Exploring Mumbai

Hi everyone! Today I am going to describe the different places I visited in Mumbai.

Day 1:
If you are starting from Pune you can take the Pragati Express intercity train from Pune to Mumbai. It takes about three and a half hours. You definitely can’t miss the picturesque landscape of Lonavala along the way. I got down at Dadar, sadly not Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST).
The first place I visited was Jehangir Art Gallery. Here you can see many wonderful paintings and some sculptures exhibited by some artists. The paintings were mostly abstract but either understandable or beautiful. Sadly the first floor was closed that day.
Next place to visit is the Prince of Wales museum. I had a masala tea from there. I could feel the punch of ginger going down the throat with a burning sensation. I couldn’t drink the whole thing since that was quite not my tea. But it is worth a try. The Prince of Wales museum is a must visit place in Mumbai. Don’t miss out the swords of Shivaji. I also liked the western paintings section. The museum was very well organized and maintained. Keep yourself hydrated with some masala tea or something better so that you can walk up all the stairs from early men to finally see Shivaji’s sword.
If you need to do some (window) shopping, you can visit one of the largest malls in Mumbai. You would have guessed the name by now. Yeah, it is called High Street Pheonix. It has anything that is expensive. ‘Palladium’ is really worth exploring for the luxury and international experience it provides.

On the way back I stopped by CST to take a picture from the selfie zone. CST just stands out in all in its grandeur showing off its pride in red. It had already started drizzling by then. But that couldn’t stop me from going to marine drive which is the soul of the people in Mumbai. That is where all the life is.

The night view from Marine Drive is not to be missed. With the rumbling of the sea and the glowing skyscrapers, it is the perfect place to get into some deep introspection or for spending some valuable time with your loved ones. I didn’t get much time to spend there since it had started raining heavily by then. I just took in all the feel of that place and a picture in my mind and phone.

Day 2: Elephanta caves and Colaba

You can go near the Gateway of India and then take the boat which goes to Elephanta caves. Don’t miss the magnificent view of Mumbai from the sea. It took more than an hour to reach the destination. But it is not tiring since the beautiful view keeps us engaged and I dozed off by the slight rocking of the boat by the calm sea.
Once we reach Elephanta caves we realize there is a long tiring flight of steps to conquer before we actually get to see the caves. So I had some sweet refreshing coconut water which is the best drink to give you instant energy. Along the side of the steps, you can find many shops selling souvenirs and other merchandise. Carry a hat or buy one since it is very sunny in the afternoon. I couldn’t take all the steps in one go so I just sat down in between to catch some breath. Finally, we reached the world heritage site called Elephanta caves. It has several stone carvings, pillars, and other archeological structures. The first cave has several stone carvings of Lord Siva. If you like to visit similar places like this then Hampi in Karnataka is the best place where you can see more stone structures. Once exploring the caves was done, it had started to rain heavily and the steps had become slippery and the shops closed. On the way back, the sea was not that calm since it was raining heavily then and everyone had to get down at another place because of the rain.

At Gateway of India, I had been searching for the pigeons there since I had seen it many times in the movies. After some search I came across them, now they are only seen in a small section separated by a barricade from the gateway. The view of the magnificent Taj Mahal Palace Hotel from outside was splendid. I was reminded of the 26/11 or 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Leopold Cafe, Colaba was also one of the attacked places. This place is very popular among foreign tourists and the ambiance is quite good. I had garlic bread with cheese and chocolate cream float. You can take a walk through the Colaba Market. You can buy things cheaply if you are good at bargaining with the vendors.

Day 3: Mani Bhavan and film museum

Mani Bhavan was Gandhiji’s residence in Bombay from 1917-1934. It is well maintained and gives the feel of the struggle he had gone through. It also has a large collection of books on Gandhiji and also the books which were read by him. I believe this is a must visit place once you are in Mumbai.

The National Museum on Indian Cinema which was inaugurated recently i.e, in January 2019 shows how Indian cinema evolved. This is the best place for film students since it has each floor showcasing each process and technology used in the making of a movie like the filming, music, costumes, marketing, etc. The museum is very well organized and goes into the details of movie making.

It had started raining again. Had a quick lunch of roti and mushroom masala from Shiv Sagar and then packed and left for the airport. Please go through the Bandra-Worli Sea link which is not to be missed and also get a glimpse of the slums on the way. In Mumbai, you can find something similar to both the skyscrapers of the US and the ancient buildings of the UK since it is the financial capital of India and also has a great heritage prior to independence. Now that’s a goodbye to Mumbai. Just sad that I couldn’t try the street food especially Vada Pav which I really wanted to try!

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