World City Guide

Key Attractions

Gateway of India
Built by the British to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary's visit to India in 1911, the Gateway of India stands as a monument to the importance of Mumbai as a port when the steamship was king. Designed by George Wittet, it replaced the temporary structure that the architect had erected for the Imperial visit itself and was completed in 1917. The archway is built from honey-coloured basalt, in a style derived from Gujarati architecture of the 16th century. For many in the age of steam, the Gateway and the nearby Taj Hotel were their first and their last sights of India. Nowadays, it attracts a colourful crowd of tourists, hawkers and beggars.

Apollo Bunder seafront.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Free admission.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)
(formerly Victoria Terminus)
Now the headquarters of the Central Railway, this magnificent terminus building, commonly known as CST, was completed in 1888, for the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, to designs by the architect FW Stevens. It is one of the world’s grandest railway stations, quite the equal of New York’s Grand Central Station or London’s St Pancras station. Built in the Italian Gothic style, it looks more like a cathedral than a railway station, an impression strengthened by the tall dome crowned with a statue representing ‘Progress’. In the public parts of the station, the Victorian arches soar splendidly above the hurrying throng, but its real glory is the main staircase. Sadly, this is in a part of the building to which the public is generally denied access, although a polite request to the stationmaster on the main concourse may result in permission being granted to visit the restricted areas. It is certainly worth the effort.

Dr D Navroji Road, Fort
Tel: (022) 2265 6565.
Opening hours: Daily early morning to late evening.
Free admission.

St Thomas’s Cathedral
St Thomas’s is the Anglican cathedral of Mumbai and, having been founded in 1676, bears witness to almost the entire history of the British in Bombay. The main structure was not completed, due to lack of funds, until 1718. The tower and clock were added in 1838, while the chancel was built in 1863. The main interest for the visitor is in the splendid array of marble monuments that line the aisles of the cathedral, which give an immediate, anecdotal flavour of life and death in British Bombay. Many of them catch the eye but look out for the memorial to Captain George Hardinge RN. Hardinge, in naval uniform, is being borne away on a huge seashell pulled by two fiery seahorses, while below is a relief of the action in which he was killed. The cathedral has recently been splendidly restored.

3 Veer Nariman, Fort
Opening hours: Daily 0730-1800.
Free admission; donations welcome.

Town Hall
An impressive neo-classical structure overlooking Horniman Circle, the Town Hall was built between 1821 and 1833, to designs by Colonel Thomas Cowper. It originally stood on Bombay Green, which was the centre of the Fort area, and is one of the few remnants (along with the Mint Building) of pre-Victorian Bombay. It is now used as a public library.

Horniman Circle, Fort
Tel: (022) 2266 0956.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1030-1815.
Free admission.

Jehangir Art Gallery
The premier exhibition space in Mumbai for contemporary Indian art, the Jehangir Art Gallery was founded by Sir Cowasji Jehangir, in memory of his son. It boasts two large galleries, which frequently stage changing exhibitions.

Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort
Tel: (022) 2204 8212.
Opening hours: Daily 1100-1900.
Free admission; some exhibitions may charge.

Shrine of Haji Ali
Commemorating a Muslim saint who died while on pilgrimage to Mecca, the Shrine of Haji Ali rises out of the sea off Mumbai, sparkling in the bright sunshine like an priceless jewel. The shrine, which is topped by an elegant tower, is connected to the mainland by a causeway (thronging with beggars) and is only accessible at low tide.

Off Lala Lajpa Trai Murg
Opening hours: Daily 0500-2200, subject to tides.
Free admission.

Balbulnath Temple
Perched on the northeastern end of Malabar Hill, overlooking Chowpatty Beach, a visit to Balbulnath Temple necessitates a steep climb. Nevertheless the effort is amply rewarded by the elaborate terrace and the splendid carving, picked out in blue, which adorns the pillared hall.

Near junction of Walkeshwar and Marine Drive
Opening hours: Daily dawn-dusk.
Free admission; donations welcome.

Mumbadevi Temple
The shady and ornate first-floor balcony overlooking the noisy, chaotic square in the middle of the Bhuleshwar Market is part of the Mumbadevi Temple. The interior of the temple (in complete contrast to the bustle outside) is serenely calm, cool and dark. The temple is on three floors set around a central atrium that ascends to a dome. The carving that decorates the interior is ornate but never surrenders to fussiness. Next door, two other Hindu temples are similarly worth visiting.

Bhuleshwar Market
Opening hours: Daily 0630-2130.
Free admission; donations welcome.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum)
Set in beautiful lush gardens, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya is one of the landmarks of south Bombay. The museum is housed in a grand and somewhat exotic building, designed by George Wittet in 1909, in the Indo-Saracenic style. The collections include ancient and medieval sculptures and artefacts, Indian decorative arts and a large number of beautiful miniatures. There is also a natural history section which contains a large number of stuffed animals and fish. The admission fee includes an audio tour.

159-161 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort
Tel: (022) 2284 4484.
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1015-1800.
Admission charge; concessions available.

Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
(formerly Victoria and Albert Museum)
Housed in a purpose-built 19th-century Palladian villa, the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum collections are of mixed interest and quality and are generally badly displayed and poorly lit. There are some fine carvings in both wood and ivory, some interesting antique Indian weapons and a fascinating display of photographs of old Bombay. There are delightful and extensive formal gardens surrounding the villa, which also accommodate a zoo. Other highlights of the gardens are the elaborate Italian Renaissance-style gateway and the equestrian statue of Edward VII as Prince of Wales. The museum is at present closed for restoration; it is expected to reopen in January 2005.

Dr B Ambedkar Road, Byculla
Tel: (022) 372 5799.
Opening hours: Daily 1030-1630, closed Wed.
Admission charge.

Horniman Circle
Laid out in 1869, on the site of the old Bombay Green and originally called Elphinstone Circle, Horniman Circle is the epicentre of the Fort area. The Circle consists of James Scott’s elegantly curved, arcade terraces with a garden in the middle. It was the first significant piece of the city's redevelopment, which began under the governorship of Sir Bartle Frere in the 1860s. The gardens in the middle of the Circle, which are open to the public, are a lush and shady retreat from the glare and bustle of the streets, a good place to break a morning’s sightseeing. Following independence, the Circle was renamed Horniman Circle, after an English journalist, Benjamin Horniman, who was a leading advocate of Indian self-determination.

Horniman Circle, Fort
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 1000-2030, Sat 1600-2030.
Free admission.