Welcome to Mumbai formerly
known as Bombay, the business, industrial, financial,
and celluloid hub of India. Mumbai is also often
referred to as the city that never sleeps. This
city of dreams was once presented to King Charles
II in 1661 as part of the dowry when he married
Princess Catherine de Braganza of Portugal. Today,
it is the state capital of Maharashtra and the
financial capital of India. To the tourists Mumbai
offers an amazing array of places to visit. There
are excellent excursion options to the neighboring
hill stations and ancient caves from Mumbai. For
the shoppers and the food freaks, Mumbai is an
absolute visit.
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Bombay or today's Mumbai is an amalgamation
of seven islands (Colaba, Mumbai,
Mazagaon, Old Woman's island, Wadala,
Mahim, Parel, and Matunga Sion.) The
Portuguese called the islands "Bombay"
meaning "Good Bay". These
islands were ruled by the Hindu dynasties,
the Muslims and then were presented
to King Charles II in 1661 as part
of the dowry when he married Princess
Catherine de Braganza of Portugal.
Bombay was handed over to the East
India Company in 1668. It started
growing as a trade center owing to
shift of the shipbuilding industry
from Surat. The opening of the Suez
Canal after the American Civil War
enabled export of cotton from Bombay.
It also played an important role in
the freedom struggle of India. The
first Indian National Congress was
hosted in Bombay in 1885. Bombay was
also the capital of the Bombay Presidency
that was divided into Gujarat and
Maharsahtra. Since 1996, Bombay has
been officially known as Mumbai, derived
from the name of Goddess Mumbadevi.
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