Ucca Utsāhī - Life in Mumbai

 

Hello there, fellas. We hope you are doing well in this pandemic. It has more than a year since we are trapped in the four walls and sadly, our dreams of traveling have been crushed down. Well, if you cannot travel in real, how about we go virtually?

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard. Our destination for today is Mumbai.

  The moment we hear the word “Mumbai”, pictures of dazzling shopping arcades, exciting sports activities, nightclubs, discotheques, theatre, music, parties, mafia, dons eventually occupy our brain. Sounds cliché enough.

However, this bustling city is nothing short of its epithet. 

Before heading to our destination, let's check up on the history of that particular place since a city inherits its importance from the history associated with it.

Without any further ado, let’s begin the virtual tour!

Mumbai (previously known as Bombay until 1996) is a natural harbor on the west coast of India and is the capital city of Maharashtra state. It is India's largest city, and one of the world's most populous cities.

Diving deeper, the word Mumbai is derived from Mumbadevi, the patron goddess of the Koli fisherfolk, the oldest inhabitants of Mumbai.

The history of this beautiful city dates back to the formation of the seven islands, namely Colaba, Mazagaon, Mahim, Parel, Bombay Island, Worli, and Old Woman's Island. This group of islands was formed as a part of the kingdom of Ashoka, the famed Buddhist emperor of India.

Following the death of the king, these islands were later colonized by several rulers.

During the mid-18th century, Bombay went under massive reconstruction. Mumbai has become a major trading town and experienced a boost in the economy during the American Civil War.

Also, became a strong place for the Indian independence movement during the early 20th century.

The birth of the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India, many homegrown companies, and multinational corporations were the result of the humongous progress Mumbai has made. This progress also includes the Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood.

Talking about vacation, the top priority of a traveler is enjoyment. So, here we are taking you to the most beautiful places in Mumbai:

The Gateway of India is one of the treasured landmarks and most popular gathering spots in Mumbai. Standing proud on the banks of the Arabian Sea at the Apollo Bunder waterfront area, this 26-meter basalt archway was built as a gesture of welcoming for King George V and Queen Mary when they visited British India in 1911. Ironically, under this very archway, the last British troops exited India in 1948, after the country declared its independence from Great Britain.

 Next heading to - The Taj Mahal Palace hotel, which is one of India's most photographed places. Walk by and snap your picture from street level.

 

Our next drop point is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum, which is also high on the list of the top things to visit for tourists in Mumbai. Previously known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, this is one of India's most important art and history attractions.

 

By now your stomach might be growling and foodies, it’s your time to eat your heart out. Mumbai has some of the best colorful and spicy street food. The flavors are something to talk about.

Another gem of food experiences in Mumbai is Khau Galli. We all know that the best way to make friendship stronger is by sharing your meals and this food street is perfect. Yummy food for vegetarians like the dosa from Sai Swad Dosa is the most popular, especially Gini Dosa, Samosa which is prepped with Szechuan sauce and cheese. Other than that, you also get to taste chole bhature from Jai Durga Center or Pancham poori and the milkshakes from Blossom Juice Center.

If Mumbai had an official snack, then that would be the “Vada pav”, a bun stuffed with a steaming potato patty. The vada pav’s iconic status rests on the fact that it feeds everyone in Mumbai, at both ends of the social and economic spectrum. That's the beauty hidden.

Simply put, Vada Pav is much more superior to American burgers.

                                                                                     

 

The next stop is Bollywood, which is India's largest film industry, been rooted in Mumbai since the 1930s when the city’s Bombay Talkies movie studio was founded.

 

Coming to shopping, no matter how enigmatic your shopping list is, you'll probably find everything at the Chor Bazaar. It is translated to the "Thieves Market" after the legend that all stolen goods in Mumbai end up for sale here. The Chor Bazaar is one of the biggest attractions for tourists as well as the go-to place for picking up cheap goods.

Apart from all the dazzling aspects, the city also faces wrath like power and water cuts, flooded roads, or even terror attacks. However, Mumbai gets up and bounces back to life in the quickest run-around time possible. Indeed, the city never sleeps!

Oh, another interesting point to be noted, my lord!

You will often find the culture to interpret Indian Standard Time as Indian Stretchable Time 😂😂.

 Well, everyone is always running late in Mumbai be it a delayed train, a traffic snarl, power outage, taxi strike so, why not?

Looking on the brighter side, you tend to learn tolerance, punctuality, and perseverance.

In a nutshell, Mumbai represents the lives of every single person, exposes you to sundry situations to learn from and evolve, practically preparing you for the future.

Alas, we cannot experience this magnanimous city in person; but hey! Let us stay strong and fight for a better tomorrow.

And with that, we will visit you sometime later and take you to another amazing place in India!

Stay safe, stay strong