City Map: Mumbai

Mumbai. The very name of the megametropolis evokes high-speed images of life in the fast lane. Commerce and culture, fashion an films, glamour and glitz: it is a city that revels in its this-worldliness. Little wonder then that it shines forth as a lodestar for millions, who throng to it, drawn by dreams of a better life.

Mumbai is the economic powerhouse of India, pulsating with a life-force quite its own. Not only is it the financial capital, but togegher with ist hinterland, it is a manufacturing centre for everything from cloth to petrochemicals and its docks process half of the country’s foreign trade. One of the fastest growing cities in India, the population of Greater Mumbai has grown from 9.9 million in 1991 to over12 million today.

For the tourist looking for ancient monuments and relics of bygone eras- Mumbai might be a disappointment. The imperial Gateway of India on the edge of the sea, Elephanta Island with its spectacular 5th-6th century AD rock carvings further out to sea, a couple of museums, and a string of Gothic buildings crammed into a couple of square kilometers are all that Mumbai apparently seems to offer the tourist. But for anyone willing to spend time getting acquainted with it, Mumbai is a city with personality.

Mumbai (formerly Bombay) – mapped in a book form covering 575 sq.kms. including Thane and Bhayandar in 122 map pages. An excellent aid to navigation in the city, the index to the map book spans 39 categories including localities, roads, buildings, cinemas, hotels, restaurants and places of interest for both tourists and residents of the city.