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Monuments of Mumbai (9) : 1. Gateway of India - 2. Rajabai Clock Tower - Next to the High Court, the Venetian -Gothic University has a Gothic clock tower 260 feet high that is curiously adorned with oriental figures. In the old days it used to play Rule Britannia, God Save the King and a Handel Symphony among sixteen tunes that changed four times a day; now the repertoire is limited to the wafting chimes of the Big Ben on the quarter hour. 3. University Building - 4. Film City - Cinema has emerged as a popular source of entertainment in India. Almost every village in India has a cinema within walking distance. It is really hard to comprehend the impact of cinema as it has effected almost all compartments of life. The Indian film industry is the largest in the world and amazingly it churns out over 900 films every year. There is regional cinema that caters to the local tastes and there is hindi cinema that has a wide presence. The home of Hindi blockbuster, the “all-India film” , is Mumbai. 5. High Court - On the fringes of what was once the walled Fort of Mumbai, stands the High Court, another hauntingly beautiful (some say haunted!) structure, in brooding black stone. Opposite it lies the Oval Maidan, formerly a large Bowling Green where English memsahibs came to "take in the air." Today, it is an important lung in a congested city, where aspiring young cricketers practice their paces under the watchful eye of the High Court and the Mumbai University.
6. Flora Fountain - This is the very heart of Mumbai, circumscribed by stately colonial buildings that stand like proud old sentinels of a bygone era. Flora is the Roman Goddess of Flowers, her pretty alabaster face continually assaulted by grime and pollution. Next to her are a pair of torch bearing stone patriots that rise from the Martyrs Memorial nearby. Flora Fountain is now called Hutatma Chowk or Martyr's Square to honour those who died in the tumultuous birth of Maharashtra State. All around the square sit Mumbai's infamous vendors selling just about everything under the blazing tropical sun -- from cheap nylon saris and ballpoint pens to herbal remedies and sexshop gewgaws. Tooting horns and traffic complete the chaotic picture, but through it all Flora manages to retain her serene composure.
7. Worli Fort -
Worli Fort is an ancient British fort perched on a hilltop at the place of Worli in Mumbai. The fort has been often mis-interpreted as being built by Portuguese. The fort was built by British to overlook the enemy and pirate ships in the nearby sea. The fort was built around 1675 A.D. and at the time when Mumbai city was a small agglomerate of seven islands. The islands were connected over years and the region stands as an integral part of Mumbai today. Worli lies to the north of Mumbai. Reaching Worli Fort is quite arduous due to poor condition of the road leading to the fort. The fort is located on the peninsular landmass of the Worli area and close to the sea. The condition of fort is miserable. The historical monument that carries with it memories of the past has been abandoned. The cry for help by Worli Fort has been suppressed for years, the bell of the fort has not ringed and a good time has passed now. The Worli region, compared to Worli Fort is a quite developed place and an important city hub. The other attractions in the vicinity include the mosque named Haji Ali Dargah and an old fishing community. The bus station at Prabhadevi is nearest to Worli Fort. The place is linked to the central landmass via roads. The nearest railway station is the Parel Railway Station which lies east of Worli Fort. 8. Kanheri Caves -
These caves are about 4kms away from the National Park at Borivli. These caves were cut out from a hillside in the middle part of the 2nd century A.D. and are typical forms of Buddhist architecture. There was a large scale execution of the sculptures .These were the dwelling places of the Buddhist monks and were known as Viharas. The caves are surrounded by a thick foliage of trees and clear stream ripples down through it. Here there are no actual representations lord Buddha; only the symbols of his religion are depicted. 9. Elephanta Caves - A pleasant half an hour motor-boat ride from the hustle and bustle of city life brings one to the vicinities of the famous Elephanta caves located in the quiet island by the same name. This island is home to a series of seven magnificient rock cut caves which dates from the 4th-9th centuries A.D. These caves are situated at a height of about 76metres above sea-level. The most impressive of these caves has a 40 metre square main hall with two wide columnades. At the western end of the hall, there is a lingam shrine which stands guarded by stone doorkeepers leaning on dwarfs. The lingam symbolic of lord Siva is still worshipped by devotees during festivals. One of the most striking features of this cave is the 6m high Maheshmurti, the three headed bust of lord Siva depicting his three facets-creator, destroyer and protector. Besides, the cave contains a series of nine massive sculptured panels which show various incidents in the life of lord Siva and other dramatic moments from Hindu mythology. These are chiselled with immense artistic finesse. |
