What is the history of Mumbai ?

The first Englishmen to visit Mumbai were raiders. In October 1626, whilst at war with Portugal, English sailors heard that the Portuguese had "got into a hole called Bombay" to repair their ships

Imagica located near Khopoli on the Mumbai-Pune highway is India’s biggest theme park spread over an area of 300 acres.

They attacked Bombay, but the ships had already left. The English burned down buildings, and destroyed two new Portuguese ships "not yet from the stocks".

Yes! Mumbai was a name denoted by 7 closely located islands which were Portuguese territories until the 16th century.

In May 1662, King Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza, whose family offered a large dowry (a gift made by the father of the bride to the groom).

In 1961, Portuguese gave England these 7 islands as dowry in Catherine of Braganza & Charles II marriage.

Part of this gift was the Portuguese territory of Bombay. However, Charles II did not want the trouble of ruling these islands and in 1668 persuaded the East India Company to rent them for just 10 pounds of gold a year

Around 60 years (1784-1845) were taken to combine these 7 islands into a coastal city.

As Bombay was a deep water port, large vessels were able to dock there. Bombay needed a fort and a garrison of soldiers to protect it from Dutch fleets and Indian pirates.

Antilia, named after an island in Atlantic is a 27 story wonder house owned by business tycoon and India’s richest person Mukesh Ambani. Its current price is around 1 billion.

Unfortunately, it was an unhealthy climate for the English - it was said of Bombay that "three years was the average duration of European life"; "two mussouns (i.e. monsoons, there was one every year) are the age of a man"; and of children born there "not one in twenty live beyond their infant days". Men who lived there were encouraged to marry local women, although English women were also "sent out".

Mumbai sea link, officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link has a length of around 5.6 km, it is an architectural-wonder as it was made with 90,000 tons of cement and steel wire comparable to the girth of the earth.

Mumbai is so demanding that even the slums here are considered to be the largest and most expensive in India.

Within a few years the Company had transformed Bombay. Governor Gerald Aungier set about building up the port, with a new quay, warehouses and a customs house.

The Company supported him and encouraged him to build a new city - they even sent him the plan of London as it was to be rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666.

Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, India’s apex business tycoon and founder of the Tata Group, was the 1st person to own a car in India in 1901.

Sanjay Gandhi National ParkUsually, wildlife parks are situated in the countryside, but Sanjay Gandhi National Park is located in the heart of Mumbai.

In this "city which, by God's assistance, is intended to be built" people could buy land and build their own houses. Aungier started a complex building programme: causeways to link the islands; forts and a castle to protect people; a church, a hospital, and a mint where coins were made.

Dividing the Western and the Central part of the city, this park covers around 104 sq km area with the variety of around 6300 species.

Settlers came from many local communities, as well as from Britain. In the 1670s, the Company had 1,500 soldiers in Bombay (both English and local) to protect people living there.

As a combination of overpopulation, rush-hours, outdated local railway system and lack of alternatives, Mumbai suffers an enormous amount of overload-rail victims.

By 1675, the population was around 60,000. In 1687, the Company made Bombay their Indian headquarters. The headquarters stayed there until 1708.

Ganesh Chaturthi is the most popular 10 day festival in Mumbai which brings the whole city on the street.

English, Dutch and Portuguese ship captains regularly raided and captured foreign ships, if they thought they could get away with it. In 1688, during a conflict between the English and the Mughals, fourteen Mughal ships were captured and taken to Bombay harbour.

Although Mayor is considered to be the guardian of any city; here in Mumbai, all authority comes under the CM of Maharashtra.