MUMBAI - MARCH, 2014

This was my first trip to India. My flight to Mumbai [formerly known as Bombay] from Los Angeles via Istanbul, Turkey was delayed, causing me to miss my connection in Istanbul. I had to spend the night and the following day in Istanbul before continuing on to Mumbai, which resulted in my stay in Mumbai being shortened to one day from the previously planned two days. My driver picked me up at the Mumbai International Airport at 5:30 a.m. and we spent the full day sightseeing in Mumbai. We stopped briefly at my hotel, the Palladium Hotel [formerly the Shangri La Hotel], which was one of the most luxurious hotels that I have ever stayed in. This is the view from my hotel window looking  south to the financial district of Mumbai and the Arabian Sea.

Mumbai has a population of over 20 million people of which over 60% of the population lives in slums. One of the most striking features in Mumbai is the closeness in proximity of the ultra rich, and the ultra poor. Beside million dollar condos in highrise buildings you find slums of grinding poverty. Although Mumbai is the richest city per capita in India, and the financial center of India; there is a huge difference between how the rich and poor live in the city. On my drive in from the airport to my hotel we passed many street markets, where the people buy vegetables and other produce for the day's meals.

 
The first stop on my day of sightseeing was the laundry at Dhoby Ghat. Here the linens and uniforms of the hospitals and hotels are washed and air dried. Needless to say, not your corner laundry that we are used to.

Our next stop was Malabar Hill, which is one of the most exclusive residential areas in Mumbai. It is also the highest point in Mumbai overlooking the beaches and financial district of South Mumbai. Several beautiful parks are located here, which are actually built on top of underground reservoirs that supply water to the city.

 

 

Our next stop was the former home of Mahatma Gandhi, which is now a museum. It was fascinating to see the residence of the man who organized the resistance to British rule, and gained freedom for the people of India.

 

A short drive away is the Fort area of Mumbai which contains the buildings of the former British Empire in India, including the Victoria Station [Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus] the central train terminal in the city.

In the nearby area of Colaba we saw the Gateway of India, which was built in 1924 to commemorate the royal visit of King George V in 1911. Just 24 years later the Gateway was the scene of the withdrawal of the last remaining British troops leaving the newly independent India.

Next to the Gateway of India is located the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in Mumbai. It was also the scene of a terrorist attack in 2008 which killed several dozen people, and damaged much of the hotel.

Adjacent to the Gateway of India is a wharf where you can purchase tickets and board boats for a one hour trip to Elephanta Island located in the Bay of Mumbai. These are photos of the boat, looking back toward the Gateway of India, and Elephanta Island.

Elephanta Island [also known as Gharapuri] is a Unesco World Heritage Site which contains a myriad of cave-temples carved into the island's basalt rock. The temples are thought to have been created between 450 and 750 AD. The Portuguese explorers called it Elephanta Island because of a large stone elephant near the shore which collapsed in 1841 and was removed from the island. When you land on the island at the end of a long pier, you can walk to the island or take a small miniature train to the steep stairway leading to the caves. Before reaching the stairway you pass through several small areas of food and souvenir stalls.

 

 

 

At the top of the stairway was an area where you could buy refreshments, and sit and rest. There were many wild monkeys there that would steal anything that was left unattended, including food, drinks, and cameras. You had to be very careful.

The cave-temples contain some of India's most impressive temple carvings. The main Shiva-dedicated temple is an intriguing latticework of courtyards, halls, pillars and shrines. Unfortunately, the Portuguese explorers destroyed and defaced many of the works of art contained here.

 

 

My trip to Elephanta Island concluded my short, but busy, one day stop in Mumbai. After a good nights sleep I was on to my next destination, New Delhi, the capital of India.