- Formerly:
- Bombay
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Mumbai’s cultural life reflects its ethnically diverse population. The city has a number of museums, libraries, literary organizations, art galleries, theaters, and other cultural institutions. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India), housed in a building that is a British architectural mixture of Hindu and Muslim styles, contains three main sections: art, archeology, and natural history. Nearby is the Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai’s first permanent art gallery and a center for cultural and educational activities. Western and Indian music concerts, festivals, and dance productions are held throughout the year in the city’s many cultural and entertainment facilities. Mumbai also is the center of the enormous Indian film industry, known as Bollywood, the name derived from an amalgamation of Bombay (the city’s former name) and Hollywood.
The Fort area is home to two of Mumbai’s most-renowned landmarks. The first, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, opened in the late 1880s after a decade of construction. It was designed by the British architectural engineer F.W. Stevens and built in the Victorian Gothic Revival style in a manner that recalled a traditional Indian palace. The terminal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. The second structure, the Gateway of India, was dedicated in 1924, built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to the city. It overlooks Mumbai Harbor and consists of a large arch with a central dome, which is supported by four intricately decorated turrets. Both buildings are popular attractions for local and foreign tourists.
Krishnagiri Forest, a national park in the northern part of metropolitan Mumbai, is a pleasant vacation resort located near the Kanheri Caves; the caves, numbering more than 100, were the site of an ancient Buddhist university and contain gigantic Buddhist sculptures dating from the 2nd to the 9th century bce. There are several public gardens, including the Jijamata Udyan, which houses Mumbai’s zoo in the city proper; the Baptista Garden, located on a water reservoir, also in the center of the city; and the Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens (popularly called “Hanging Gardens”) and the Kamala Nehru Park, both on Malabar Hill. The cave temples on Elephanta Island were designated a World Heritage site in 1987.
Sports enjoy a broad following in Mumbai. Cricket matches, which are popular throughout India, are played at Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium, the latter of which is the headquarters and main pitch of the Cricket Club of India. Football (soccer) is also highly popular in Mumbai, and matches are played at Cooperage Football Ground in the Fort area. Athletic and cycling track events attract many enthusiasts. Juhu and Chowpatty beaches are popular areas for bathing and swimming.
Mumbai is an important center for the Indian printing industry and has a vigorous press. Daily newspapers are printed in English, Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, and other languages. Several monthlies, biweeklies, and weeklies also are published in the city. The regional station of All-India Radio is centered in Mumbai. Television services for the city began in 1972.
