The name Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई) originated from Mumbā or Mahā-Ambā—the name of the patron Hindu goddess (Kula Devata) Mumbadevi of the native Koli community[39]—and from ā'ī, meaning "mother" in Marathi.[23][40] By some accounts, the Koli community of Kathiawar and Central Gujarat introduced their deity Mumba from Kathiawar, where her worship continues to this day.[24][25] However, other sources disagree.[25]
The Mumba Devi Temple, from whom the city of Mumbai may derive its name.
The oldest known names for the city are Kakamuchee and Galajunkja; these are sometimes still used.[41][42] Portuguese writer Gaspar Correia recorded the name "Bombaim" after 1512 in his Lendas da Índia (Legends of India).[43][44] Some Anglophone authors have suggested this came from a supposed Galician–Portuguese phrase bom baim, "good little bay",[45] with no scientific basis.[46][b] In 1516, Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa used the name Tana-Maiambu: Tana appears to refer to the adjoining town of Thane and Maiambu to Mumbadevi.[47] The form Bombaim is still commonly used in Portuguese.[48] Many variant names were recorded in the 16th and the 17th centuries.[c] After the English gained possession of the city in the 17th century, the Portuguese name was anglicised to Bombay.[51] Ali Muhammad Khan, imperial dewan or revenue minister of the Gujarat province, in the Mirat-i Ahmedi (1762) called the city Manbai.[52]
The French traveller Louis Rousselet, who visited in 1863 and 1868, stated in 1877 that "Etymologists have wrongly derived this name from the Portuguese Bôa Bahia, or (French: "bonne baie", English: "good bay"), not knowing that the tutelar goddess of this island has been, from remote antiquity, Bomba, or Mumba Devi, and that she still ... possesses a temple".[53] British officer and scholar John Briggs concurred that the name Bombay was a corruption of "Mumby", for a temple to Mumba Devi.[54]
By the late 20th century, the city was called Mumbai or Mambai in Marathi, Konkani, Gujarati, Kannada and Sindhi, and Bambai in Hindi.[55] The Government of India officially changed the English name to Mumbai in November 1995.[56] This came at the insistence of the Marathi nationalist Shiv Sena party, which had just won the Maharashtra state elections, and mirrored similar name changes across India.[57] Shiv Sena argued that the name 'Bombay' echoed British colonial rule.[58][59] While Mumbai is still called Bombay by some residents and by some Indians from other regions,[60][61] mention of the city by a name other than Mumbai has become controversial.[62][63]
People from Mumbai
A resident of Mumbai is called Mumbaikar (pronounced[ˈmumbəikəɾ]) in Marathi, in which the suffix -kar means a 'resident of'. The term had been in use for quite some time, but it gained popularity after the official name change to Mumbai.[64] Older terms such as Bombayite are used infrequently.[65][66]
The Kanheri Caves contain Buddhist artworks from the 1st to the 10th century CE.
In the 3rd century BCE, the islands formed part of the Maurya Empire, ruled by the Buddhist emperor Ashoka.[71] The Kanheri Caves in Borivali were excavated in the first century CE,[72] and served as a centre of Buddhism in Western India.[73] The city was known as Heptanesia (Ancient Greek: A Cluster of Seven Islands) to the Greek geographer Ptolemy in 150 CE.[74] The Mahakali Caves in Andheri were cut out between the 1st century BCE and the 6th century CE.[75][76]
King Bhimdev founded his kingdom in the region in the late 13th century and established his capital in Mahikawati (present day Mahim).[85] The Pathare Prabhus, among the earliest known settlers of the city, were brought to Mahikawati from Saurashtra in Gujarat around 1298 by Bhimdev.[86] The Delhi Sultanate annexed the islands in 1347–48 and controlled it until 1407. During this time, the islands were administered by the Muslim Governors of Gujarat, appointed by the Delhi Sultanate.[87][88] The islands were later governed by the independent Gujarat Sultanate, established in 1407. As a result, numerous mosques were built, including the Haji Ali Dargah in Worli. Erected in 1431, the structure pays homage to the Muslim saint, Haji Ali.[89] From 1429 to 1431, the islands were a source of contention between the Gujarat Sultanate and the Bahmani Sultanate of Deccan.[90][91] In 1493, Bahadur Khan Gilani of the Bahmani Sultanate attempted to conquer the islands but was defeated.[92]
In 1687, the English East India Company transferred its headquarters from Surat to Mumbai. The city eventually became the headquarters of the Bombay Presidency.[108][109] The islands again suffered incursions from Yakut Khan in 1689–90.[110] The Portuguese presence ended when the Marathas under PeshwaBaji Rao I captured Salsette in 1737, and Bassein in 1739.[111]
By the middle of the 18th century, Mumbai expanded into a major trading town, receiving a huge influx of migrants from across India.[112] The British occupied Salsette on 28 December 1774. With the Treaty of Surat (1775), the British gained control of Salsette and Bassein, resulting in the First Anglo-Maratha War.[113] The British secured Salsette from the Marathas through the Treaty of Purandar (1776),[114] and later through the Treaty of Salbai (1782), signed to settle the outcome of the First Anglo-Maratha War.[115]
From 1782 onwards, the city was reshaped with large-scale civil engineering projects to merge the seven islands of Bombay into one by means of a causeway, the Hornby Vellard, completed by 1784.[27][116] In 1817, the British East India Company under Mountstuart Elphinstone defeated Baji Rao II, the last of the Maratha Peshwa in the Battle of Khadki.[117] This brought almost the whole of the Deccan Plateau under British suzerainty and the Bombay Presidency. The success of the campaign marked the end of attacks by native powers.[118]
On 16 April 1853, India's first passenger railway line was established, connecting Mumbai to the neighbouring town of Thana (now Thane).[119] During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the city became the world's chief cotton-trading market, resulting in an economic boom.[120]
After India's independence in 1947, the Bombay Presidency was restructured into Bombay State. The area increased when several erstwhile princely states were integrated into the state. Subsequently, the city became the capital of Bombay State.[126] In April 1950, municipal limits of Mumbai were expanded by merging the Mumbai suburban district and Mumbai City to form the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation.[127]
Following protests in which 105 people died in clashes with the police, Bombay State was reorganised on linguistic lines on 1 May 1960.[130]Gujarati-speaking areas were partitioned into the state of Gujarat.[131] Maharashtra State with Mumbai as its capital was formed with the merger of Marathi-speaking areas of Bombay State, eight districts from Central Provinces and Berar, five districts from Hyderabad State, and numerous princely states.[132] As a memorial to the martyrs of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, Flora Fountain was renamed as Hutatma Chowk (Martyr's Square) and a memorial was erected.[133]
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port, which handles 55–60% of India's containerised cargo, was commissioned on 26 May 1989 across the creek at Nhava Sheva to de-congest Mumbai Harbour and to serve as a hub port for the city.[140] The geographical limits of Greater Mumbai were coextensive with its municipal limits. On 1 October 1990, the Greater Mumbai district was bifurcated to form two revenue districts namely, Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban, though they continued to be administered by the same Municipal Administration.[141]
Mumbai is the commercial capital of India and a global financial hub.[147] It is the home of India's main financial services companies and a focus for infrastructure development and private investment.[148] It has become South Asia's largest city and home of the world's most prolific film industry.[149]
Mumbai is on a narrow peninsula located on the Salsette Island, which is bound by the Arabian Sea to the west, Thane Creek to the east, and Vasai Creek to the north.[154][155] It lies at the mouth of the Ulhas River on the western coast of India, in the Konkan region.[156] It shares the Salsette Island, with the Thane district. Navi Mumbai is located to the east of the Thane Creek, and Thane is situated towards the north of the Vasai Creek.[157] Majority of the city lies just above the mean sea level, with elevations ranging from 10 to 15 m (33 to 49 ft),[158] and an average elevation of 14 m (46 ft).[159] Northern Mumbai consists of hilly terrain,[160] with the highest point in the city at 450 m (1,480 ft) in the Powai–Kanheri range.[161] The coastline is indented with creeks and bays, stretching from the Thane creek in the east to Madh Marve on the western front.[162] The eastern coast of the Salsette Island is covered with mangroveswamps, while the western coast is mostly sandy and rocky.[163]
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (Borivali National Park) is situated partly in the Mumbai suburban and Thane districts, and covers an area of 103.09 km2 (39.80 sq mi).[169] There are two major lakes in the city– Tulsi Lake and Vihar Lake. The city also draws its water supply from various dams located in Thane district including Bhatsa, Lower Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Tansa, and Upper Vaitarna.[170] The Powai Lake is an artificial lake within the city limits, is used only for agricultural and industrial purposes.[171] The Mithi River is an urban river formed by the tailwater discharges of the Powai and Vihar lakes, and is highly polluted.[172]
Mumbai has a tropical wet and dry climate, classified as Aw under the Köppen climate classification. However, the central and northern suburbs experience a tropical monsoon climate (Am) with heavier rainfall during the wet season. Mumbai has a nearly rainless stretch from October to May, with its most intense rainfall during July.[174] A cooler season from December to February is followed by a hotter season from March to May. The period from June to the end of September constitutes the southwest monsoon season.[175]
The average annual temperature is 27 °C (81 °F).[176] In the City, the average maximum and minimum temperatures are 31 °C (88 °F) and 24 °C (75 °F) respetively. In the suburbs, the daily mean maximum temperature ranges from 29 °C (84 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F), and the daily mean minimum temperature ranges from 16 °C (61 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F).[177] The record high is 42.2 °C (108.0 °F) set on 14 April 1952,[178] and the record low was 7.4 °C (45.3 °F), set on 27 January 1962.[178][179] The average annual precipitation is 2,213 mm (87.1 in).[180] The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 mm (136 in) for 1954.[177] The most rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 mm (37 in) on 26 July 2005.[181] The average total annual rainfall is 2,213.4 mm (87 in) in Mumbai City and 2,502.3 mm (99 in) for the suburbs.[177]
Mumbai encounters occasional tropical cyclones. The worst cyclone encountered was on 23 November 1948, with gusts reaching 151 km/h (94 mph), and resulted in 38 deaths and 47 people missing.[182][183][184] The city is prone to flooding during monsoons,[185][186] According to the World Bank, unplanned drainage systems and informal settlements are amongst the key drivers of Mumbai's frequent floods.[187] The 2005 Mumbai floods caused 500-1000 deaths and financial losses of US$ 1.2 billion.[187][188] To reduce flooding in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government implemented a flood mitigation plan that included restoring the Mithi River, restructuring the drainage system, and moving informal settlements.[187][188][189]
According to the 2011 census, Mumbai had a population of 12,442,373 inhabitants, with an estimated population density of about 20,482/km2 (53,050/sq mi) and averate living space of 4.5 square metres (48 sq ft) per person.[208][209] The Mumbai Metropolitan Region was home to 18,394,912 people in 2011.[9] The sex ratio as 853 females per 1,000 males, lower than the national average of 914 females per 1,000 males. The child sex ratio was 913 females per 1000 males.[208] The low sex ratio is partly because of the large number of male migrants who come to the city to work.[210] The city had a literacy rate of 89.73%, higher than the national average of 86.7%.[208] There were 4.2 million households in 2008, which was projected to increase to 6.6 million by 2020. The number of households with annual incomes of above 2 million rupees was projected to be about 10%, and households with incomes from 1 to 2 million is estimated to be 15% in 2020.[211]
As per the 2011 census, there were 5,633,709 slum-dwellers living in 1,135,514 households.[208][212][213]
Dharavi, located in central Mumbai, is the largest slum and houses about a million people in an area of 2.39 km2 (0.92 sq mi), making it one of the most densely populated areas on Earth.[214][215][216] The number of migrants to Mumbai from outside Maharashtra during the 1991–2001 decade was 1.12 million, which amounted to 54.8% of the net addition to the population of Mumbai.[217]
Jews settled in Mumbai during the 18th century. The Bene Israeli Jewish community of Mumbai, who migrated from the Konkan villages, south of Mumbai, are believed to be the descendants of the Jews of Israel shipwrecked off the Konkan coast, probably in the year 175 BCE, during the reign of the Greek ruler, Antiochus IV Epiphanes.[221] Mumbai is home to the largest population of ParsiZoroastrians in the world,[222] numbering about 60,000, however their population is declining rapidly.[223] Parsis migrated to India from Greater Iran following the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century.[224] The ethnic demographics in the Mumbai consists of Maharashtrians (32%), Gujaratis (20%), with the rest hailing from other parts of India.[225]
Marathi is the most spoken language, spoken by about 35.4% of the population. Hindi is the second most spoken language, spoken by 24.8% of the population, followed by Urdu (11.7%) and Gujarati (11.4%).[226][228][229] Marathi and English serve as the official languages of the government.[229] English is the principal language of the city's white collar workforce. A colloquial form of Hindi, known as Bombay Hindi is spoken on the streets.[230] Many Hindi speakers are workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who migrate seasonally to Mumbai to work as labourers.[231]
Mumbai is known as the financial and commercial capital of India, generating about 6.16% of the country's total GDP.[34][147][232] In 2023-24, it contributed to 19.8% of the GDP of the state of Maharashtra.[233] In 2017-18, estimates of the economy of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region ranged from $368 billion to $400 billion (PPP & metro GDP), ranking it amongst the top two most-productive metro area of India.[234][235] In 2006, Mumbai employed 10% of the nation's factory workforce, contributed to 25% of the industrial output, 33% of the income tax collections, 60% of the customs duty collections, 20% of the central excise tax collections, 40% of the foreign trade, and generated ₹40 billion (equivalent to ₹130 billion or US$1.5 billion in 2023) in corporate tax.[236]
Until the 1970s, Mumbai owed its prosperity largely to textile mills and seaport, but the local economy has since then diversified to include finance, engineering, diamond-polishing, healthcare, and information technology.[237] It witnessed an economic boom since the liberalisation of 1991, with the finance sector booming in the mid-nineties, and the information technology (IT), export, services, and outsourcing booming in the 2000s.[238] In the 21st century. the key sectors contributing to the city's economy are: finance, gems & jewellery, leather processing, IT and ITES, textiles, petrochemical, electronics manufacturing, automobiles, and entertainment..[239] The port and shipping industry is well established.[240]Dharavi, in central Mumbai, has a large recycling industry and is home to about 15,000 single-room factories.[241]
Mumbai is one of the world’s most unequal cities in terms of wealth distribution and inclusivity.[248] According to the World Bank, in 2010, the median income was ₹20,000 (equivalent to ₹45,000 or US$530 in 2023) while the average income was ₹40,000 (equivalent to ₹90,000 or US$1,100 in 2023).[249] The city has a large unskilled and semi-skilled self-employed population, and other blue collar professions, often migrating from other regions.[250][251] About 41.8% of the city's population live in urban slums, though slums occupy just around seven percent of the city's total land area.[252][253] Mumbai's overall per capita residential area is 8.3 m2 (89 sq ft), and in the city's slums, it drops to 2.73 m2 (29.4 sq ft).[253] Dharavi hosts nearly a million people, and is one of the largest slums in the world.[254] The median rental cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Mumbai proper was about ₹30,000 (equivalent to ₹37,000 or US$440 in 2023) in 2019.[255] With available land at a premium, Mumbai residents often endure cramped housing, far from workplaces, with long commutes on crowded mass transits or roads clogged with traffic. Suburban residents spend a significant amount of time commuting southward to the central commercial district.[256]
Greater Mumbai (or Brihanmumbai), an area of 603 km2 (233 mi2),[257] consisting of the Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts, extends from Colaba in the south, to Mulund and Dahisar in the north, and Mankhurd in the east. Its population as per the 2011 census was 12,442,373.[258]
It is administered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) (also referred to as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, and formerly known as the Bombay Municipal Corporation).[155] The BMC is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the metropolis.[259] BMC is the richest civic body in India and among the wealthiest in Asia.[260] As per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the BMC had a revenue of ₹378.91 billion (US$4.5 billion) and an expenditure of ₹338.25 billion (US$4.0 billion) in 2022–23. Taxes contributed to 17.1% of the revenue, with 51.2% of the income coming from other sources, and 31.8% from government grants.[261]
The BMC is headed by a mayor, who serves for a term of two and a half years, is chosen through an indirect election by the councillors from among themselves.[262][263] The municipal commissioner is the chief executive officer and head of the executive arm of the municipal corporation. The commissioner, who is an Indian Administrative Service officer appointed by the state government, is responsible for implementing the executive policies. The commissioner is appointed for a fixed term, and the powers of the commissioner are those provided by statute and those delegated by the corporation or the standing committee.[264]
As per a report in 2014, The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was ranked ninth out of 21 cities for best governance & administrative practices in India in 2014, scoring 3.5 out of 10, compared to the national average of 3.3.[265]
The Mumbai Police is headed by a police commissioner, who is an Indian Police Service officer. The Mumbai Police is a division of the Maharashtra Police, under the home ministry of the state government.[266] The city is divided into seven police zones and seventeen traffic police zones,[267] each headed by a deputy commissioner of police.[268] The Mumbai Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Mumbai Police, and is responsible for traffic organisation in the city. The Mumbai Fire Brigade, which is under the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation, is headed by the chief fire officer, who is assisted by four deputy chief fire officers and six divisional officers.[267] The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is responsible for infrastructure development and planning of Mumbai Metropolitan Region.[269]
The founding session of the Indian National Congress (INC) was held in Mumbai in December 1885.[272] Its first session was held in Mumbai from 28 to 31 December 1885.[273] The city played host to the sessions of the INC six times during its first 50 years, and was a base for the Indian independence movement during the 20th century.[274]
Elections are held every five years to elect the corporators of the BMC.[285] The Corporation comprises 227 directly elected Councillors representing the 24 municipal wards, five nominated Councillors with knowledge of municipal administration, and a ceremonial mayor.[286][287][288] In the 2026 municipal corporation elections, out of the 227 seats, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance secured 118 seats, with the BJP winning 89 seats.[289]
Mumbai's transport system is one of the most congested in the world.[309][310] As of March 2014, Mumbai had about 721,000 private vehicles.[311] Black-and-yellow meter taxis, and auto rickshaws serve are available for hire. [312] Auto rickshaws are allowed to operate only in suburban areas, while taxis are allowed to operate throughout the city, but work mostly in the City district.[313] Taxis and the lower-cost auto rickshaws are legally required to run on compressed natural gas.[313][314] As of 2005, there were 56,459 black and yellow taxis [315] and 106,000 auto rickshaws, as of May 2013.[303]
The public bus transport system is operated by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). Buses carried over 5.5 million passengers per day in 2008, and the BEST bus services together with the Mumbai's local rail network accounted for about 88% of the passenger traffic.[312] The bus ridership dropped to 2.8 million in 2015.[316] Buses are favoured for commuting short to medium distances.[317] Public buses cover the entire city, and extend to parts of Mira-Bhayandar, Navi Mumbai, and Thane.[318] As of 2011, the BEST operated 4,608 buses along 390 routes.[312][319] The fleet consists of single-decker, double-decker, vestibule, low-floor, and air-conditioned buses, and run on diesel, compressed natural gas, or electric power.[320][321] The earlier BEST buses were red, and based on London's Routemaster buses.[322] BEST introduced air-conditioned buses in 1998.[323]
The Mumbai Suburban Railway, colloquially referred to as "locals", forms the backbone of the city's transport system.[331] It is operated by the Central and Western Railway zones of the Indian Railways.[332] Mumbai's suburban rail systems carried 6.3 million passengers per day in 2007.[333] The suburban rail network spans 319 km (198 mi), and 2,226 train services operated daily in 2010.[334] The trains are often overcrowded during peak hours, with twelve-car trains with a rated capacity 1,700 passengers, carrying nearly 4,500 passengers.[335] The Mumbai Monorail and Mumbai Metro were inaugurated to relieve the overcrowding on the existing rail network. The Monorail operates on a single route and opened in early February 2014.[336] The first line of the Mumbai Metro opened in June 2014.[337]
Mumbai is the headquarters of two zones of the Indian Railways: the Central Railway headquartered at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and the Western Railway headquartered at Churchgate.[338] Mumbai is well connected with major stations across the Indian Railways network. Long-distance trains operate from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai Central, and Bandra Terminus railway stations.[339] As of 2026, four lines of the metro are operational and eight are planned.[340]
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is the main aviation hub in the city. It handled 52.8 million passengers in 2023-24, and is the second busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic.[341][342] A modernisation and upgrade plan was initiated in 2006, targeted at increasing the capacity of the airport to handle up to 40 million passengers annually,[343] and the new T2 terminal was opened in February 2014.[344]
Mumbai is served by two major ports, Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port, which lies just across the creek in Navi Mumbai.[348] Mumbai Port is a natural harbour, and has extensive wet and dry dock accommodation facilities.[349] Jawaharlal Nehru Port, commissioned on 26 May 1989, is the busiest major port in India,[350] and handles around 50% of the country's total containerised cargo.[351]
Local water transport in Mumbai consists of ferries, small boats, and catamarans. Ferry services are operated by government agencies and private partners.[352]Hovercraft services plied briefly in the late 1990s between the Gateway of India and CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai, and were scrapped due to lack of adequate infrastructure and opposition from the local fishermen.[353] Ferries from Ferry Wharf in Mazagaon allow access to islands near the city.[354]
The municipal corporation supplies potable water to the city drawn from six lakes and water bodies in and around the city.[355][356] The Tansa lake supplies water to the western suburbs and parts of the City district.[357] The water drawn from the lake is filtered at Bhandup, which has the Asia's largest water filtration plant.[358][359][360] The water is supplied to the filtering facility using underground water tunnels.[361][362] As of 2009, the city required a daily supply of 3.5 billion litres of water, of which 700 million litres is lost by way of water thefts, illegal connections and leakages.[363]
As of 2005, the city generated a refuse of 7,800 t (7,700 long tons; 8,600 short tons), of which 40 t (39 long tons; 44 short tons) is plastic waste,[364] and is transported to dumping grounds in Gorai in the northwest, Mulund in the northeast, and to the Deonar in the east.[365] Sewage treatment is carried out at Worli and Bandra, and disposed of by two independent marine outfalls of 3.4 km (2.1 mi) and 3.7 km (2.3 mi) at Bandra and Worli respectively.[366]
Electricity is distributed by BEST in the City district, and by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (Mahavitaran), Adani Transmission, and Tata Power in the suburbs.[367][368] Majority of the power supply cables are underground, to reduce pilferage, thefts and other losses.[369][370] Cooking gas is supplied in the form of Liquefied petroleum gas cylinders sold by various state-owned oil companies, and pieped natural gas supplied by Mahanagar Gas Limited.[371][372]
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.[373] Mobile phone coverage is extensive, and the main service providers include Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, MTNL, and Vodafone Idea.[374] Mumbai, along with the area served by telephone exchanges in Navi Mumbai and Kalyan is classified as a metro telecom circle.[375] Various operators provide broadband internet and wireless internet access, and as of 2014, Mumbai had the highest number of internet users in India with 16.4 million users.[376]
Education
Schools
Schools in Mumbai are either "municipal schools" (run by the MCGM) or private schools (run by trusts or individuals), which in some cases receive financial aid from the government.[377] Marathi or English is the usual language of instruction.[378]
The primary education system of the MCGM is urban Asia's largest. The MCGM operates 1,188 primary schools teaching 485,531 students in eight languages (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada). The MCGM has 55,576 students in its 49 secondary schools.[379]
Higher education
Under the 10+2+3/4 plan, students complete ten years of schooling and then two years in junior college, where they select one of three streams: arts, commerce, or science.[380] This is followed by either a general degree course, or a professional degree course, such as law, engineering and medicine.[381] Most colleges are affiliated with the University of Mumbai, one of the largest universities in the world by number of graduates.[382]
The University of Mumbai is one of the premier[383] universities in India. It was ranked 41 among the Top 50 Engineering Schools of the world by America's Business Insider in 2012, and was the only university in the list from the five emerging BRICS nations.[384] Moreover, the University of Mumbai was ranked 5th in the list of best universities in India by India Today in 2013[385] and ranked at 62 in the QS BRICS University rankings for 2013.[386][387] QS ranked it 10th among the top Universities of India in 2013.[387] With 7 of the top ten Indian Universities being purely science and technology universities, QS ranked it India's 3rd best multidisciplinary University.[387]
Mumbai's culture offers a blend of traditional and cosmopolitan festivals, food, entertainment, and night life. Many cultures, religions, and cuisines coexist in the city, producing varied restaurants, cinemas, theatres, sports events and museums.[401]
Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema.[402][403] It has many cinemas that feature Bollywood, Marathi and Hollywood movies. The Mumbai International Film Festival[404] and the award ceremony of the Filmfare Awards, the oldest and prominent film awards given for Hindi film industry in India, are held in Mumbai.[405] Despite most of the professional theatre groups that formed during the British Raj having disbanded by the 1950s, Mumbai has developed a thriving "theatre movement" tradition in Marathi, Hindi, English, and other regional languages.[406][407]
View of Parshuram Mandir from the Banganga tank in the Walkeshwar area of Malabar Hill in South Mumbai
The Elephanta Festival—celebrated every February on the Elephanta Islands—is dedicated to classical Indian dance and music and attracts performers from across the country.[413][416] Public holidays specific to the city and the state include Maharashtra Day on 1 May, to celebrate the formation of Maharashtra state on 1 May 1960,[417][418] and Gudi Padwa which is the New Year's Day for Marathi people.
Beaches are a major tourist attraction in the city. The major beaches in Mumbai are Girgaum Chowpatty, Juhu Beach, Dadar Chowpatty, Gorai Beach, Marve Beach, Versova Beach, Madh Beach, Aksa Beach and Manori Beach.[419] Most of the beaches are unfit for swimming, except Girgaum Chowpatty and Juhu Beach.[420] Essel World is a theme park and amusement centre situated close to Gorai Beach,[421] and includes Asia's largest theme water park, Water Kingdom.[422]Adlabs Imagica opened in April 2013 is located near the city of Khopoli off the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.[423]
The architecture of the city is a blend of Gothic Revival, Indo-Saracenic, Art Deco, and other contemporary styles. Most of the buildings during the British period, such as the Victoria Terminus and University of Mumbai, were built in Gothic Revival style.[424] Their architectural features include a variety of European influences such as German gables, Dutch roofs, Swiss timbering, Romance arches, Tudor casements, and traditional Indian features.[425] There are also a few Indo-Saracenic styled buildings such as the Gateway of India.[426] Art Deco styled landmarks can be found along Marine Drive and west of the Oval Maidan. Mumbai has the second highest number of Art Deco buildings in the world after Miami. In the newer suburbs, modern buildings dominate the landscape. Mumbai has by far the highest number of skyscrapers in India, with 956 existing skyscrapers and 272 under construction as of 2009.
The Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), established in 1995, formulates special regulations and by-laws to assist in the conservation of the city's heritage structures. Mumbai has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Elephanta Caves and the Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble.[427] In the south of Mumbai, there are colonial-era buildings and Soviet-style offices.[428] In the east are factories and some slums. On the West coast are former-textile mills being demolished and skyscrapers built on top. There are 237 buildings taller than 100 m (330 ft), compared with 327 in Shanghai and 855 in New York.[429][428]
Mumbai's cityscape consists of a variety of tall buildings and structures, most of which have been built in the last two decades. There was a lull in construction from the mid-1990s, after which construction projects began taking the skyline upwards, with a major acceleration since 2000, when the Lower Parel area began developing.[430]
Mumbai, with a commanding 77% share of tall buildings in India, is poised to maintain its position as the frontrunner in tall building construction due to its ability to command premium prices compared to other cities.[431]
Mumbai has more residential tall buildings rather than commercial, unlike the trend globally. Limited land resources and an exponential increase in urban population were the primary reasons for Mumbai's vertical growth compared to other Tier 1 Indian cities.[432] As of June 2023, Mumbai has a total of around 250 tall buildings out of which more than 100 are completed, and more than 90 were under construction.[433]
Food
Street food of Mumbai is the food sold by hawkers from portable market stalls in Mumbai. Although street food is common all over India, Mumbai is known for their street food and it's a strong characteristic of the city.[434][435] It has this reputation because people from all economic classes eat on the roadside almost round the clock, and it is sometimes felt that the taste of street food is better than that of restaurants in the city.[436][437][438] People of Mumbai, cutting across barriers of class, religion, gender, and ethnicity, are passionate about street food.[439] Street food vendors are credited by some for developing the city's food culture.[440] Street food in Mumbai is relatively inexpensive as compared to restaurants, and vendors tend to be clustered around crowded areas such as colleges and railway stations.[436]
Bollywood, the Hindi film industry based in Mumbai, produces around 150–200 films every year.[441] The name Bollywood is a blend of Bombay and Hollywood.[442] The 2000s saw a growth in Bollywood's popularity overseas. This led filmmaking to new heights in terms of quality, cinematography and innovative story lines as well as technical advances such as special effects and animation.[443] Studios in Goregaon, including Film City, are the location for most movie sets.[444]
The metropolis is the hub of many international media corporations, with many news channels and print publications. The national television broadcaster, Doordarshan, provides two free terrestrial channels, while three main cable networks serve most households.[450][451] Prominent DTH entertainment services in Mumbai include Dish TV and Tata Sky.[452]
INS Mumbai – Guided-missile destroyer of Indian Navy
Notes
^This statistic is based on an article from The Economic Times.[22] However, according to the Hurun Research Institute, Forbes says that Hong Kong has the most billionaires in Asia, while the World's Wealthiest Cities Report 2023 states that Beijing has the most number of Asian billionaires.
^Portuguese linguist José Pedro Machado attributes that interpretation to a deficient knowledge of the Portuguese language, mixing up the Portuguese word "bom" with the English "bay", from the English version of the name.[46]
^16th and 17th century names included Mombayn (1525), Bombay (1538), Bombain (1552), Bombaym (1552), Monbaym (1554), Mombaim (1563), Mombaym (1644), Bambaye (1666), Bombaiim (1666), Bombeye (1676), Boon Bay (1690)[48][49] and Bon Bahia.[50]
^ abMunshi, Kanaiyalal M. (1954). Gujarāt and its literature, from early times to 1852. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. xix. The next immigrants into the islands of Bombay were the Kolis, who on all authorities continued to be their original inhabitants till Aungier founded the city of Bombay. Kathiawad and Central Gujarāt was the home of the Kolis in pre-historic times.
^ abcMehta, R. N. (1983). "Bombay – An analysis of the toponym". Journal of the Oriental Institute: 138–140. The kolis who succeeded the stone-age men on the island brought with them from Gujarat their patron goddess Mummai whom their descendants still worship in Kathiawar. The name of Bombay is derived from this koli goddess.
^Mukund Kule (8 October 2010). "मुंबईचं श्रद्धास्थान" [Mumba'īcaṁ Shrad'dhāsthān]. Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). Maharashtra. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
^Rousselet, Louis (1877). L'Inde des Rajahs. Librairie Hachette et cie, Paris. p. 7. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
^History of the Rise of Mahomedan Power in India- Vol 4 – John Briggs (1829) Pg. 17 Footnote 21. "Bombay. The island seems at the time to have consisted of two parts; the one denominated Mahim, from the village of that name in the N.E. corner and the other Mumby from an idol to which a temple is still dedicated, as is known by the appellation of Mumbydevy, or the Goddess Mumby, which by Europeans has been corrupted into Bombay. The separation of the two islands would be again complete, if the dam called Breach Candy were removed, which keeps out the sea on the west face of the island."
^"2. Mumbai City Profile"(PDF). GMDMA Greater Mumbai Disaster Management Authority. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. p. 7. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
^Ray, Himanshu Prabha (June 1994). "Kanheri: The archaeology of an early Buddhist pilgrimage centre in western India". World Archaeology. 26 (1): 35–46. doi:10.1080/00438243.1994.9980259.
^Maharashtra (India) (1986). Maharashtra State Gazetteers. Vol. 24 (1 ed.). Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Maharashtra State. p. 596. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016.
^Parry, Eric (2015). "1: Pavement". Context: Architecture and the Genius of Place. John Wiley & Sons. p. 44. ISBN978-1-118-94673-2. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
^Kincaid, Charles Augustus; Pārasanīsa, Dattātraya Baḷavanta (1922). A History of the Maratha People. H. Milford, Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
^"Mayor – the First Citizen of Mumbai". Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2009. As the presiding authority at the Corporation Meetings, his/her role is confined to the four corners of the Corporation Hall. The decorative role, however, extends far beyond the city and the country to other parts of world
^Executive Summary on Comprehensive Transportation Study for MMR, p. 2-1: "The 137% increase in cars, a 306% increase in two wheelers, the 420% increase in autos and 128% increase in taxis during 1991–2005 has created a lethal dose of traffic congestion which has categorised Mumbai as one of the congested cities in the world."
^ abGhose, Anindita (24 August 2005). "What's Mumbai without the black beetles?". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2009. In Mumbai autos run only in the suburbs up to Mahim creek. This is probably the perfect arrangement because it is not economically viable for autos and taxis to solicit the same passengers. So autos monopolise the suburbs while taxis rule South Mumbai.
^"Terminal Facilities in Metropolitanc Cities"(PDF). Ministry of Railways. p. 14. Archived from the original(PDF) on 29 May 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2009. The port city of Mumbai is served by 5 passenger terminals namely Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal (CST), Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra and Lokmanya Tilak Terminal.
^Chittar 1973, p. 65: "The Port is endowed with one of the best natural harbours in the world and has extensive wet and dry dock accommodation to meet the normal needs of the city."
^Sonawane, Rakshit (13 May 2007). "Cruise terminal plan gets MoU push". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2009. While Arthur Bunder is used by small boats and Hay Bunder caters to declining traffic of barges, Ferry Wharf offers services to Mora, Mandva, Rewas and Uran ports.
^Nagarajan, Saraswathy (10 September 2006). "Matchbox journeys". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
^Bansal, Shuchi; Mathai, Palakunnathu G. (6 April 2005). "Mumbai's media Mahabharat". Rediff. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
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