
Indian tea or rum.

Mumbai is so Big City that you can easily find a restaurant of almost any cuisine.

Traditional dishes are South Indian cuisine: puri flatbreads, dosa pancakes, an abundance of vegetarian dishes. The Mumbai chicken curry is also a must try. A snack in a street cafe will cost about 150 rubles; dinner for two with alcohol will cost about 1,000 rubles in an average restaurant.

The only disadvantage of Mumbai is that it is not highly recommended for families with small children. Noise and commotion on the streets, abundance of industrial production, lack of comfortable beach holiday. Yes, middle-aged and older children will quite like the city, since they can already appreciate the unusual surroundings and attractions, but children may not find it so comfortable and interesting here.

In general, a holiday in Mumbai is a good experience of getting acquainted with Indian culture and the architectural heritage left to Indians by the British. To visit Mumbai in 2019, it is better to set aside a few days to experience the local flavor of the city and get acquainted with all the sights.

Slums are one of the main tourist symbols of Bombay. Largely thanks to the film “Slumdog Millionaire,” which was filmed here. Remember the huge pipe that the residents used instead of a road, all those houses, etc.? This is all Bombay.

Soon, by the way, this symbol may not exist. Slums are now being reconstructed, high-rise buildings are appearing in place of an anthill of dilapidated houses, and instead of narrow labyrinths of streets, overpasses and wide roads

The most famous and largest slum in Bombay is Dharavi. At one time it was the largest slum in the world, then in Asia, but times change and now it is just a very large slum. Nobody knows how many people live here. Some say a million, others three. The area of the district is only 215 hectares. There are factories, schools, hospitals, warehouses and, of course, thousands of shacks here. The average area of a house here is 10 square meters. This square often accommodates a large Indian family, sometimes up to 15 people

01. Let's start from the very bottom. The poorest residents of Bombay live in tents. Tents are built near the sea or very close to the railways, where normal houses cannot be built. This is also where they cook, where they throw out garbage and wash dishes.

02. The life of such tents is short, they are blown away by the wind, they burn when residents try to keep warm on a cold night.

03. In some places you can find entire blocks of rags, tarpaulins, and plywood.

04. A courtyard in one of the blocks of such slums

05. Locals

06. Despite the dirt around, the residents themselves try to take care of themselves, their clothes are clean, everyone washes regularly, the girls dress up. If you meet them in another place, you wouldn’t even think that they could live in tents in the middle of a garbage dump.

07. They also try to maintain cleanliness in the dwellings themselves and the passages between them

08. Washing

10. The main type of Bombay slums are these multi-storey houses made of metal sheets and plywood. It all starts with one-story houses, and then grows upward. and there are also 10-story slums!

11. On the left is one of the blocks

13. It is impossible to understand these houses. Nobody knows where one ends and the other begins. Of course, there are no addresses here and these houses are not on any map of the world.

14. Such slums are terribly picturesque!

16. Residents

17. Let's go inside. Narrow passages where it is sometimes difficult for two people to pass each other. Almost no sunlight gets here. Numerous stairs that lead to the upper floors.

18. Entrance to one of the dwellings. The home here is actually a bedroom-living room. They eat, cook, relieve themselves on the street.

19 Inside the slums themselves there are grooves with water, where waste is usually dumped. Children shit right in these grooves.

20. Relieve minor need wherever necessary

21. Another type of slum is along the railways.

22. They are built in close proximity to the railway.

23. Indian train is coming

24. Slum dwellers run off the tracks. I wonder if anyone keeps statistics on how many people die here under the wheels of a train?

25. Rails are often used as the only road to get out of the anthill of the slums.

26. Children play on the rails

28. The outskirts of the slums and the famous big pipe

29. Look how cozy it is!

30. One of the courtyards

31. White House.

32. Some slums are located on the banks of rivers and canals. In ordinary cities, the proximity of a river or seashore is rather a plus. In India it's the other way around. Garbage is dumped into rivers, beaches are used as large toilets, so the poorest sections of society live on the banks.

33. Sometimes the river is not visible, because everything is littered with garbage.

34. Please note that garbage here is thrown directly from the back door of one of the houses. That is, people could live on the banks of the canal, but they decided to live near a stinking garbage dump

35. This is also a canal completely filled with garbage. Somewhere down there there is water flowing... The garbage is decomposing and rotting, the stench is terrible.

36. That's it!

37. But people like it

39. This is such a resident. The monkey turned out to be evil and almost ate me!

40. Let's take a look inside the house. As you can see, it is very clean there.

42. Living room

44. Some houses house sewing or cooking businesses. Maybe your favorite jeans are made here somewhere!

45. Now slums are being actively built up. Multi-storey buildings are being built in place of dilapidated houses, and overpasses are being made instead of narrow passages. So, soon you will only be able to see the famous slums of Bombay in old photographs.

47. Be sure to take a walk here

48. You won't regret it.

49. I won’t give bad advice.

51. Tomorrow Bombay will be like this!