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Everyone probably knows that Mumbai was earlier called Bombay. But do you know how it got its name?
1. While the city was under the rule of the Portuguese in the 1530s, they called the area ‘Boa Baía’ which translates to ‘good bay’. Later, in 1661, when the British rulers were gifted this area as a form of dowry, they started calling it Bombay and that’s how the city came to be called so.
2. Now that we know how Bombay got its name, do you know how it was later named as Mumbai? The name ‘Mumbai’ was inspired by the Mumbadevi Temple in Bhuleshwar. ‘Mumba’ is the name of the goddess worshipped here, whereas ‘ai‘ means mother and hence the name ’Mumbai.’ It was renamed in the year 1995.
3. Mumbai is the second richest city in India according to the GDP index and is also home to the highest number of millionaires and billionaires in India.
4. The world’s most expensive private home is located in Mumbai. Antilia, which is estimated to have a value of nearly $3 billion is owned by none other than the richest man in India - Mukesh Ambani!
5. The first train service and bus service in India plied from Mumbai. The train ran from Mumbai to Thane in 1853 while the bus travelled from Afghan Church to Crawford Market in 1926, nearly a century later!
1. While the city was under the rule of the Portuguese in the 1530s, they called the area ‘Boa Baía’ which translates to ‘good bay’. Later, in 1661, when the British rulers were gifted this area as a form of dowry, they started calling it Bombay and that’s how the city came to be called so.
2. Now that we know how Bombay got its name, do you know how it was later named as Mumbai? The name ‘Mumbai’ was inspired by the Mumbadevi Temple in Bhuleshwar. ‘Mumba’ is the name of the goddess worshipped here, whereas ‘ai‘ means mother and hence the name ’Mumbai.’ It was renamed in the year 1995.
3. Mumbai is the second richest city in India according to the GDP index and is also home to the highest number of millionaires and billionaires in India.
4. The world’s most expensive private home is located in Mumbai. Antilia, which is estimated to have a value of nearly $3 billion is owned by none other than the richest man in India - Mukesh Ambani!
5. The first train service and bus service in India plied from Mumbai. The train ran from Mumbai to Thane in 1853 while the bus travelled from Afghan Church to Crawford Market in 1926, nearly a century later!
6. Mumbai is the birthplace of a Booker Prize-winning author as well as two Nobel laureates. Salman Rushdie was the winner of the Booker Prize in 1981 for his work “Midnight’s Children” whereas Rudyard Kipling won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907 and recently in 2019, Abhijit Banerjee won the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences.
7. With an estimated population of about 22 million, Mumbai is the most densely populated city in India. Funnily enough, each individual in Mumbai is privy to only 1.2 sq. m of open space to live in, compared to the 4 sq. m recommended for metropolitan areas.
8. The total length of steel wires used in the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai can be used to circle around the earth’s circumference once, which is a whopping 40,075 km. Interestingly, this is also the first cable-stayed bridge in India that fords across an open sea.
9. The Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat at Mumbai is the largest open-air laundry in the world where countless laundrymen from across the city come to wash clothes. More than 8000 laundrymen can be seen at work at any point in time, washing away at the 700 stone washing platforms. It also won the Guinness Book of Awards for "most people hand-washing clothes simultaneously at a single location" in 2011.
10. The Dabbawalas of Mumbai is a logistics network that has been operating with unbelievable accuracy and efficiency throughout the years, and that too without the help of computers. A topic of intrigue to many, this organisation that has been working like a well-oiled machine has also been put under the microscope of eminent business and management schools from all over the world, like the Indian Institute of Management and Harvard Business School.
To witness this unique city and explore its myriad of enthralling features, you also have to stay at one of the best places that the city has to offer. So head on over to one of the best eco-friendly hotels in Mumbai, The Orchid Hotel in Vile Parle. This hotel located near the Mumbai Airport offers unparalleled comfort and convenience to its guests, so why wait? Book Now!