Mumbai (Bombay), India

Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is a city of 22 million on the southwest coast of India.  The name was changed in 1995 as an homage to Mumbadevi, the Hindu goddess who is the patron saint of the city.  Mumbai is a modern, vibrant, and beautiful city!  It is known as a business center, film and Bollywood hub, and site for medical tourism. We only had one day to explore Mumbai, but were able to visit several interesting sites. Loved this city!

We took a ferry to Elephanta Island (7 miles from Mumbai harbor) to tour caves that contain  sculptures carved from rock 1500 years ago. The name is believed to come from the huge elephant sculpture that used to be at the entrance to the caves.  The carvings of Hindu gods was very impressive, with the most popular being the 3-headed Shiva. The island has a large population of monkeys which have become very comfortable around people and try to steal your food and drink bottles.

After returning to Mumbai, we took a bus tour of the city to see:
- Gateway of India, a large stone structure at the harbor built to honor the visit of King George V in 1911
- the Taj Mahal hotel, a beautiful 5-story hotel near the Gateway
- some of the (British) colonial buildings near the harbor
- the hanging gardens and Kamala Nehru Park
- Mani Bhavan, the home of Mohandes (Mahatma) Gandhi from 1917-1934; "Mahatma" means great soul
- Dhobi Ghat, the largest open air laundromat in the world; uses no electricity -- clothes are washed by hand, hung on lines to dry, then pressed with irons heated by charcoal
- Malabar hill, the Arabian beach, and Parsi area 

Gateway of India near the harbor

ferry boats near the Gateway of India

5-star Taj Mahal motel near the harbor

Vendor stalls on the walkway to the Elephanta caves

Entrance to the Elephanta caves containing carvings of Hindu gods

Lots of monkeys near the cave entrance

just inside the cave entrance

3-headed Shiva, the most important sculpture at Elephanta

Shiva with his bride, Parvati

Carvings on the back of the cave

entrance to more caves at Elephanta island

Shiva portrayed as 1/2 male, 1/2 female

opening the bottle

drinking the sprite

cows are sacred in India and roam freely everywhere

street vendor in Mumbai

cricket is the national sport in India

street vendors and lots of shoppers on a Saturday afternoon

another mode of transportation in India

the room in Mani Bhavan where Gandhi slept and did his weaving

the Arabian Sea beach and Mumbai skyscrapers in the background

Dhobi Ghat outdoor laundry

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria railway station) at night -- a beautiful sight!