5 Top Historical Places to Visit in Mumbai India
5 Famous Historical Places You Should Not Miss In Mumbai.
These tourist places in Mumbai are iconic landmarks and marvels that adds more charm to Mumbai. The city invites millions of visitors to be a part of its history and take home salty air, beach sand, and the buzz. Be a part of the eras and experience the city like never before. Here’s our picks for the Must-Visit 5 Historical Tourist Places in Mumbai.
Taking you back in time, Mumbai is a combination of the reclamation of seven islands: Colaba, Old Woman’s Island, Bombay, Mazgoan, Parel, Mahim and Worli, which happened in 1845. It grew by reclaiming land from the sea. Bombay faced several problems during the battle with the sea due to many collapses by dumping boatloads of stone into Worli creek to build an embankment. After a fanciful idea to make a shrine for the stone idols that were submerged in the creek and with God’s blessing, it worked.
Embankments were built, hills were flattened, and the rubble dumped into the marsh, later came the suburbs. Though Mumbai is amongst the fastest growing countries in the world, it still makes sure to hold on to its history and heritage with several tourist places. Besides being the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India, it also has magnificent architectural wonders and monuments to put on display.
Gateway of India
This historical landmark has become the symbol of the city for several years and is also termed as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in the year 1911 during the British Raj. Though the construction was completed in the year 1920, and before this, the foundation was laid and a cardboard model was shown. The monument which is 16 meters high has served as an entry point to India. There is also a popular festival which takes place at this place known as the Elephanta Festival of Music and Dance.
Location: Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001
Timings: Open 24 hours
Entry fees: Free of cost
Nearest Railway Station: Churchgate and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
There several buses and autos available as well.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
The CST was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 2004 and was earlier known as Bori Bandar Railway Station. This station is a constant reminder of the British Raj due to its Victorian and Mughal style architecture along with the Victorian clock still ticking. It was built to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. During that era, this was the tallest building in Mumbai. The location has been used in several movies and television shows as well.
Location: Dadabhai Naoroji Road, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Area, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India
Timings: Open 24 hours
Entry fees: Free of cost
Nearest Railway Station: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station
There several buses and autos available as well.
Kanheri Caves
The monument’s name means black mountain and comes from Sanskrit, Krishnagiri. It is a group of caves with rock-cut monuments containing Buddhist sculptures, relief carvings, paintings, inscriptions and much more from the 1st century BCE to 10th century CE. The caves were used by Buddhist viharas for living, studying and meditating. These caves are as mesmerizing as you may imagine with huge figures, carvings and many other things which will keep your eyes busy. They are located in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park which is another most visited place in Mumbai due to its greenery, sanctuary, activities and much more it has to offer.
Location: Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali East, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 600066
Timings: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Entry Fees: Minimum for Indians- Rs5
For Foreigners- Rs100
Nearest Railway Station: Borivali and Dahisar Railway Station
There several buses and autos available as well.
Elephanta Caves
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is located on the Elephanta Island in the Mumbai Harbor. The commissioners of these caves are a mystery and they have existed since the 5th century. These fragile ancient structures have a lot of stories stored within, are being taken care of by the Archeological Survey and are 39m long from the façade to the back. The entrance has a masterpiece Sadashiv, which represents three attributes of Lord Shiva: creator, preserver, and destroyer. Beware of monkeys and avoid overpriced souvenirs!
Location: Elephanta Island, Gharapuri, Mumbai Harbour, Maharashtra 400094
Timings: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Closed on Mondays
Entry Fees: Rs.10 for Indians
Rs.250 for Foreigners
Best way to reach: Ferry services
Nearest Railway Station: Churchgate Railway Station
There several buses and autos available as well.
Town Hall
The entrance of this building has 8 Greek Doric style pillars which are just magical. It is among the rarest and most prized treasures of India. The inspiration of this hall is from the Greek and Roman styles. The town hall houses the Asiatic Society of Bombay library and a museum along with several ancient manuscripts and thousands of coins taking us back in time. It is considered as a storehouse of information. The main objective behind this is to inspire research and treasure the work from the past. Overlooking the Horniman Circle Garden which was built in 1883, it took 10 years to build this completely after raising the funds from the public and government.
Location: own Hall, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road Horniman Circle, near RBI, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400023
Timings: 10:30AM to 6:45PM
Fees: Rs.1500 per person for Resident membership (Annual)
Rs.15,000 per person for Resident membership (Lifetime)
Rs.60 per person for Reader member
Rs.500 per person for Annual subscription
Closed on Sundays
Nearest Station: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station
There several buses and autos available as well.
Besides the above-mentioned places, the city also has several religious monuments, beaches, restaurants and more than holding a strong history. For every traveler, Mumbai is definitely on their bucket list of places due to having a pot of mixed places to explore. The city will unfold in bits and pieces as you get more up close and personal.
