5 Reasons Why You Will Fall in Love with Mumbai

by Puja Sharma Content Writer

Mumbai, or city of dreams, as it is commonly referred to as, is a city whose charm only increases as it ages. Mumbai is India’s finance, fashion, entertainment, glamour, and all-things-happening capital. It is an effervescent city whose energy is highly contagious, to say the least. Mumbai is a city whose charm manages to swoon even the most sophisticated lot. And all of this is only the tip of the iceberg. Here are 5 reasons why anyone who visits Mumbai falls in love with the city immediately.

1. Energy

Mumbai is known for its indomitable spirit. The city has seen a number of ups and downs, and regardless of what nature or man throws at it, Mumbai has a tested way of tackling it. It is said that once you live and work in Mumbai, you simply cannot survive in any other part of the world. As a city that is known for fulfilling dreams, Mumbai has become a melting pot of culture, race, ethnicity, community, religion, caste, and creed. And this inclusive nature makes people want to stick around for long, sometimes even permanently.

2. Festivities

Because Mumbai is a city of great diversity, festivals of various religions and communities are celebrated with fervour. The highlight being the 15-day long Ganesh Chaturthi festival celebrated by the Hindus. Larger than life idols of the Hindu Lord Ganesha are paraded throughout the city in a kaleidoscopic display of music, dance, rituals, and costumes. Other notable festivals are Eid, Holi, Diwali, Christmas, etc., as all these occasions put the city into a celebratory mode, and are amazing photo opportunities for those with an eye for art.

3. History

Bombay, as the city was called until two decades ago, was an important port for the British and the Portuguese. It was also the centre of operations for the East India Company, and later an important trading centre for people in the nearby regions. Mumbai, as it is called now, wears its history on its sleeve. Many of the architectural remains of the British and the Portuguese era still stand amidst the pulsing metropolis that Mumbai has become now.

4. Entertainment

Mumbai is the hub of entertainment in India. Bollywood, the producer of the maximum number of films in the world, is based in city’s suburbs. Films and cricket form an important part of the Indian culture, and both are as inseparable from Mumbai. Apart from films and cricket, Mumbai also has a thriving theatre scene. Prithvi theatre, one of the most popular theatres in the country, conducts workshops, events, and stages plays by the upcoming as well as the veterans of the industry.

5. Street Food

When you visit Mumbai, it is impossible to not notice the tiny food stalls and joints that populate the city like swarms of bees. These stalls can often be seen lining the footpaths near the luxury hotels in Mumbai, showcasing the contrast that the city is known for. The street food scene is much talked about, and why shouldn't it be? Mumbaikars (Demonym) swear by the taste and uniqueness of the street food that has a drug-like effect on them, be it the pav bhajis, vada pavs, kebabs, chaats, dosas, rolls, milkshakes, juices or anything else.

These five reasons are enough to make anyone fall in love with Mumbai instantly. Numerous novels and films have tried to capture the spirit of this beautiful city, and some of them have even won awards in their respective fields, but none can be compared to the experience you get when you visit the city and call it home, even for a little while.