The city’s long association with the British is reflected in the old world charm of its buildings made in the Indo-Saracen style. Some of the well-known landmarks are the Gateway of India at Apollo Bunder overlooking the harbour. The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911, in the 16^th century architectural style of Gujarat.

The Flora Fountain at the Hutatma Chowk was built in 1869 in honour of Sir Bartle Frere, Governor of Bombay, and the man responsible for much of Bombay; the stately Rajabai Clock Tower rises from the ornamented building of the Mumbai University; the High Court building next door was built in Neo-Gothic style as an imposing edifice to British Justice; the lavishly iced cake of the Gothic Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus), the main railhead on the Central

Railway; Mumbai's famous Crawford Market, the Afghan Church in Colaba and the Prince of Wales Museum, its central hall topped by a huge white dome, supposedly inspired by the Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur.

The Prince Of Wales Museum was also built to commemorate the visit of King George V. Built in the Indo- Saracenic style, the Museum stands amidst a well-laid ornamental garden. The museum was opened in 1923 and is divided into three sections art, archaeology and natural history. It has an impressive collection of artefacts from Elephanta Island, Jogeshwari Caves, terracotta figurines from the Indus Valley, ivory carvings, statues and a large collection of miniatures.

The National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai exhibits the works of Indian masters as well as modern Indian art. The Nehru Planetarium is just 8 km away from the city centre and screens exhibitions and film shows on the mysteries of the cosmos and outer space. The Nehru Planetarium is a good place to take children to for an educational cum pleasure trip; close by is the Nehru Science centre which is a science park with permanent exhibits of railway engines, aeroplanes, tramcars and steam engines and other aspects of natural sciences. Mani Bhavan, at 19 Laburnum Road, is a Gandhi Memorial with a pictorial gallery and exhibits recalling the Mahatma’s life.

Elephanta Island is an hour away from Mumbai Harbour. Motorboats ferry tourists across to the island from the jetty at the Gateway of India. The boat ride, itself, is interesting as you go past fishing boats, anchored ships, yachts and little islands. The island resembles twin hillocks rising from the sea and the caves are located halfway up the higher of the two. Carved out the solid basalt rock, the caves represent Mount Kailash, the heavenly mountain residence of Lord Shiva and date back to the 3rd or 5^th centuries. The temple plan is designed in symmetry with the focal points worked out in a geometric Mandala, representing the cosmic field of energy. Inside the cave temple is a large hall, with nine sculptured panels depicting Lord Shiva in different moods as well as scenes from the life of Shiva. Little is known of the artists and architects who created these magnificent temples and sculptures out of sheer rock with the most primitive of tools.

What is known about the island is that it once was the capital of powerful coastal kingdom. When the island passed to the Portuguese, they called it Elephanta after the first artefact they stumbled upon – a monolith elephant. The monolith can now be seen at the Bombay Museum. The Portuguese established fortifications and used the island for military exercises; as a consequence many sculptures were destroyed. The best time to visit Elephanta is between November and March. Summer months are very hot and humid and the monsoon season makes the hour long ride extremely turbulent.

The Chowpatty Beach overlooks a bay, and turns into a magical brightly lit funfair at night with vendors, pony rides, fortune tellers, performing monkeys, fishermen and families out for a stroll. Ship lights twinkle in the distance, and Marine Drive, the city’s most famous boulevard, decorates the bay in a dramatic arc of streetlights christened the Queen’s Necklace. Marine Drive extends from Nariman Point to Malabar Hill past the famous Chowpatty beach, and is built on land reclaimed from Back Bay along the Arabian Sea.

The sunset and the streetlights appear truly bewitching from the nearby elite residential area of the Malabar Hill. Juhu and Versova beaches are some distance away and are crowded with the city’s residents spending a while amongst vendors hawking everything from camel and horse rides to Mumbai’s famous ‘bhelpuri’ and ‘pao bhaji’.

Mumbai is an amalgam of different faiths and people from different religions pray at most of these places of worship. The mosque of Haji Ali is located in the causeway protruding into the Arabian Sea. The white mosque holds the tomb of Saint Haji Ali, who died while on a Haj to Mecca. It is said that the casket containing his body found its way back to Mumbai. Drifting on the sea currents, the casket reached this particular spot. The mosque can only be approached during low tide. Parsis worship at Zoroastrian Fire Temples and lay out their dead in the Towers of Silence; Christians celebrate their faith at innumerable churches and cathedrals across the city; important ones being Mount St Mary’s, Aloysius Church, Mahim Church and St Thomas’ Cathedral, in the heart of the Fort area; Jains pay homage to the tirthankaras at the Jain Temple on Malabar Hill; and Hindus throng to the Shiva Temple, at Bhuleshwar, the Sidhi Vinayak Temple at Worli and Mahalakshmi Temple near Breach Candy.