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Gateway
Of India
Mumbai's most famous landmark, The
Gateway of India, is situated at Apollo
Bunder. It was designed by George Wikket.
It was built to commemorate the visit of
King George V and Queen Mary to India in
1911.
Through this magnificent monument,
numerous viceroys and governors were
welcomed to India as they disembarked
from their steamers, hence the name.
Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk)
This marvellous fountain was built in
1869, in honor of Sir Henry Bartle and
Edward Frere. It is situated in the
heart of the Mumbai city at a junction
of five streets. The fountain has a
figure of "Flora", the Roman Goddess of
Flowers at the top.
Chowpatty Beach & Juhu Beach
Chowpatty beach is situated on Marine
Drive. This beach is well-known for it's
stalls selling "Bhel-Puri and Pani -Puri
chat" a favourite fast food among the
Mumbaites and visitors to the city.
Juhu Beach is the most popular beach in
Mumbai which is 30 kms away from the
heart of Mumbai. It is a long stretch of
sandy beach from Santacruz to
Vile-Parle. This is a very popular beach
for picnic.
Both these beaches are crowded on
week-ends.
Haji Ali
Haji Ali mosque, and the tomb of a
Muslim saint, is located off shore, in
the Arabian sea opposite Mahalaxmi
temple. During high tide the walkway to
the mosque is submerged in the sea and
it can be visited only during low tide.
Kamala Nehru Park & Hanging Gardens
The giant Old woman's shoe in the Kamala
Nehru Park is very popular with children
to play in. One gets a panoramic view of
parts of the city from these parks
situated at the height of Malabar Hill.
When seen at night, the view of street
lights of Marine Drive resemble a
dazzling bejewelled "Queen's Necklace".
At sunset, the waterfall and fountains
in the park are lit with colorful lights
which are worth seeing. The Hanging
Gardens surrounded by beautiful flower
beds and lush green lawns are very
popular as picnic spots.
Mahalaxmi Temple
This temple is situated very close to
the sea off Mahalaxmi. This temple has
three beautiful images of Hindu
goddesses, Mahalaksmi, Mahasaraswati and
Mahakali which are made of gold. During
Navaratri festival, devoted Hindus
throng this temple in great numbers to
offer coconut, flowers and sweets to the
goddesses.
Mount Mary Church
This is one of most prominent and
splendid churches in Mumbai, situated in
Bandra (West). During the month of
September a week long fair is held which
is attended by the people of all
relegions.
Mahalaxmi Race Course
Situated in Mahalaxmi, this racecourse
is one of the best in the world. The
racing season is for six months from
October to April. It attracts huge
crowds for heavy betting.
Nehru Planetarium and Science Centre
This Sience Centre is named after Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first
Prime-Minister. It is situated in Worli.
It has a computer laboratory, mobile
science exhibition units, a heritage
hall, an auditorium, inflatable dome
planetarium, science library and a
children's science park.
The sky-show at the planetarium is very
interesting with it's narration, sound
effects and slide projections which
combines entertainment with education.
It has a library containing a large
collection of books on astronomy,
astrophysics and space sciences.
The Prince of Wales Museum
This museum stands not too far from the
Gateway of India. It has a priceless
collection of art, sculpture, china and
other antics. Carefully presereved, this
mid-Victorian Gothic style building
built in 1904 with beautiful gardens
surrounding it, is worth visiting in
Mumbai.
Taraporewala Aquarium
Situated on the Marine Drive, this
aquarium has fish in varying shapes,
sizes and colour. It's a delight for
children as well as grown-ups.
Victoria Gardens (Veermata Jeejabai
Bhonsle Udyan)
These botanical and zoological gardens
have an interesting collection of flora
and fauna. Apart from these, it also has
a beautiful gateway, an arched
architctural screen and a museum
building in the Greco-Roman Style. A
large stone elephant at the entrance is
also worth seeing. These gardens are
situated in Byculla.
Essel World- Amusement Park
Essel World is located on Gorai Island.
It offers over 40 exciting rides, games,
and attractions. The Water Kingdom is
said to be the largest of its kind in
Asia. This international-style theme
park and amusement centre situated close
to Gorai Beach is perfect for a one-day
holiday. Special ferries get you across
to the park and the entrance fee
normally takes care of a fixed number of
rides, which include the standard roller
coaster and adventure themes, plus a
water world section where kids can
literally run amok. Summer is usually
crowded, but the place also offers low
budget monsoon packages and special
deals on weekends.
Fantasy Land
Located at Jogeshwari, Fantasy Land
provides many entertainment rides for
those with appetite for adventurous
rides. It is another amusement park made
up of modern mechanism games for
children and adults like Essel World. It
is also a venue for fun and games for
visitors of all ages. Fantasy Land, a
fun park within the city limits of
Mumbai, is enveloped in lush green
landscape, spread on an area of 30
acres.
Sighseeing
Outside Mumbai City
Elephanta Caves
The Elephanta Caves are located on an
island about 10 Kms. away from the
Gateway of India. These caves consist of
temples carved from rock which date back
to the 7th century.
The chief attraction is the three headed
bust of Lord Shiva, popularly known as "Trimurti".
One can reach there by taking a ferry
from Gateway of India.
Lonavala, Khandala, Karla Caves
Situated atop Western Ghats ( Mountain
range) on Mumbai-Pune highway are the
twin Hill resorts of Khandala and
Lonavala. During monsoon the beauty of
Khandala is enhanced when the clouds
envelope them and several gushing
waterfalls can be seen from the lush
green hills. At Lonavala the Valvan and
Bushy dams are worth visiting. When you
drive a little further towards Pune from
Lonavala, you reach Karla, where the
famous Karla, Bhaja and Bedsa Caves are
situated. |
