Mumbai
:
Mumbai (
IPA:,
Marathi: मुंबई), formerly known as
Bombay, is the capital of the
state of
Maharashtra, and the most populous
city of
India, with an estimated population of about 13
million (as of 2006)
[World Gazetteer]. Mumbai is located on
Salsette Island, off the
west coast of Maharashtra. Along with its neighbouring suburbs, it forms the world's
fifth most populous metropolitan area with a population of about 20 million. The city has a deep natural
harbour and the port handles over half of India's passenger traffic and a significant amount of cargo.
[Manorama Yearbook 2006]Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India, and houses important financial institutions, such as the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the
National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the corporate
headquarters of many
Indian companies. Mumbai has attracted migrants from all over India because of the immense business opportunities, and the relatively high
standard of living, making the city a
potpourri of various communities and
cultures. The city is home to India's
Hindi film and television industry, known as
Bollywood. Mumbai is also one of the rare cities to accommodate a
national park, the
Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits.
The
appellation Mumbai is an
eponym,
etymologically derived from
Mumba or
Maha-Amba— the name of the
Hindu goddess
Mumbadevi, and
Aai —
mother in
Marathi.
[Samuel Sheppard Bombay Place-Names and Street-Names (Bombay: The Times Press) 1917 pp104-5] In the 16th century, the
Portuguese named the area
Bom Bahia (Good Bay), later corrupted to
Bomaím or
Bombaim, by which it is still known in Portuguese. After the
British gained possession, it was
anglicised to
Bombay, although it was known as
Mumbai or
Mambai to Marathi and Gujarati-speakers, and as
Bambai in Hindi, Urdu, and Persian.
[Sujata Patel "Bombay and Mumbai: Identities, Politics and Populism" in Sujata Patel & Jim Masselos (Eds.) Bombay and Mumbai. The City in Transition (Delhi: Oxford University Press) 2003 p4] The name was officially changed to
Mumbai in 1995, but the former name is still used by many of the city's inhabitants and famous institutions.
 |
Kalbadevi Road - Glimpse of Mumbai circa 1890. |
Present-day Mumbai was originally an
archipelago of
seven islands. Artefacts found near
Kandivali, in northern Mumbai indicate that these islands had been inhabited since the
Stone Age.
[Tour operators] Documented evidence of human habitation dates back to 250 BC, when it was known as
Heptanesia (
Ptolemy) (
Ancient Greek:
A Cluster of Seven Islands). In the 3rd century BCE, the islands formed part of the
Maurya Empire, ruled by the
Buddhist emperor,
Aşoka. The Hindu rulers of the
Silhara Dynasty later governed the islands until 1343, when the kingdom of
Gujarat annexed them. Some of the oldest edifices of the archipelago – the
Elephanta Caves and the
Walkeshwar temple complex date from this era.
In 1534, the Portuguese appropriated the islands from
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, naming them
Bom Baia, Portuguese for "good bay". They were ceded to
Charles II of England in 1661, as
dowry for
Catherine de Braganza. These islands, were in turn leased to the
British East India Company in 1668 for a sum of
£10
per annum. The company found the deep harbour on the east coast of the islands to be ideal for setting up their first port in the sub-continent. The population quickly rose from 10,000 in 1661, to 60,000 in 1675; In 1687, the British East India Company transferred its headquarters from
Surat to Bombay. The city eventually became the headquarters of the
Bombay Presidency.
From 1817 onwards, the city was reshaped with large
civil engineering projects aimed at merging all the islands in the archipelago into a single amalgamated mass. This project, known as the
Hornby Vellard, was completed by 1845, and resulted in the total area swelling to 438
km².In 1853, India's first passenger
railway line was established, connecting Bombay to the town of
Thane. During the
American Civil War (1861-1865), the city became the world's chief
cotton trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy and subsequently enhancing the city's stature. The opening of the
Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the
Arabian Sea.
[ See Mariam Dossal Imperial Designs and Indian Realities. The Planning of Bombay City 1845-1875 (Delhi: Oxford University Press) 1991] Over the next thirty years, the city grew into a major urban centre, spurred by an improvement in infrastructure and the construction of many of the city's institutions. The population of the city swelled to one million by 1906, making it the second largest in India after
Calcutta. As capital of the
Bombay Presidency, it was a major base for the
Indian independence movement, with the
Quit India Movement called by
Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 being its most rubric event. After India's independence in 1947, it became the capital of
Bombay State. In the 1950 the city expanded to its present limits by incorporating parts of Salsette island which lay to the north.
After 1955, when the
State of Bombay was being reorganised along linguistic lines into the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, there was a demand that the city be constituted as an autonomous city-state. However, the
Samyukta Maharashtra movement opposed this, and insisted that Mumbai be declared the capital of Maharashtra. Following a sucessful protests in which 105 people were killed by police firing, Maharashtra state was formed with Mumbai as its capital on
May 1,
1960The late 1970s witnessed a construction boom and a significant influx of migrants, which saw Bombay overtake
Calcutta as India's most populous city. This has being giving rise to unrest in Marathi speaking people in Mumbai and consequently
Shiv Sena,a political outfit safeguarding the rights of 'sons of soil' was formed in 1966.The city's secular fabric was torn apart in 1992, after large scale sectarian violence caused extensive loss of life and property. A few months later, on
March 12,
simultaneous bombings at several city landmarks by the
Mumbai underworld killed around three hundred people. In 1995, the city was renamed
Mumbai by the
Shiv Sena party government of Maharashtra, in keeping with their policy of renaming colonial institutions after historic local appellations. In
2006, Mumbai was also the site of a
major terrorist incident in which over two hundred people were killed when several
bombs exploded almost simultaneously on the
Mumbai Suburban Railway.
 |
The metropolis comprises the city and suburbs. |
Mumbai is located on
Salsette Island, which lies at the mouth of
Ulhas River off the western coast of India, in the coastal region known as the
Konkan. Much of Mumbai is at
sea level, and the average elevation ranges from 10 to 15
metres. The northern part of Mumbai is hilly, and the highest point of the city is at 450 metres (1,450
feet)
[Kanheri, Lungs of Mumbai, Krishnadas Warrier, Bhramanti]. Mumbai spans a total area of 468
km² (169
mi²).
Three lakes are located within the metropolitan limits — the
Tulsi Lake,
Vihar Lake and
Powai Lake. The first two are located within the
Borivali National Park, and supply part of the city's drinking water. Mumbai also has three small rivers within the city limits originating in the National Park. The coastline of the city is indented with numerous
creeks and
bays. The eastern seaboard of Salsette Island is covered with large
mangrove swamps, rich in
biodiversity.
Soil cover in the city region is predominantly
sandy due to its proximity to the sea. In the suburbs, the soil cover is largely
alluvial and
loamy. The underlying rock of the region is composed of black
Deccan basalt flows, and their
acid and
basic variants dating back to the late
Cretaceous and early
Eocene eras. Mumbai sits on a seismically active zone
[The Seismic Environment of Mumbai, TIFR - Theoretical Physics] owing to the presence of three fault lines in the vicinity. The area is classified as a Zone III region, which means an earthquake of up to magnitude 6.5 on the
Richter scale may be expected.
Mumbai is classified as a metropolis of India, under the jurisdiction of the
BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation. It consists of two distinct regions — the city and the suburbs, which also form two separate districts of Maharashtra. The city region is also commonly referred to as the
Island City[MMRDA Projects, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)].
The climate of the city, being in the
tropical zone, and near the
Arabian Sea, may be broadly classified into two main seasons — the
humid season, and the dry season. The humid season, between March and October, is characterised by high humidity and temperatures of over 30
°C (86
°F). The
monsoon rains lash the city between June to September, and supply most of the city's annual
rainfall of 2,200
mm (85
in). The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 mm (135.89 in) in 1954
[Mumbai Plan, Department of Relief and Rehabilitation (Maharashtra)]. The
highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 mm (37.16 in) on
2005-07-26.
[DNA]]The dry season, between November and February, is characterised by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill during January and February. Annual temperatures range from a high of 38 °C (100 °F) to a low of 11 °C (52 °F). The record high is 43 °C (108 °F) and record low is 7.4 °C (45 °F) on
1962-01-22.
Mumbai contributes 10% of all factory employment, 40% of all
income tax collections, 60% of all
customs duty collections, 20% of all central
excise tax collections, 40% of India's
foreign trade and
Rupees 40
billion (
US$ 9 billion) in
corporate taxes
[Manorama Yearbook 2003, pg 678, ISBN 81-900461-8-7]. A number of Indian financial institutions have headquarters in
downtown Mumbai, including the
Bombay Stock Exchange, the
Reserve Bank of India, the
National Stock Exchange of India, the
Mint, and numerous conglomerates (the
Tata Group,
Godrej and
Reliance etc). Many foreign banks and financial institutions also have branches in this area.
Up until the 1980s, Mumbai owed its prosperity largely to
textile mills and the seaport, but the local economy has since been diversified to include
engineering,
diamond polishing,
healthcare and
information technology. Mumbai's status as the state capital means that state and federal government employees make up a large percentage of the city's workforce. Mumbai also has a large unskilled and semi-skilled labour population, who primarily earn their livelihood as hawkers, taxi drivers, mechanics and other such
blue collar professions. The port and shipping industry too employs many residents, directly or indirectly.
The entertainment industry is the other major employer in Mumbai. Most of India's major television and satellite networks are headquartered in Mumbai, as well as its major
publishing houses. The centre of the Hindi movie industry,
Bollywood, is also located in Mumbai, along with its largest
studios and movie production houses.
The city is administered by the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) (formerly the Bombay Municipal Corporation), with executive power vested in the
Municipal Commissioner, who is an
IAS officer appointed by the
state government. The Corporation comprises 227 directly elected Councillors representing the twenty four
municipal wards [Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai], five nominated Councillors, and a titular
Mayor. The BMC is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the metropolis. An Assistant Municipal Commissioner oversees each ward for administrative purposes. Almost all the
state political parties field candidates in the elections for Councillors.
The metropolitan area forms two
districts of Maharashtra, with each district under the jurisdiction of a
District Collector. The Collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the
Federal Government, and oversee the
national elections held in the city.
The
Mumbai Police is headed by a
Police Commissioner, who is an
IPS officer. The Mumbai Police comes under the state Home Ministry. The city is divided into seven police zones and seventeen traffic police zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Mumbai Police.
Mumbai is the seat of the
Bombay High Court, which exercises jurisdiction over the states of
Maharashtra and
Goa, and the
Union Territories of
Daman and Diu and
Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Mumbai also has two lower courts, the
Small Causes Court for civil matters, and the
Sessions Court for criminal cases.
The city elects six members to the
Lok Sabha and thirty-four members to the Maharashtra
State Assembly.
 |
BEST buses form an integral part of the city's transport system. |
Most of Mumbai's inhabitants rely on
public transport to travel to and from their workplace due to the lack of car parking spaces, traffic bottlenecks, and generally poor road conditions. The city is the headquarters of two
rail divisions – the Central Railway (CR) (headquartered at
Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as Victoria Terminus)), and the Western Railway (WR) (headquartered near
Churchgate). The backbone of the city's transport, the
Mumbai Suburban Railway, is composed of three separate networks running the length of the city, in a north-south direction. The
Western Railway runs along the western region of the city, while the
Central Railway covers most of the central and northeast parts of the metropolis. Both lines extend into the exurbs, each covering a total one-way length of around 125 km. The
Harbour Line is a sub-division of the
Central Railway, covering a distance of 54 km along the south-eastern section of the city, near the docks, and extending into
Navi Mumbai (New Bombay). Mumbai is well connected by trains to all parts of
India.
Public buses run by the
BEST (an autonomous body under the BMC) cover almost all parts of the metropolis, as well as parts of Navi Mumbai and
Thane. Buses are used for commuting short to medium distances, while train fares are more economical for long distance commutes. The BEST fleet consists of single-decker, double-decker and air-conditioned.
Black and yellow-metered taxis, accommodating up to four passengers, cover most of the metropolis.
Auto rickshaws, allowed to operate only in the suburban areas, are the main form of hired transport here. These three-wheeled vehicles can accommodate up to three passengers.
Mumbai's
Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (formerly, Sahar International Airport) is the busiest airport in India, and caters to cargo and international flights while
Santacruz Airport caters to domestic flights. The nearby
Juhu aerodrome was India's first airport, and now hosts a
flying club and a
heliport.
With its unique topography, Mumbai has one of the best natural harbours in the world, handling 50% of the country's passenger traffic, and much of India's cargo. It is also an important base for the
Indian Navy.
[ Matthew, K.M. (2006). Manorama Yearbook 2003, pg 524, Malaya Manorama. ISBN 8189004077]The BMC supplies
potable water to the city, most of which come from the Tulsi and Vihar lakes, as well as a few lakes further north. The water is filtered at
Bhandup, which is also Asia's largest water filtration plant. The BMC is also responsible for the road maintenance and garbage collection in the city. Almost all of Mumbai's daily refuse of 7,800
metric tonnes
[The Times of India, Mumbai edition (print), 2005-04-19, pg 2] is transported to dumping grounds in
Gorai in the northwest,
Mulund in the northeast,and
Deonar in the east.
Sewage treatment is carried out in
Worli and
Bandra.
Electricity is provided by the BEST in the city, and by
Reliance Energy and
Mahavitaran (Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd) in the suburbs. Most of the city's electricity is
hydroelectric and
nuclear based. The largest
telephone service provider is the state-owned
MTNL, which held a
monopoly over fixed line and cellular services up until 2000, and provides fixed line as well as mobile
WLL services.
Cell phone coverage is extensive, and the main service providers are
Hutch,
Airtel,
BPL group,
Reliance Infocomm and
Tata Indicom. Both
GSM and
CDMA services are available in the city.
Broadband internet penetration is increasing in the city, with MTNL and
Tata being the leading service providers.
|
Hiranandani Complex in Powai is an upmarket area in the northern suburbs. |
The population of Mumbai is about 13 million, with a density of about 29,000 persons per
square kilometre. There are 811 females to every 1,000 males – which is lower than the national average, because many working males come from rural areas, where they leave behind their families. The overall
literacy rate of the city is above 86%, which is higher than the national average.
["Census GIS Household". censusindiamaps.net. 2006.] The religions represented in Mumbai include
Hindus (68% of the population),
Muslims (17% of the population), and
Christians and
Buddhist (4% each). The remainder are
Parsis,
Jains,
Sikhs,
Jews and
atheists
[The Times of India, Mumbai edition (print), 2004-09-24, pg 1].
For a city of its size, Mumbai has a moderate
crime rate. Mumbai recorded 27,577 incidents of crime in 2004, which is down 11% from 30,991 in 2001. The city's main
jail is the
Arthur Road Jail[The Times of India, Mumbai edition (print), 2005-03-14, pg 5].
Mumbai has a large
polyglot population and
Marathi is widely spoken, but the most common language spoken on the city streets is a colloquial form of
Hindi, known as
Bambaiya – a blend of Hindi,
Marathi,
Indian English and some invented colloquial words. Marathi is the official language of the state of
Maharashtra.
English is extensively spoken, and is the principal language of the city's
white collar workforce. Most languages spoken in India have some degree of representation in the demographic fabric of Mumbai; the most widely spoken of these are
Konkani,
Gujarati and
Urdu.
Like other large cities in the developing world, Mumbai suffers from the same major
urbanisation problems seen in many fast growing cities in
developing countries — widespread
poverty and poor public
health,
employment, civic and educational standards for a large section of the population. With available space at a premium, Mumbai residents often reside in cramped, relatively expensive housing, usually far from workplaces, and therefore requiring long commutes on crowded mass transit, or clogged roadways. According to the
Business Week, around 45-48% of the population lives in shantytowns and
slums.
A resident of Mumbai is called a
Mumbaikar, or
Bombayite. Many residents prefer to stay close to major railway stations for easy access to their workplaces, as a significant amount of time is spent on daily commuting. Thus, many live a fast-paced life, with very little time for social activities. Bombay residents celebrate
Indian and Western festivals with great fanfare.
The metropolis has its own local roadside
fast food flavour, comprising
vada pav (leavened wheat bread split in half, with fried dumplings as filling),
panipuri (deep fried crêpe with tamarind and lentil sauce), pav bhaji (leavened wheat bread accompanied with fried vegetables) and
bhelpuri (puffed rice mixture), while
South Indian and
Chinese food are also very popular. The cosmopolitan residents have unique tastes in cuisine,
music, film and literature, both Indian and international. In 2004, Mumbai received three
heritage conservation awards from the
UNESCO.
Mumbai is the birthplace of
Indian cinema, with the oldest film broadcast here in the early 20th century. Mumbai also boasts of large number of cinemas, including
Asia's largest
IMAX dome theatre, which feature mainstream
Bollywood and
Hollywood films. Many film festivals are avidly attended throughout the year. Besides catering to cinephiles, the city has a thriving theatrical tradition both in the regional languages and in English. Contemporary art is well represented in both government funded art spaces and private commercial galleries. The government funded
art galleries include The
Jehangir Art Gallery and The
National Gallery of Modern Art. Built in 1833, the
Asiatic Society of Bombay is the oldest
public library in the city. The city also contains most of India's
tallest buildings.
Mumbai has six
sister cities (the maximum permitted by the Indian government). They are:
Berlin,
London,
Los Angeles,
Saint Petersburg,
Stuttgart and
Yokohama.
[BMC to woo sister cities]Mumbai has numerous
newspaper publications and television and radio stations –
English newspapers published and sold in Mumbai include
Times of India,
Mid-day,
Indian Express,The Asian Age, DNA,The Free Press Journal, Mumbai Mirror and
Hindustan Times. Popular
Marathi newspapers include
Loksatta,
Maharashtra Times and
Saamana. In addition to these papers, newspapers are also printed in
Kannada,
Hindi,
Gujarati,
Malayalam,
Bengali,
Urdu,
Telugu and
Tamil.
The national
television broadcaster
Doordarshan provides two free terrestrial channels, while three main cable networks serve most households. has yet to gain mass acceptance, due to high installation costs. Mumbai households receive over a hundred television channels via cable, and a majority of them are produced to cater to the city's
polyglot populace. The metropolis is also the hub of many international media corporations, with many news channels and print publications having a major presence.
There are nine
radio stations in Mumbai, with six broadcasting on the
FM band, and three
All India Radio stations broadcasting on the
AM band.
Schools in Mumbai are either "municipal schools" (run by the BMC) or private schools (run by trusts and individuals). A majority of residents prefer private schools because of better infrastructure and the use of English as a medium of instruction. All private schools are affiliated either to the Maharashtra State
SSC board, or the all-India
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and
Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) boards. Demand is especially high for ICSE and CBSE affiliated schools, and those run by
convents or the
Jesuits. The government run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only option for poorer residents who cannot afford the more expensive private schools.
Under the
10+2+3 plan, students complete ten years of schooling, and then enroll for two years in
Junior College, where they choose from one of three streams:
Arts,
Commerce or
Science. This is followed by either a general degree course in a chosen field of study, or a professional degree course, such as
law,
engineering,
medicine etc. Most professional colleges in Mumbai are affiliated to the
University of Mumbai, one of the largest
universities in the world in terms of graduation rate. The
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, one of India's premier
engineering schools, and the
SNDT Women's University are the other universities in Mumbai.
Cricket is the most popular
sport in the city, and is usually played in the
maidans (grounds) around the city.
Gully cricket, a modified form of cricket, is played in the narrow by-lanes of the city, especially on Sundays. Mumbai has produced several
famous international cricketers, and is home to the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). International cricket is widely watched, and the city almost comes to a virtual standstill on days when the
Indian cricket team plays important matches. The city has two international cricket stadiums, the
Wankhede Stadium and the
Brabourne Stadium. The local
Mumbai cricket team is among the strongest competitors in the
Ranji Trophy, the nation's top domestic cricketing circuit.
Football is the second most popular sport with the city clubs playing during the
monsoons, when other outdoor sports cannot be played. The
Football World Cup is one of the most widely watched television events in Mumbai. India's national sport,
field hockey, has gone into a sharp decline in the recent years, losing out in terms of popularity to cricket, though many Mumbai players play in the national team.
Other sports are mostly played in the numerous clubs and
gymkhanas, and include
tennis,
squash,
billiards,
badminton,
table tennis and
golf. Mumbai also plays Rugby, one of the few cities to do so in the country. Every February, Mumbai holds the
Derby races in the
Mahalaxmi Racecourse. The event sees many of the city's glitterati attending, arrayed in the latest fashions. In recent times
Formula 1 racing has also caught the public's attention. Other sports such as
volleyball and
basketball are mostly popular in schools and colleges.
*
Official site of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai*
The Mumbai Pages: The complete guide to the city of Mumbai (Bombay) from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research*
Official city report *
Mumbai City Guide*
Places and Pictures around Mumbai*
Mumbai Net*
Birds Eye View of Mumbai (Rare Photo)*
Mumbai Pictures*
Network and information on the birds of Mumbai region* Fox, Edmund A;
Short History of Bombay Presidency (1887) — Thacker & Co — No ISBN
* MacLean, James Mackenzie;
A Guide to Bombay (1875 & 1902) — Various editions; No ISBN
* Chaudhari, K.K;
History of Bombay (1987) — Modern Period Gazetteers Dept., Govt. of Maharashtra
* Tindall, Gillian;
City of Gold (1992) — Penguin ISBN 0-14-009500-4
*
Mehta, Suketu ;
Maximum City : Bombay Lost and Found (2004) — Knopf ISBN 0-37-540372-8
* Patel, Sujata & Thorner, Alice;
Bombay, Metaphor for Modern India (1995) —
Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-563688-0
* Katiyar, Arun & Bhojani, Namas;
Bombay, A Contemporary Account (1996) — Harper Collins ISBN 81-7225-216-0
*
Contractor, Behram;
From Bombay to Mumbai (1998) — Oriana Books
* Virani, Pinki;
Once was Bombay (1999) — Viking ISBN 0-670-88869-9
* Mappls —
Satellite based comprehensive maps of Mumbai (1999) — CE Info Systems Ltd. ISBN 81-901108-0-2
* Agarwal, Jagdish;
Bombay - Mumbai: A Picture Book (1998) &mdash Wilco Publishing House ISBN 81-87288-35-3
:* Dwivedi, Sharada & Mehrotra, Rahul;
Bombay, The Cities Within (1995) — India Book House Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 81-85028-80-X :*
BMC information on the city — A complete reference on the city prepared by the BMC:* Sharada Dwivedi,
Goddess IslandIndian Express, June 6, 2005:*
TIFR information — a vast collection of information on the city:*
Mumbai News:*
Our Greater Bombay (1990) — Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research:*
The Oxford School Atlas; 28th Revised Edition (1991) — Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-563316-4 :*
BusinessWeek;
August 12,
2005; "China and India" special coverage:*
Mumbai Suburban Rail Map (including Proposed Metrol Rail Project) :*
Mumbai online
