Fort

The magnificent Gothic Victorian buildings in the Fort area highlight the power and wealth of the British Empire at its might and are reminiscent of many of the great public buildings in London or Glasgow. The Victoria Terminus (known as CST), was opened in 1888 and is one of the world's grandest railway stations, on a par with New York's Grand Central Station or London's St Pancras. Built in the Italian Gothic style, it looks more like a lavishly decorated cathedral than a railway station; massive arches soar splendidly above the scurrying crowd and carved into the pillars and buttresses are images of monkeys, peacocks, elephants and lions. The station is topped by a tall dome crowned with a statue representing 'Progress'. Nearby, St Thomas' Cathedral was built between 1672 and 1718 and is witness to almost the entire history of the British in Bombay. Its whitewashed interior contains poignant colonial memorials, including one to Henry Robertson Bower, Lieutenant of the Royal Indian Marine, who lost his life returning from the South Pole with Scott. The epicentre of the Fort area is the Horniman Circle, surrounded by curved, arcaded terraces. The lush and leafy garden in the centre offers a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city.

Colaba
Gateway to India

The southernmost peninsula, known as Colaba, is where most travellers gravitate to as it has a good range of hotels and restaurants and two of the city's best landmarks, the Gateway to India and the Taj Mahal Hotel. The Gateway to India was built in 1911 to commemorate the visit to India of King George V and Queen Mary. The archway is built from honey-coloured basalt in a style derived from Gujarati architecture of the sixteenth century. In the days of the steam liner, the Gateway was for many visitors their first and last sight of India but today it acts purely as a colourful tourist stop, and attracts hawkers, snake charmers, and beggars. The neighbouring Taj Mahal Hotel was built in 1902 by JN Tata, after he was allegedly refused entry to one of the city's European hotels on account of being 'a native'. It has since turned into a bit of an institution, and the streets behind it have become a Mecca for travellers, the Colaba Causeway is the main street with a melee of street vendors, shops, stalls and cafes. To the north, set in beautiful lush gardens, is the fascinating Prince of Wales Museum displaying a collection of ancient and medieval sculpture and Indian decorative arts, nearby the new National Gallery of Modern Art showcases Indian modern art. To the south is the Sassoon Dock, which at dawn becomes an area of intense and pungent activity as fishing boats arrive to unload their catch.

Marine Drive

The Queen's Necklace © Jugalkishore Verma

Built in the 1920s, Marine Drive runs along the shoreline of the Arabian Sea from Nariman Point to the foot of Malabar Hill. It is Mumbai’s most famous thoroughfare and a favourite spot for watching the sunset. Lined on the landward side by a crescent of crumbling Art Deco buildings, it is lit up at night prompting travel agents to dub it the Queen’s Necklace. At the top end of Marine Drive is Chowpatty Beach, the only beach in the central part of Mumbai. Though not ideal for sunbathing or swimming, it is a popular, though hectic place to spend an afternoon, surrounded by beach traders, entertainers and beggars. It is the best place to watch the annual Ganesh Chaturthi Festival (during August/September) when vast models of Lord Ganesha are immersed into the sea.

Crawford Market

The colourful indoor Crawford Market is where locals of central Mumbai go shopping for their fruit, veg and (for the brave) meat. Rudyard Kipling was born just south of the market in 1865 and an ornate fountain designed by his father, Lockwood Kipling, sits between old fruit boxes at the market's centre. He also designed the frieze depicting Indian peasants in wheat fields which hangs above the main entrance. The animal market at the rear sells everything from poodles to parrots in small cages. North of the market are the narrow lanes of Kalbadevi. This predominantly Muslim area is a seething mass of people and traffic and is the location of several markets selling jewellery, textiles and leather goods. The most famous is the Chor Bazaar, Mumbai's 'thieves' market', which sells ‘antiques’ and miscellaneous junk - don't place too much faith in authenticity of anything here. This area is also home to the Jama Masjid and the Mumbadevi Temple which is dedicated to the patron goddess of the island's original Koli inhabitants.