Facts About Mumbai
Mumbai is the state capital of Maharashtra and the economic central of India. It is the home to people from different backgrounds and conditions. In spite of these differences, Mumbai has always proved its unity by its people and their undying spirit of togetherness. There are a few facts about Mumbai, not known by many, that reflect the greatness of this city.
1. India's Entertainment Capital
Popularly known as Mayanagri, Mumbai is the home to one of the world's largest film industry, Bollywood. The kings and queens of entertainment too reside here. The shooting sets, production departments and everything else is settled in different parts of Mumbai. The city is also the home to the Indian television industry along with the ad agencies and various fashion labels. With all of these being a part of Mumbai, it truly is the countr's entertainment capital.
2. India's Economic Capital
Not just the entertainment, Mumbai leads the race by being the country's economic capital too. With the stock markets centered here due to the presence of the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange and some of the very important companies in India. Globally, it has become the medium of exchange for India when any kind of dealings or trades happen with then foreign nations.
3. Bombay to Mumbai
In the year 1995, the city's name officially changed from Bombay to Mumbai to glorify the Maratha culture and pay tributes to the local goddess Mumbadevi. This was done by the state political party Shiv sena as a way to reflect and re-glorify the Maratha culture.
4. India's First Train and bus Travelled Here
A very lesser known fact about Mumbai is that the first ever train in the country had run here. The train had started off in Mumbai central and had stopped at Thane. Along with the trains, Mumbai was the place where bus services began operating for the first time. The Best bus services of Mumbai are considered as one of the fastest and most efficient modes of transport.
5. India's wealthiest City
Mumbai has always been known for its giving back characteristic. It is said that nobody sleeps an empty stomach in Mumbai if he/she is ready to work hard and give their best. This is the reason why there are migrants from all around the country residing here with a hope to make a better living. This makes Mumbai the wealthiest city of India with the rich and the poor both trying to achieve different standards of living and getting over the demarcation that separates them.
Mumbai is the home to the highest number of billionaires and millionaires of India that contribute a lot in making it the wealthiest city of India.
6. UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Mumbai is a major tourist hotspot with amazing places to explore. There are 3 UNESCO World heritage sites here that are a major attraction of the city. The chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus also known as the Victoria terminus, the different deco buildings here reflecting the Victorian era and the Elephanta Caves are these heritage sites.
7. Made up of Seven Islands
There's everything unique about Mumbai and its locations. Unlike other cities, Mumbai is made up of seven different islands that were united to make the city a whole. These islands include Colaba, Mahim, Parel, Worli, Isle of Bombay, Little Colaba and Mazagaon.
8. World's Most Expensive House
The world's most expensive house Antilia is located in Mumbai. The city being the home to some of the richest in the world, such thing is quite common here. The building is owned by the founder of Reliance group, Mr. MukeshAmbani and stands high on the Altamount round in South Bombay district of Mumbai.
9. Juhu Aerodome
The Juhu Aerodome in Mumbai was the first airport founded in India. Today, it goes by the name, ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport’ and is the international airport of Mumbai. It is considered among the top 3 airports in India and has a lot of aesthetic value to it.
10. Mumbai's Dabbawallas
The dabbawallas or the tiffin service providers are the heart of Mumbai. They are known for their on-time deliveries and amazing management skills. They act as the middle men receiving the tiffins prepared from different areas and then deliver them to their exact locations on time. They have been serving the city since a long time and are now recognized world-wide.
11. Dharavi
The largest slums in Asia are located in Mumbai. These are the settlements made especially for the people below the poverty line who cannot afford to make a better living in the city. It is the home to the poor, the needy and the homeless. In spite of such conditions prevailing there, Dharavi has produced some world-class talents that have made the slum as well the city proud. There are breathtakingly talented people here who have competed and won at different world championships and have gained recognition.
12. Bandra-Worli Sea Link
The mesmerizing bridge linking Bandra to Worli crosses the Mahim Bay to reduce the travel time from around 30 minutes to 10 minutes. Also known as the Ragiv Gandhi Sea Link, it was built by the Hindustan Construction company and extends to 5.6 kms. The most interesting part about it is that it was constructed with cement and steel wire that was equal to the earth's girth.
13. Flamingos
The swamps of Bhandup and Sewri witness the migration of flamigos every year from October to March. These birds migrate from different parts of the world to Mumbai giving the photographers and bird enthusiasts a lot to explore.
14. Densely Populated
Mumbai is so packed that it is difficult to find any empty space here. With so many people migrating from different parts of the country along with the original residents, Mumbai is over populated and is among the top highly populated cities of the world.
15. First Car Owner
The founder of Tata, Sir Jamshedji Tata was the first owner of a car in India. Nobody before him had the privilege of having their own car. He was a resident of Mumbai, thus making Mumbai the first city to have owned a car in India.
16. Mumbaikars and Aamchi Mumbai
They residents of Mumbai are often referred to as Mumbaikars meaning people who live here. Marathi being the official state language of Maharshtra is spoken here a lot. Mumbaikars refer to Mumbai as ‘Aamchi Mumbai’ that means ‘My Mumbai’. It is just a term coined to reflect the gesture of goodwill and unity among the Mumbaikas here.
17. Street Food
Mumbai's street food is world famous with people having their complete meals on these food stalls. Some of the very popular street foods here are vadapao, missal pao, panipuri, keemapao etc. Any Mumbaikar would agree that the street food served here is much better than the food served in restaurants.
18. Primary Scientific Institutes
Mumbai has some of the highly recognized research institutes like the Bhabha Atomic Research center, Department of Atomic Energy and many more. These research institutes are highly esteemed and working here is a dream for many.
19. Railway Line Construction by Women
The first Indian railway line constructed by woman was the Mumbai-Pune railway line in the year 1863. It was Alice Tredwell who had completed and managed the entire construction creating history in the field.
20. Birthplace of Rudyard Kipling
The author jungle book was born in the city of Mumbai. The Noble prize winner’s birthplace has been traced from the records of J.J. School of Art in Mumbai. The city is truly blessed to be the home of such a genius.
All in all, Mumbai is the place that really needs to be explored by everyone owing to such amazing facts about it. The unity and spirit of togetherness of Mumbai has made it reach where is today and has made it a globally acclaimed city.
