MISCELLANEOUS, Mumbai

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One of the most beautiful and most popular churches in greater Bombay, the Basilica of Mount Mary serves the Catholic community. It is located on a hill with views of the Arabian Sea in the suburb of Bandra, just north of Bombay. The original basilica was built in 1640 by Portuguese Jesuits who called it Nossa Senhora de Monte, but it was destroyed when the Marathis invaded the area in 1739 to drive the Portuguese out. The church was rebuilt around 1760 by the Brits, and again in 1902 in the Gothic form we see today. The statue of the Virgin Mary in the interior of the church was brought to India in the 16th century by Portuguese Jesuits during the time when Bandra was a Portuguese colony. Take a look inside the church to admire its polychromatic decorations.

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Located at Land's End in the suburb of Bandra, this ruined fort was built by the Portuguese in 1640. They named it Castella de Aguada and used it to watch the seas for potential invaders and to protect Portuguese vessels sailing up the coast from Goa. With the decline of Portuguese power, local Marathas invaded the area in 1739 and occupied the Fort, but lost it to the British in 1761. The Fort was then destroyed to prevent it from being used once again by the Marathas as a launching pad to attack Bombay. Castella de Aguada is nowadays referred to as the Bandra Fort and has undergone some restoration and landscaping work to transform it into a beautiful park from which visitors could enjoy breathtaking views and sunsets over the Arabian Sea. The park seems to be a haven for young lovers seeking privacy away from their parents (see attached photos).

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Any one goin to Mumbai should pay a visit to the Kanheri caves at National Park in Borivali. Though there isn’t much to see in the national park but these caves are awesome. Especially if one is interested in archaeology this will be a treat. Reaching the National park is easy but its better to get a cab as the caves are a long way in the park. Trekking is possible but not advisable as the caves are on a mountain and u would need energy to climb the mountain.

These caves were made by Buddhist monks centuries ago. There are few statues of Lord Buddha, a meditation hall etc. I just loved the small tanks carved in stone to store drinking water. The stairs cut on stone are just awesome. Once u r on the top of the mountain u’ll get an amazing view of the beautiful mangroves. You can enjoy this place in the rains as the best season to visit would be during Monsoons. But the roads to the caves will be messy and mucky.

Avoid goin to isolated places as there have been instances where people were robbed by locals. As long as u have a guide with u, there shouldn’t be any trouble.

Middle Ground is an island in Mumbai Harbour which you'll pass by on your way to Elephant Island. It is fortified and owned by the Indian Navy. For a short while, the islet was used as a naval museum. The Maharashtra government had thought of anchoring the decommissioned INS Vikrant (now a naval museum) on this island.

This is a very different type of activity as most of you will imagine or have experienced. It is definitely off the beaten path, off the paved sidewalk.

Reality Tours and Travel take you right into Dharavi, the biggest slum in Asia, but not for the purpose of sight seeing. The objective is to make you better understand the life of millions of Mumbaikers as they go about to make a living . Dharavi is actually more like a huge recycling factory ranging from recycling of plastic to recycling of oil containers. At the same time it provides shelter and work for hundred thousand families.

Highly recommended.

Sorry we were not allowed to take pictures inside so I just post a picture from the website of the travel agent.

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This is a little village on the outskirts of Mumbai close to the hill station Lonavla. A typical Indian village...my pictures describe what I am saying.

It is also a paragliders stop as there is an agent there who provides accomodation, food, transport etc. to the site

Beautiful walks through this scenic village with a great lake.

Private houses by the lake are normally rented out as there are no hotels available.

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On a recent road trip from Mumbai to Pune, this sight was very impressive! Even major construction is manual but highly cordinated & 'efficient'. After all this is one way of keeping the unemployment rate under control!

Between this hard work, the 'poor' workers have a moment to have a laugh!! Isn't that a wonderful sight!

These type of "shop" are a common sight along major highways in India. Mumbai-Pune road has recently been upgraded and travellers can take a break at one of these stops for a quick snack or drink.

BUT BEWARE! only buy eatables & drinks which are either properly cooked and sealed. Fresh produce may smell and look yummy, but can cause diarrhoea or other illnesses such as Typhoid, Hepatitis etc.