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Your journey should properly begin from the Gateway of India – an Imperial landmark that still symbolizes Mumbai as much as Statue O f Liberty stands for New York. The yellow basalt arch of triumph was erected by the Britishers in 1924 and still evokes fond memories. An obligatory "photo op" at the wonderfully named Apollo Bunder, will remind you eternally of your visit while colourful balloon sellers, postcard vendors and snake charmers transport you into another great Indian experience.
The majestic Taj Mahal Hotel rises sheer from the Apollo Bunder and affords an excellent view of the gateway from the Apollo Bar. It’s however the streets behind the Taj Mahal Hotel that will prove a treasure trove for every traveler. Don’t forget to witness the real India in the form of the street vendors, shops,stalls and cafes that leads south to Sassoon Dock . Keep going till you reach the fascinating Indo-Saracenic Prince of Wales Museum where you can travel back in time. You can also get a glimpse of the greatest modern art pieces at the excellent new National Gallery of Modern Art in the nearby Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall.
Travel to the Great Indian Bazaar in the form of Crawford Market. The last outpost of British Bombay, it till very recently functioned as the city's wholesale produce market. You can still make out the Bas reliefs done by Rudyard Kipling's father, on the Norman-Gothic exterior.
The J J School of Art, the center of Indian modern art’s renaissance, is located just south of the market.
Fort: Once the hub of military activities, it is today the commercial centre of Mumbai. The buildings reveal their links to the Victorian era in the extravagant Victorian gothic buildings in the Fort area. Occupying exactly the same site as the old British built fort , it's today filled with commuters, hawkers amidst the grand facades of 19th century trading houses.
Victoria Terminus: For a moment a traveler can mistake it for a pucca British cathedral or palace instead of what it is : a Railway station. Designed to be one of the finest outpourings of the Gothic architecture, today it proudly stands as one of the legacy sites. Stone carvings of peacocks, gargoyles, monkeys, elephants mingle with British lions in hitherto unknown exuberance among its buttresses, domes, turrets, spires and stained-glass windows. A 4m (13ft) high image of 'Progress' – looks on as commuters run like Olympic sprinters to catch the trains.
Do not forget to visit other Gothic structures like Bombay University, the High Court, the BMC building and stately Horniman Circle, laid out around the sole surviving section of Bombay's original Cotton Green.
Haji Ali Mosque: Rising squarely from the sea, the mosque contains the tomb of the Muslim saint Haji Ali. Most Indians believe that all their wishes will be fulfilled upon a visit here. The mosque can only be reached at low tide and vast multitudes regularly trudge the unlikely path with a wish in their hearts. The typical Islamic architecture is perhaps one of the few representatives of the art .
Kalbadevi: The traditional bazaars of Kalbadevi,is the modern form of the age old Indian bazaar where rows upon rows display same kinds of articles in complete contradiction to the laws of competition .Located north of Crawford Market, the narrow lanes of this predominantly Muslim area are bordered by "dhobi ghats"where the city cleans its dirty laundry. Customers, distributors , suppliers, and plain onlookers on make this place eternally comgested. The main areas are Zaveri Bazaar (jewellery), Mangaldas Market (cloth), Dhabu St (leather goods) and Chor Bazaar (Mumbai's 'thieves' market').
You can also partake the spiritual side of the city in the form of the Jama Masjid and the Mumbadevi Temple dedicated to the patron goddess of the island's original Koli inhabitants.
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