Travel Raga: Experiencing India on the wings of music.

Introduction:
Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra and the economic powerhouse India. Mumbai, named after the local goddess Mumba (ai means mother in Marathi), is built on a long, thin island just off the west coast of Maharashtra and linked to the mainland by causeways. It's India's big-money business centre, and where the beautiful people hang out. Built on elegant colonial foundations are flashy skyscrapers and designer boutiques, which give it cool, glitz and glamour. As one of the key ports on the Indian Ocean trade routes, foreigners have been visiting here since Ptolemy arrived in 150 AD. The Portuguese took the area over from the Sultan of Gujarat in 1534, and then gave it away as a wedding present to Charles II of England in 1661 when he married Catherine of Braganza. In 1668, it was handed over to the fledgling East India Company under which it flourished. It's an exhilarating city, fuelled by entrepreneurial energy, determination and dreams. Compared to the torpor of the rest of India, it can seem like a foreign country. Mumbai is the finance capital of the nation, the industrial hub of everything from textiles to petrochemicals, and it's responsible for half the country's foreign trade. To many visitors, Mumbai is the glamour of Bollywood cinema, cricket on the maidans on weekends, bhelpuri on the beach at Chowpatty and red double-decker buses. While it boasts an impressive Victoria townscape, a sculptured island cave temple and a national park that's roamed by wild tigers, the city's formal attractions pale in comparison to the nonstop theater of its streets. Sixteen million people from all over India are wedged into Mumbai and after a short stroll you will feel like you have rubbed shoulders with and bumped into every single one of them. The size of the population means the city has enough social problems to last a lifetime, but its spirit is irrepressible and it has personality by the bucket load. As the cultural bridgehead between east and west, whatever happens in the rest of India tends to happens first in Mumbai, and it usually happens with the maximum amount of swank and noise. Most visitors to India gear themselves up to confront poverty, but it's the extravagant display of wealth in Mumbai that seem shocking. Today, Mumbai has one of the world's largest stock exchanges; oil and gas production just off the coast; a thriving textiles industry; India's busiest airport; frenetic docks and, of course, Bollywood, the world's most prolific film industry.

Mumbai Fair & Festivals
The Ganesh Chaturthi :- Ganesha is the god of wisdom and prosperity and is invoked before the beginning of any auspicious work by the Hindus. According to mythology he is the son of Shiva and Parvati, brother of Kartikeya. Ganesha is the munificent god of wisdom and Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in his honour and in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and many other parts of India. In Bombay alone, more than 6000 Ganesha statues are commissioned collectively by factories. Upto 10 metres in height these statues are carried on decorated floats. Little Ganeshas are placed in nukkads or street corners and in homes, and poojas are performed daily. The festival is so popular that in Mumbai the preparations begin months in advance. Images of Ganesha are installed and elaborate arrangements are made for lighting and decoration, and celebrations are on for 7-10 days. The Chaturthi is the last day dedicated to the elephant-headed god, and thousands of processions converge on the beaches of Mumbai to immerse the holy idols in the sea. This immersion is accompanied by drum- beats, devotional songs and
dancing.

Sightseeing tour in Mumbai includes tours to the Gateway of India, the Prince of Wales Museum, Jahangir Art Gallery, Taraporewala Aquarium, Chowpaty beach, Mahalaxmi temple and the tomb of the Muslim saint Haji Ali.

The Dargah of Haji Ali is also one of the most important tourist attractions in Mumbai in Maharashtra, India. The Muslim saint Haji Ali's Dargah is situated on a piece of land on the sea separated from the mainland by a narrow strip of land. A huge sculpted main entrance leads to a marble courtyard that houses the main shrine. Devotees from far and wide to pray at this sacred Dargah.

The Prince of Wales Museum located on the Mahatma Gandhi Road in Mumbai, India is known for its Indo-Saracenic architecture and was constructed in the early 20th century to commemorate the visit of the Price of Wales to India. You must definitely make a trip to this museum during your sightseeing tours to Mumbai in Maharashtra, India.

The Taraporewala Aquarium located on the Marine Drive in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is one of the most frequented tourist attractions in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. This massive aquarium is home to a large variety of exotic fishes.