CULTURAL & RELIGIOUS SITES, Mumbai

A Scots Kirk built in 1815, this church is one of several dedicated to Saint Andrews in the Bombay area. Modelled after Saint Martin-in-the-Fields of London, the Church of Saint Andrews certainly looks like it belongs in England. It is located in the historic Kala Ghoda area in South Bombay.

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The Elephanta Caves designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, are believed to have been created over 1500 years ago and are both an important ancient monument and a revered shrine of the Hindu religion. The mighty figures carved in to the 6 rock caves depict Shiva, most important of Hindu deities, the goddess Parvati his wife, and the quises assumed by Shiva in the form of half man,half woman. The complex story of battles between good and evil in which they were involved are represented in different sections of the Temple.

It was unfortunate that the special lighting which apparently illuminates the temple was not working. The redoubtable Parsi guide we had met the day before did her best to find out if they could be switched on. A good deal of commotion and shouting followed to no avail and it waas very diificult to see the bas-relief decoration forwhich the caves are so famous. Nor was flash photography allowed in the caves and the few people who went ahead anyway were soon reprimanded by custodians.
In spite of these minor disappointments it was a worthwhile visit providing another insight into the richness and diversity of Indian history and culture .

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The Prince of Wales Museum, as it was still known when we visited, is set in beautiful gardens planted with palm trees, shrubbery and flower beds . The gardens contain a number of important sculptures, ceramic art and other objects from the museum collection.
The building was designed in the early 20th century by George Wittet, architect of Gateway to India, in an amazingly,electic style - combining British Gothic/Victorian with Islamic domes and the delicate beauty of Mughal artistry. Its completion coincided with WW1 and I was astonished to learn that it first served as a military hospital before opening as a Museum in 1922.
We had only 2 hours to spend there; the Museum leaflet had helped us decide our separate priorities so after pausing to admire the impressive entrance hall we went our separate ways - I first to the Upper floor and the collection of miniatures.
This collection, which included illustrated maunsucripts, was breathtaking; I could see our agreed timetable slipping away and had to leave long before I wanted.
With only minutes to spare I dashed into the shop,bought a lot of cards with pictures of the paintings and left in time to join John at the exit. It was too short a visit but we both thought it better to concentrate on one or two collections than spend times dashing around the whole without really seeing anything.

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Visit to the temple one of the oldest, still practised religions in the world.
Jainism arose in Eastern India 500 years before the birth of Christ under the influence and teaching of Mahavira . Although it shares many of the tenets of Christianity and other religions like: - non-violence, chastity, truthfulness, rejection of worldly/material pursuits and respect for the property of others - the overall philosophy and practices have important differences...
Jainis have reverence for life in all its forms that not only makes them vegetarian but also careful never to harm the smallest creature, even accidentally. Some of the people inside the temple praying at the shrines of numerous deities and saints wore facemasks to prevent the accidental ingestion of tiny insects.

There was an atmosphere of great calm and tranquillity in the temple, enhanced by the beautiful decoration of walls and floors in glowing shades of pastel. The ceiling too was aglow in warmer,richer shades of the reds, which depicted the signs of the Zodiac.
In spite of the excellent lectures in our "floating classroom", I found it difficult to grasp fully the beliefs of the Jainis and what appeared a complex hierarchy of deities.

We had been told that photography was not permitted in the temple so I have no photos of the interior and was annoyed to see people coming in, as we were ready to leave, shooting reels of film using flash and taking videos. Calm and tranquillity were greatly disturbed!

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Although built only in 1952, the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple is considered one of the oldest in the city. It was built by Japanese Buddhists who came to India, where Buddhism originated, to fulfil a prophecy made 700 years earlier. The temple itself is a beautiful structure with a carved central tower surrounded by smaller cupolas. A sign outside the temple says that it was dedicated to the Japan Buddha Vihara Temple Trust. The temple is located in Worli, near the Arabian Sea, just to the north of South Bombay.

The Kanheri Caves are located in the Borivali National Park (Sanjay Gandhi National Park).

These are caves carved in the years between the first century BC and the 6th century AD. The carvings are superb and with statues showing Buddha with apsaras and manekas, you can see that Buddhism originated from Hindu thought. The statues themselves are magnificent and some even have the paint still on them.

The location is quiet and peaceful and you would never believe that you were IN Mumbai -- no traffic, no fumes, no noise!

These caves are a must for anyone who loves history, is an Indo-phile or just likes to savour some peace and quiet.

It costs Rs. 50 to take your car into the park, the caves cost Rs. 5/- for Indian citizens and Rs. 100/- for others.

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Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has been acclaimed to be the largest out of 22 stock exchanges in India BSE is the largest stock exchange in India and Asia as well. BSE Sensex is calculated out of 30 stocks on daily basis.
Since its establishment, Bombay Stock Exchange has played a vital role in the growth of capital markets in India. Another great truth about BSE is that it is the world's fifth largest stock exchange, with a market capitalization of $466 billion. It makes use of BSE SENSEX, which is an index of 30 big and developed stocks. The index provides an evaluation of the comprehensive performance of BSE and is very much tracked throughout the world.

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Vedic Educational and Cultural Complex, Architectural Beauty
ISKCON Temple of Mumbai, dedicated to Lord Krishna, is one of the forty ISKCON temples across India. Built by the ISKCON Foundation, the elevated spire of this temple dominates the skyline of Juhu in Mumbai
The Vedic Educational and Cultural Complex (the Heaven on Earth) is a must-visit place, where the Robot Show presents religious knowledge by using electronic power. If you are feeling hungry, then try the typical Vaishnavite cuisine at Govinda Restaurant. Every evening, the temple gets reverberated with prayers and bhajans (devotional songs), attracting devotees from the nearby areas