What Is Mumbai Famous For? Top 16 Popular Places & Things

source: britannica

Mumbai, one of the major cosmopolitan cities in India, is a popular tourist attraction. It is primarily famous for large markets, mesmerising beaches, towering buildings, and exquisite five-star hotels. Nevertheless, you will be spoilt for choice while deciding the places to visit or the activities to enjoy on your trip to Mumbai. This is why it is better to stay aware of the places or things what Mumbai is famous for before you embark on your journey.

1. Gateway of India

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The Gateway of India, the historical arch-monument, is what Mumbai is famous for primarily. It is a large basalt-made monument, which served as a ceremonial place during the British rule to welcome King George V in India in 1911. However, it is the same place from where the last troop of Britain left India in 1948.  Apart from that, the architecture has a height of 26 metres and is located in the Apollo Bunder area, overlooking the mesmerising Arabian Sea.

2. Marine Drive

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Marine Drive also comes among the top attractions in Mumbai for the picturesque seaside beauty it offers. It is a C-shaped, 6-lane highway beside the coast of the Arabian Sea. The bridge is also called the 'Queen's Necklace' due to its C-like shape. It is a matter of immense delight whether you walk or drive through Marine Drive preferably, during sunset.

3. Bandra-Worli Sea Link

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It is a 5.6-kilometre-long bridge with eight lanes, connecting the West suburb of Mumbai at Bandra to South Mumbai at Worli. This sea link decreases the overall time of commuting from Bandra to Worli by almost 10 to 20 minutes. Further, if you want a panoramic view of the Bandra-WorliSea Link, you can go to the Portuguese watchtower located at Bandra Fort.

4. Kanheri Caves

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Kanheri Caves is a group of more than 100 rock-cut monuments situated at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Inside these 2000 years old caves, you can find large Buddhist stupas, prayer halls and congregation areas. Among these, Cave 34 contains some unfinished yet magnificent Buddhist paintings on its ceiling. All these indicate that Kanheri Caves was once a properly organised Buddhist establishment and a centre for studying, meditating and living.

5. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

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Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya is a large and beautiful museum that houses more than 70,000 artistic works and historical artefacts that display the growth of human civilisation from the Stone Age to the present time.

The original intent behind building this museum was to commemorate the Prince of Wales's visit to India in 1905. The architecture of this building is an embodiment of Indo-Saracenic style with an amalgamation of indigenous Maratha, Mughal and Jain styles.

6. Global Vipassana Pagoda

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Global Vipassana Pagoda is a large dome hall for meditation that can accommodate nearly 8,000 visitors. It is a large Buddhist temple built in the style of Shwedagon or Golden Pagoda in Myanmar. This pagoda has the world's largest dome having no pillar as support and you can also explore Buddha's life through numerous arts and artefacts kept within the housing complex.

7. Shree Siddhivinayak Temple

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It is one of the most prosperous temples dedicated to Lord Ganesha, situated in Prabhadevi,Mumbai. The temple contains beautifully carved-out sculptures of Ashtavinayaka on the inner gates and pillars. Apart from that, it also has a well-designed gold-plated dome over the idol of Lord Ganesha. Moreover, the exterior of this temple also gives an impressive sight with a large dome lit with bright and beautiful colour that changes hourly.

8. Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya

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Mani Bhavan is a two-storied old-fashioned building in which Mahatma Gandhi used to stay whenever he had to come to Mumbai during the Indian independence movement. It served as a residence cum headquarter for Gandhiji for almost seventeen years. From here, he also ignited the spirit of the Satyagraha movement and propagated Khadi and Swadeshi Movement. In 1955, this building was converted into a research centre and museum to celebrate historical events associated with the Father of India.

9. Mahalakshmi Temple

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It is an old and one of the most venerated temples in Mumbai dedicated to the goddess Mahalakshmi. You can find images of Tridevi (three goddesses), Mahakali, Mahasaraswati and Mahalakshmi inside. There is a legend that Ramji Shivji Prabhu dreamt of a statue of a goddess near the seashore of Worli and built the beautiful temple. In addition, a merchant of Mumbai, Dhakji Dadaji, contributed to this temple construction project.

10. Elephanta Island

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Situated near the Mumbai harbour, Elephanta Island is one of the major tourist magnets and a UNESCO World Heritage Site of India. It contains beautifully carved cave temples that Mumbai is famous for. The 990-metre-long main cave temple has numerous carved pillars, cross beams and rock-cut images related to ‘Trimurti Sadashiva', the wedding of Shiva and Parvarti, etc.

11. Taj Mahal Palace

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Taj Mahal Palace is one of the oldest and most iconic luxury hotels in Mumbai. Further, the brown-stoned building, beautiful windowed façade, onion domes, etc., adds to this palace’s impeccable beauty. All these make this palace one of the most photographed places in India.

Read more about:

• Best Places to Visit in Mumbai
• Bike Trips From Mumbai
• Churches in Mumbai

Besides the aforementioned places, here are the following things that you need to witness the vibe of Mumbai:

12. Street Food

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You must consider relishing Mumbai's street foods while exploring the city. Besides being cheap, these foods are great in terms of taste, colours and textures. Mumbai is a famous place for mouth-watering street foods like vada pav, pav bhaji, misal pav, bhel puri, Bombay sandwich, kanda poha, etc.

13. Bollywood

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Mumbai also attracts Indians due to its association with the Bollywood industry. On your Bollywood tour, you can see film studios and experience dance choreography. Further, passing through residential places of posh communities, you can also catch a glimpse of the houses of your favourite Bollywood actors and actresses.

14. Cricket Match in Wankhede Stadium

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Wankhede Stadium also holds a significant position among Indians due to the electric atmosphere it musters during cricket matches. Established in 1975, it can accommodate over 33,000 audiences. One of the essential features of this stadium is its concrete roof that stands without the support of any pillar. As a result of such construction, it can provide an obstruction-free view of the sports, irrespective of the position of seats.

15. Bandra Fair

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It is an iconic weeklong festival in Mumbai held every year on the 8th of September to celebrate the birth of mother Mary. It attracts thousands of visitors and pilgrims throughout the country. During this auspicious occasion, you can find several stalls selling candles with the shape of human organs or body parts that are vulnerable to diseases and ailments. Devotees keep these candles on the basilica to pray for their health and well-being.

16. Ganesh Chaturthi Festivals

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Ganesh Chaturthi was the day when the elephant-headed god of prosperity and wisdom descended on earth. All the residents of the city share the joy of festivities during this 10-day-long auspicious occasion. Furthermore, the last day's merriment of immersing the Lord Ganesha’s idol displays nothing but the sheer joy of devotees.

Now that you know what Mumbai is famous for, you can explore the city properly. This way, you can make the most out of your journey and get familiarised with the culture of this place.