Mumbai formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India. Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra. Along with its neighbouring suburbs, it forms the world's sixth most populous metropolitan area, and also it is the second most populous city in the world. The city has a deep natural harbour and the port handles over half of India' passenger traffic and a significant amount of cargo.

Mumbai is located in India's west on the Arabian Sea, infact Mumbai is a collection of seven Islands connected to the mainland by bridges and land reclaimed from the sea. The southernmost peninsula is known as Colaba. Directly north of Colaba is the area known as the Fort, where the old British Fort once stood. Further west is Marine Drive. To the north are the suburbs of Greater Mumbai.

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 photpourri of various communities and cultures. The city is home to India' 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 name Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba or Maha-Amba- the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and Aai - mother in Marathi. The English name Bombay has its origins in the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived in the area and called the place with various names, which would finally take on the written form Bombaim, still common in current Portuguese use. After the British gained possession in the 17th century, 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. 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.

Being in the tropical zone, and near to the Arabian Sea, the climate of Mumbai, is 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 (i.e. 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 (i.e. 85 inches). The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 mm (i.e. 135.89 inches) in 1954. The highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 mm (37.16 inches) in 2005-07-26.

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 43.3°C (110°F) and record low is 7.4°C (45°F) in 1962-01-22.

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, 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.

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 like Vada Pav Panipuri, Pav Bhaji, and Bhelpuri. In Mumbai 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 has numerous newspaper publications and television and radio stations - Popular Marathi newspapers include Loksatta, Maharashtra Times, Sakaal, Navakaal, Lokmat and Saamana.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. In addition to these papers, newspapers are also printed in other Indian languages. Mumbai is also home to India's oldest newspaper, Bombay Samachar, which has been published in Gujarati and English since 1822.Also the city gets The Hindu on Fridays.

The national television broadcaster Doordarshan provides two free terrestrial channels, while three main cable networks serve most households. Zee Marathi, DD Sahyadri, Zee TV, Star plus and news channels are popular. Satellite television (DTH) 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.

The largest and most populated city in the country, Mumbai flaunts the hippest restaurants, hotels, discos, pubs, shopping arcades and malls.

The world's greatest collection of Victorian Gothic buildings is located here, as is Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia. Known throughout the world as Bombay, it was renamed Mumbai in 1996.

Mumbai is home to two of India's most important research institutions: The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR), and the Bhabha Atomic Research centre(BARC). Apart from these institutions, Mumbai has the Nehru Planetarium and the Nehru Science Centre, which work towards public awareness with regards to science.

Overall Mumbai is Mumbai. City of Dreams...

Accessability...
Mumbai is accessable by Air, Rail, and Road.

The international terminal at Sahar is connected to flights coming in from all over the world. The international terminal Sahar is 30 kms and the domestic terminal at Santa Cruz is 27 kms respectively from Nariman Point (Mumbai). There are regular shuttle buses runs between the two terminals. Fast and Superfast trains connect Mumbai to the rest of the country. Central Railways operates from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal (formly VT Railway Station) located in the Fort area. Local trains from this station run to the east and south, along with a few trains to the north. Western Railways has local services to the north from Churchgate and Mumbai Central stations. By Road, Mumbai is well connected by national highways to the rest of India. The Maharashtra State Transport Bus Terminal at J B Behran Marg, is directly opposite to the Central Railway Station (i.e. next to the Maratha Mandir Cinema Hall). Private buses also runs from Mumbai, are available near the Mumbai Central Railway Station on Dr Anandrao Nair Road. Some buses to south India leave from MRA Marg between Crawford Market and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal Station.

Best seasson to go...
Between October and March is the best season to visit Mumbai.