India is full of Nature's Colour
Rajasthan have four national park and wildlife sanctuaries named- Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary, Ranthambore National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and Desert National Park. Ranthambore National Park and Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary are known worldwide for their tiger population and considered by wild lovers and photographers as the best places in India to spot tigers.
MUMBAI TOURISM
Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial capital of India. With an estimated population of thirteen million, it is the most populous city in India and the second most populous city in the world. Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms, at nineteen million, the world's fifth most populous metropolitan area. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. Mumbai's port handles over half of India's maritime cargo.
Etymology
The name "Mumbai" is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba or Maha-Amba – the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi – and Aai, "mother" in Marathi. The former name Bombay had its origins in the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived in the area and called it by various names, which finally took the written form Bombaim, still common in current Portuguese use. After the British gained possession in the 17th century, it was anglicised to Bombay, although it was known as Mumbai or Mambai to Marathi and Gujarati-speakers, and as Bambai in. The name was officially changed to its Marathi of Mumbai in 1995.
History
Artifacts found near Kandivali in northern Mumbai indicate that these islands had been inhabited since the Stone Age. Documented evidence of human habitation dates back to 250 BCE, 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, Asoka. During its first few centuries, control over Mumbai was disputed between the Indo-Scythian Western Satraps and the Satavahanas. 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. 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 Mumbai. The city eventually became the headquarters of the Bombay Presidency.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea. 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 re-organised 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. Following protests in which 105 people were killed by police firing, Maharashtra state was formed with Mumbai as its capital on May 1, 1960.
Geography
The metropolis consists of the Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban district and also the cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane Geography of Mumbai Mumbai lies at the mouth of the Ulhas River off the western coast of India, in the coastal region known as the Konkan. It sits on Salsette Island, partially shared with the district of Thane. Much of the city lies just above sea level, with average elevations ranging from 10 m (33 ft) to 15 m (49 ft). Northern Mumbai is hilly, and the highest point in the city is 450 m
(1,476 ft). The city spans a total area of 603 km².
Apart from the Bhatsa Dam, six major lakes supply water to the city: Vihar, Vaitarna, Upper Vaitarna, Tulsi, Tansa and Powai. Tulsi Lake and Vihar Lake are located in Borivili National Park, within the city's metropolitan limits. The supply from Powai lake, also within the city limits, is used only for industrial purposes. Three small rivers, the Dahisar, Poinsar (or Poisar) and Ohiwara (or Oshiwara) originate within the park, while the now infamous Mithi River originates from Tulsi Lake and gathers water overflowing from Vihar and Powai Lakes. The coastline of the city is indented with numerous creeks and bays. The eastern coast of Salsette Island is covered with large mangrove swamps, rich in biodiversity. The western coast is mostly sandy and rocky.
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 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.
Culture
A resident of Mumbai is called a Mumbaikar, Mumbaiite or Bombayite. Many residents live close to major railway stations for easy access to their workplaces, as a significant amount of time is spent on daily commuting. Mumbai's appetizing foods and cuisines have been influenced by the rich but not too spicy styles of cooking from Maharashtra and surrounding Gujarat state. Some of the unique and famous palatable specialties include Dhan Sak, Khicheri, Bombli Batata Bhaji, Kamag Kakri, Solachi Kadhi, Min Vela Curry and Curried Bombay Duck. Local roadside fast food includes vada pav, panipuri, paav bhaji and bhelpuri.
Mumbai residents celebrate Western and Indian festivals with great fanfare. Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Navratri, Good Friday, Dussera, Moharram, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja and Maha Shivratri are some of the popular festivals in the city. The Kala Ghoda Festival is an exhibition of a world of arts that encapsulates works of artistes in the fields of music, dance, theater, and films.55 A week long fair known as Bandra Fair or Mount Mary Festival is celebrated by people of all faiths. The Banganga Festival is a two-day music festival, held annually in the month of January, which is organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) at the historic Banganga Tank in Mumbai.56 The Elephanta Festival which is celebrated every February on the Elephanta Islands, is dedicated to the classical Indian Dance and Music with artists from across the country arriving on the island.
Places of Interest
The Gateway of India
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the arrival in India, on 2 December 1911, of King George V and Queen Mary and was completed on 4 December, 1924 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 Mumbai 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.
Flora Fountain
Flora Fountain was renamed Hutatma Chowk (Martyr's Square) as a memorial to the Samyukta Maharashtra movementThe late 1970s witnessed a construction boom and a significant influx of migrants, which saw Mumbai overtake Kolkata as India's most populous city. This influx caused unrest among local Maharashtrians who worried about the loss of culture, jobs, and language.
Filmcity
Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema – Dadasaheb Phalke laid the foundations with silent movies followed by Marathi talkies – and the oldest film broadcast here in the early 20th century. Mumbai also boasts of large number of cinemas, including the world's largest IMAX dome theatre, which feature mainstream Bollywood, Marathi and Hollywood movies. Many film festivals are avidly attended throughout the year. Besides catering to cinephiles, the city has a thriving theatrical tradition in Marathi, English and other regional languages.
Juhu Beach
Juhu Beach is a bourgeois paradise, filled to the gills with screaming children, courting couples and rowdy young people. If you want a more fancy excursion, however, retreat behind Juhu's many five star hotels, for a steaming cup of coffee and a superb view of the coast.
Marine Drive
Best way to discover Mumbai is to take a leisurely walk Marine Drive. It is looped between the concrete jungle of Nariman Point and the leafy green slopes of Malabar Hill. It is also one of Mumbai's busiest roads, an important artery for the heavy suburban traffic heading downtown. Like other seafronts, this is where most of south Mumbai comes to breathe in fresh air.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) was early known as Victoria Terminus (VT) modeled on the lines of the St. Pancras Station in London. The station was christened to commemorate Victoria Jubilee Day in 1887 when India's first steam engine puffed out to neighboring Thane. On 2 July 2004, the station was nominated as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.
Media
Newspapers
Newspapers which are published in Mumbai, the prominent are:
Times of India, Mid Day, Hindustan Times, DNA, Indian Express, Lokmat, Sakaal, Maharashtra Times, Loksatta, Bombay Samachar
FM Channels
FM channels in Mumbai :
Radio City FM (91.1 FM) - Owned by Music Broadcast Private Limited (MBPL)
Big FM (92.7 FM) - Owned by the Reliance ADAG Group
Red FM (93.5 FM) - Owned by Sun Networks
Radio One FM (94.7 FM) - Joint venture between Midday Multimedia and BBC worldwide
Radio Mirchi FM (98.3 FM) - Owned by Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL), subsidiaries of Times of India Group
Fever FM (104.0 FM) - Owned by HT Media Pvt. Ltd.
Meow FM (104.80 FM) - Owned by India Today Group
Rainbow FM (102.6 FM) - Owned by AIR(All India Radio)
HOTELS IN INDIA
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