This is Mumbai or as it is still frequently referred to Bombay. The most modern city in India, it captures the spirit of the changing pace set by liberalization and modernization. Once a cluster of seven islands, Mumbai was presented to King Charles II in 1661 as part of the dowry when he married Princess Catherine de Braganza of Portugal.
Over the years, as colonialism gave way to independence, Mumbai has transformed itself into an entity with thriving markets, business houses and many different communities reflecting a cosmopolitan and trendy atmosphere rarely seen elsewhere. On the surface, it represents the ever-changing face of today’s India the old coupled with the dynamic new, and yet at its very core, the heart of the city is steeped in Indian customs and values.
It is the capital of Maharashtra state, and its official language is Marathi although English and Hindi are widely spoken and understood. This busy city is also the hub of a thriving cultural life, with a constant stream of performances in music, dance and drama. The seat of the Hindi film industry, known locally as Bollywood, it produces the largest number of films in the world.
The very word invokes images of bright lights, dynamic energy, bustling lanes & popular corners. Mumbai is both the commercial and entertainment hub of India. It is the dream city to which people come from all parts of the country to fulfill their dreams of becoming ‘successful, famous and rich’. People of Mumbai are known all over the world for their joie de vivre, their aptitude to work hard and, most importantly, living a highly tolerant cosmopolitan life. People often reach dizzying heights of success and richness.
Nonetheless, a person living in Mumbai is considered in high esteem in almost every other part of India. Mumbai has a unique history. Pre 16th century, it was made up of seven separate islands – Colaba, Mazgaon, Old Woman’s Island, Wadala, Mahim, Parel and Matunga-Sion. In 1662, these islands came into British possession from the Portuguese as a wedding gift when Prince Charles II married Princess Catherine of Braganza, daughter of the then Portuguese king. Over the centuries, these islands have been connected together by land into the single bulk of Mumbai that exists today. Ancient yet modern, fabulously rich yet achingly poor, Mumbai is India in microcosm.