Mumbai: The Seat Of Excursionists

It was a bright Sunday morning in Mumbai. Streets were quiet. I could clearly hear the birds chirruping in the hotel garden and the sea waves crashing to the shore. After some light refreshments, I came down to the hotel and headed towards the nearby Chowpatty Beach with a guide. While I was relishing the best of local snacks- bhelpuri, chuski and pao bhaji- my guide told me that it is the best place where the common man comes to eat and be entertained every evening. Chowpatty Beach is the well known holy site where the devotees of lord Ganesha immerse the huge idol after the rituals on Ganesh Chaturthi.

We moved on to other destinations via Marine Drive, the Queen's Necklace. I found the road quite busy. But the best part is that being located at a close proximity to the sea, it lets you the opportunity to enjoy cool sea breeze. Hanging Gardens or the Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens are actual tourist delights in Mumbai. I was simply amazed to see these beautiful gardens built over three reservoirs. These are quite attractive for children. The reservoirs store billions of gallons of water for cleaning before they are pumped to the thirsty city of Mumbai.

In the afternoon, the guide took me to Colaba, which is a popular hub of tourist activity in Mumbai. We had our lunch there in street stalls and moved on to the Fort. Famous for its old Victorian-Gothic buildings, the Fort is an important financial and commercial center. The lifeline of Mumbai 'BSE or Bombay Stock Exchange' is also located in this area on Dalal Street. I also paid short visits to the popular Prince Wales Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Jehangir Art Gallery, which represent the glorious past of Mumbai during the British Rule in India. These are a must to experience because of the rarest collection of art forms, sculptures, rare coins, old firearms and miniature paintings.

While going back to the hotel at around 8:00 pm, I also visited the Crawford Market, named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay. Designed by Lockyard Kipling, father of the famous author Rudyard Kipling, the market is an extraordinary blend of Flemish and Norman architecture. Cherishing the golden memories of Mumbai, the indomitable city, I left for another destination, another adventure !!

Mumbai Tourism After 26/11

The Indian Government launched the “Incredible India” campaign in the US last year. A grand festival “India at 60″ was also organized in New York. India witnessed a significant jump in the flow of tourists from the US. And all of a sudden, Mumbai terror attacks hit India tourism at start of peak season. The future of tourism industry was uncertain because this was the first time when terrorists targeted hotels and foreigners. India, which was boasting of a 12.5 percent annual rise in visitors and was estimating that 5 million people would arrive here adding about £7.5 billion to the overall economy, was now worried of the economic slowdown. Terrorists mounted assaults on the Taj and the Oberoi- favourite five-star hotels of the western business travellers in Mumbai.

But I was quite familiar with the enthusiasm and indomitable spirit of the Mumbaiians and tourists. My expectations were at an all time high. And it was no surprise that within a month India again started attracting tourists. I packed my bags and flew to Mumbai. It was a bright Saturday afternoon and my guide took me to the Hotel Residency, located amidst peaceful and tranquil surroundings, 6 km from Mumbai's Sahar International airport. The best part with Mumbai is that it is a healthy mixture of all the cultures and religions. People were busy in the praparations of the grand festival 'Ganesh Chaturthi', which was going to be held the next week. Mumbai is known for some of India's most sought after tourist destinations. The day was drawing to a close and I was left with a few hours only. Therefore I decided to explore all the nearby attractions.

I started with the Gateway of India, which was earlier used to be the arrival point for visitors from the west. There are numerous sea beaches in Mumbai with sandy shores and kisses of the waves of the Arabian Sea. I paid short visits to Juhu, Gorai and Madh Island and left the others untouched for the next day. However these are not meant for sunbathing but I found various fast food joints offering typical Indian delicacies like Bhelpuri. We stopped for a quick bite and then hit the road again to the famous Kamala Nehru Park, the Hanging gardens and a couple of botanical parks. Being a nature lover, I had my own contemplation here in India's most crowded city.

I also wanted to have glimpses of the famous museums, but it was getting dark and I returned back to my hotel. While having dinner I realized that right from the sea beaches to historical museums, Mumbai has a lot to offer to its guests. All these attractions make it fairly easy to spend quality time in Mumbai. I got to my bed quite early for a tight sleep as the next day was definitely going to be tiresome.