The always busy and bustling city of Mumbai which is the commercial and financial nerve center of India is often used by tourists as a gateway to other parts of the subcontinent. Mumbai which was recently immortalized forever in the Oscar winning movie, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ has often been described as ‘an assault on your senses’ and ‘a cacophony of sights and sounds’ but despite what people may say about it, it does have a lot to offer for tourists. Traveling to Mumbai is easy when you find great Asia Airfare deals! Listed below are some of the activities that you can pursue for free in this always buzzing city by the Arabian Sea.
Explore ‘the many bazaars’ of Mumbai
Mumbai has many lively ‘bazaars’ (marketplaces) and if you really feel want to get a finger on the pulse of the city you must try visit a few. Crawford Market is of one of the largest markets of Mumbai which located in the heart of the city. This market which is housed in an imposing Gothic building that dates back to the nineteenth century is a wholesale market for fruits, vegetables, poultry, household goods and oddly enough even pets. This market offers a riot of enchanting visuals and experiences. Located in a lane opposite Crawford Market is the main textile market of Mumbai called ‘Mangaldas Market’. The market is housed is a cavernous building which is populated by numerous vendors of fine textiles like colorful silks, soft cottons, crepes, and brocades. Yet another fun market in Mumbai is ‘Chor Bazaar’ or the ‘thieves market’ which is located on Mutton Street and is a treasure trove for antiques, curious tchotchkes and ’stolen goods’.
Pay a visit to Haji Ali, the mosque in the middle of the sea
The mosque known as Haji Ali was built at a distance of five hundred meters from the coast in the midst of the Arabian Sea by a wealthy Muslim merchant in 1431. The merchant named the mosque, Haji Ali after a Muslim saint called Haji Ali who renounced his worldly goods before he took the pilgrimage to Mecca. This holy shrine contains the tomb of Haji Ali and can only be accessed by walking on the narrow walkway that leads to the mosque. This walkway is accessible only at the time of low tide. The walkway strangely connects the mosque to a Hindu temple called Mahalaxmi located close by. The whitewashed mosque which is a fine exponent of Islamic architecture is open to people of all faiths and welcomes nearly 40,000 worshipers every week.
Explore the temple district of Walkeshwar
Mumbai like various other Indian cities and town is littered with Hindu temples and shrines. The area of Walkeshwar which is located within the tony South Mumbai area of Malabar Hill is home to several ancient Hindu temples as well as the historic Banganga water tank which dates back to the 9th Century and is today a preserved historic landmark. Every year in January, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation hosts a wonderful music festival on the banks of the tank which usually features the leading lights of the Indian Classical Music scene.
Learn about Mumbai’s art scene at the Jahangir Art Gallery
Mumbai has a vibrant art scene and the city is populated by many art galleries which display and retail the artworks of contemporary Indian artists like Ram Kumar, F.N. Souza, Jitish Kallat, T.V. Santosh, Subodth Gupta and many others.The works of these artists are now also sold internationally by leading auction houses like Southeby’s and Christie’s and if you want to learn about Indian art then you should make a point take in an exhibition at Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery which is a famous art locale in the city that offers four exhibition halls and also has within its bowels, the favored Indian artists’ hangout, the Samovar restaurant. Right outside the Jehangir Art Gallery, is another pavement gallery called Art Walk which displays the works of lesser known artists for free .
Savor a ‘cuppa’ at Tea Center
India is one of the world’s largest producers of tea and to showcase its wide range of teas, the Tea Board of India has set up a colonial style tea salon in an old building called Resham Bhavan located in the heart of Mumbai cheek by jowl to the city’s perennially busy Churchgate station. Here you can stop by and enjoy a cup of iced or hot tea in the restaurant’s elegant and refined settings as you stop to catch your breath in this chaotic city.
Marvel at the crowds at Mumbai’s Beaches
Mumbai is a city which is bordered by the Arabian Sea but unlike in other seaside cities Mumbai’s beaches like Juhu and Chowpatty do not feature shimmering sands or azure waters for they are busy recreational hubs of activity which are populated with vendors of food, toys , pony and Ferris wheel rides. These beaches are also popular with morning walkers and avid exercisers though not too many swimmers, as the waters of the Arabian Sea have strong currents which are not conducive to swimming.
Devour the Street Foods of Mumbai
Mumbai has vibrant street food culture which features foods like Bombay Bhelpuri, Pau Bhaji, Vada Pav that are sold by vendors on the city’s busy streets. These street foods though delicious can cause havoc in a foreign visitor’s belly. However there are several restaurants in Mumbai like Swati Snacks and Soam which offer a wide array of these street foods which are hygienically prepared in their kitchens and hence are relatively safe for consumption.
Enjoy watching a game of cricket on the green
The game of cricket was introduced in India by the British who ruled the country for over 100 years and today the game in all its forms is enthusiastically followed by hordes of fans throughout the country though it is especially popular in Mumbai which down the ages has been known as ‘the nursery of Indian cricket’ as many players who have played in city’s team have often gone on to play quite successfully for the national team. Impromptu games of cricket are played on countless Mumbai streets as well as on its lush greens which are colloquially referred to as ‘Maidans’.
Experience the joys and sounds of a Mumbai festival
Mumbai celebrates all the major Indian festivals but there is one festival which is unique to Mumbai and that is the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival. This elaborate festival is held to celebrate the Hindu elephant god , Ganesh and it is usually held over a period of 10 days in August or September depending on the cycle of the moon. During the Ganesh Festival, elaborate and sometimes super sized, hand crafted figurines of Ganesh are installed in open air cubicles called ‘Pandals’. Rituals and prayers are then offered to these Ganesh idols for the entire duration of the festival. On the last day of the festival , the figurine is carried out in a colorful procession for immersion into the Arabian Sea. Aside from these communal Ganesh figurines, many people even celebrate the festival by installing small Ganesh statues in their own homes so it is estimated nearly 150,000 statues of Ganesh are immersed into the Arabian Sea on the last day of festival every year.
Go shopping on Fashion Street
Fashion Street which is a located along a road called M.G. Road in Central Mumbai is the city’s export surplus market .Fashion street is chock a block with vendors who sell export surplus and rejects which are sourced at whole sale prices from Mumbai’s many export oriented factories who manufacture these garments for leading US and UK retailers like TopShop, Next, New Look and others. Some of these stalls even sell costume jewelry and other knick knacks and souvenirs.Like in other global markets bargaining is an accepted norm on Fashion Street as well.
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