Mumbai Trip: Random Pics (Part 2)

Date: 26th Jan 2018 to 28th Jan 2018

Visitors: Arun, Shilpi and Harsh

Stay: T24 Residency

Places visited: Rajabai Clock Tower, Bombay Stock Exchange, RBI Museum, Elephanta caves, Gateway of India, CST, Global Vipassana pagoda and few more tourist attractions.

Other pics from the trip.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building.

Central Library, Mumbai.

Croma, Horniman circle.

State Bank of India, Mumbai.

Seagulls during trip to elephanta caves.

Few other buildings.

View of  Worlds most expensive house.

Bye Bye Mumbai.

Mumbai Trip: Random Pics (Part 1)

Date: 26th Jan 2018 to 28th Jan 2018

Visitors: Arun, Shilpi and Harsh

Stay: T24 Residency

Places visited: Rajabai Clock Tower, Bombay Stock Exchange, RBI Museum, Elephanta caves, Gateway of India, CST, Global Vipassana pagoda and few more tourist attractions.

Other pics from the trip.

Indigo to Mumbai from Kempegowda International Airport.

Purple line metro to Andheri local station.

Andheri junction.

Famous Mumbai local on Jan 26th.

Another trip in local train.

Ferry to Global Vipassana Pagoda.

Cab ride on Bandra Worli sea link.

Elephanta Caves, Mumbai

Date: 26th Jan 2018

Visitors: Arun, Shilpi and Harsh

Fee: Rs 30. Separate charges for boat and toy train.

Timing:  9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Monday Holiday.

Food: Available.

Photography: Allowed.

Other attractions nearby: Gateway of India.

The UNESCO world heritage site is one of the popular tourist attraction in Mumbai. The seven caves dedicated predominantly to Lord Shiva is located on elephanta island. The rock cut sculptures represent a mix of Hindu and Buddhist images and symbols. The exact date of excavation of the caves was not known but its believed to have been carved around 4th and 7th century. Barring few sculptures most of them are damaged and defaced. The 20ft statue of Trimurti is the central attraction in the caves. The combined image of Trimurti and the gateway of India forms the logo for Maharastra Tourism Development corporation. Some of the other images found in these caves apart from Trimurti are Gangadhara, Arthanarishvara, Yogishvara, Ravana lifting Kailasha and many other. There is also a shiva linga in a smaller shrine inside the complex. The elephant statue that gave the name to the island is now in Victoria garden or Jijamata Udyan. Some of the art work is also moved to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.

The boat journey is around 1 hour then a few minutes of ride in toy train and 100 odd steps to be climbed to reach the famed caves of elephanta. Highly recommended to hire a guide in the island to get the detailed stories of the sculptures and the caves. Avoid getting bored during one hour boat ride by feeding chips to seagulls that fly around the boat.

Few pics from the island.

Try visiting the place as early as possible to avoid the heat and the crowd. 

Global Vipassana Pagoda, Mumbai

Date: 27th Jan 2018

Visitors: Arun, Shilpi and Harsh

Fee: None.

Timing:  9:00 AM to 6:30 PM.

Food: Available.

Photography: Allowed.

Other attractions nearby: Essel world amusement park.

The worlds biggest pillar-less stone dome is located in Gorai, Mumbai. The pagoda is designed based on Shwedagon pagoda of Yangon, Myanmar. The foundation stone was laid in 1997 and construction completed in 2008. The building was officially inaugurated in 2009 by then president of India Partibha Patil. The dome is built by the interlocking principle where stones are cut in a form to grip each other. The external diameter of the dome is more than double the size of the previous largest stone dome in the world, Gol Gumbaz. Satya Narayan Goenka who was the student of renowned vipassana teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin of Myanmar came up with the idea of building the meditation hall. Mr S. N Goenka was authorized by U Ba Khin to teach vipassana in India on his behalf. The hall has a capacity to accommodate 8000 people. The pagoda also houses the relics of Buddha. The complex has a Buddha statue, a museum, administration building, meditation hall, library, guest house and few more buildings.

The tourist are allowed to view the meditation hall from the viewing gallery. Only the vipassana meditator who has completed a particular course is allowed inside the hall. Take a essel world ferry not the gorai ferry to cross the manroi creek. Walk for around 1 km from the jetty to reach the pagoda.

Few pics from the place.

A nice place to visit in Mumbai if one can bear the stench while crossing the creek.

Chhatrapati shivaji vastu sangrahalaya, Mumbai

Date: 27th Jan 2018

Visitors: Arun, Shilpi and Harsh

Fee: Rs 85 for Adults. Kids Rs 20. Mobile camera Rs 50.

Timing: 10:15 AM to 6:00 PM.

Food: Available.

Photography: Allowed.

Other attractions nearby: Gateway of India, Jehangir Art Gallery and Rajabai clock tower.

Formerly known as prince of wales museum was erected as a memorial to the visit of prince of wales King George V in 1905.  The foundation stone was laid in 1905 and construction completed in 1914, however it was opened to public only in 1922. During world war I the build was used as children welfare center and military hospital. The museum was designed by George wittet in Indo-Saracenic style. The dome was designed based on Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur and the finial based on Taj Mahal in Agra. The museum houses around 50,000 artifacts comprising of sculptures, terracotta’s, bronzes, paintings, porcelain and ivories. The museum also has a separate natural history section. The museum was renamed in 1998 to Chhatrapati shivaji vastu sangrahalaya. The building was awarded 2010 UNESCO Asia – Pacific Heritage Award' for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Few pics from the museum.

Another museum in a big city to attract tourist. A place to visit if one has ample time and happen to be in fort area of Mumbai.