COVID: Review the latest FCDO Travel Advice before travelling to or from India
Mumbai has an approximate population of around 18,414,288 people and you can typically expect to pay around £2.22p for an equivalent pint of lager or beer.
What exactly does "Mumbai" mean? It is a generalized term for the city and region stretching from southwestern India to northern West Coast of India. Mumbai ( formerly known as Bombay) is an increasingly densely populated region on India's west coast. A major financial centre, it is India's biggest city. On the Mumbai Harbor waterfront, the famed Gateway of India, built by the British Raj, stands towering.
Its history dates back to a thousand years, when it was a small trading post on the shores of Juhu River. The rising economy and development gave rise to many of Mumbai's industries and developed the city into a major regional economic center. With the onset of new technocratic advances, Mumbai started progressing and soon emerged as one of the world's foremost centers of information and communication technology development. Rapidly growing in population, Mumbai has invested extensively in transport systems to cope with the growing needs of its people and become a hub for global trade.
Some interesting facts about Mumbai: Due to its potential as a major information and communication technology center, India has invested heavily in the improvement of transport systems to cater to the needs of Mumbai residents. Due to its importance, the Mumbai city railway station has been named after Mumbai itself. Also, Mumbai is home to two international airports with the famous Mumbai Airport being called the Air Force's "Home Field" for its heavy bomber operations. The Mumbai Police force uses automatic rifles and machine guns to control the law and order situation in and around the city and has close to one million guns in their inventory.
Up to date information for vaccinations before you travel to India are available from the NHS Fit for Travel website.
For up to date information around safety and security in India read the Foreign & Commonwealth Office latest information for India.
The best time to visit India is between October and March when the monsoon rains have ceased and the country is largely warm and dry. The climate does vary considerably by region though this is the peak travel season in Rajasthan and Kerala due to the agreeable weather conditions.
The different festivals in India have a unique cultural meaning. In Maharashtra, the Ganesha festival is celebrated to honor the elephant-headed god, who is the son of Shiva and Parvati. This deity is said to remove obstacles and grant success in all endeavors. During the festival, statues of Ganesha are placed in homes and paraded in procession before being immersed in the Ganga river, also known as Hooghly.
This celebration is dedicated to the bond between a brother and a sister. Rakhi, the symbol of a brother's promise and responsibility to his sister, is tied around the wrist of his sister. The festival is marked with gifts, including sweets and eatables, and falls on August 22 this year. It is the ideal time to celebrate the special bond between brothers and sisters and to learn about Indian culture. There are festivals in India throughout the year to experience the different customs and traditions of the country.
A highlight of this festival is the Dahi Handi, or the garba dance, in which people dress up in traditional clothing and perform a human pyramid in a circle to reach a clay pot filled with yogurt strung from tall buildings. The garba dance is celebrated along the Ganges river in Mumbai, where hundreds of locals participate. The festival celebrates the supreme Lord Krishna and is considered to be a happy time for the locals.
Many festivals in India are a unique way to experience a region's culture and heritage. The celebrations of these festivals are held to showcase the uniqueness of each region. This means that they create a common platform for travelers and tourists alike to share their cultures. They also celebrate many lesser-known customs. In Kutch, for example, the Rann Utsav honors the beauty of the desert and its creatures.
The International Kite Festival in Assam is an incredibly fun festival. The sky is filled with colorful kites during the day, while tukkals, or paper lanterns, are flown in the night sky. The Bihu festival is a celebration that celebrates the harvest, and the importance of farming in this part of the world. It is a wonderful experience to be a part of a culturally diverse country.
The Hindu Onam festival is the largest festival in Kerala, lasting a hundred days. The Onam sadya, which is the main meal of the festival, is a popular meal among Hindus. The Onam sadya is an annual festival in Maharashtra. During the Onam festival, thousands of Ganesh idols are displayed to welcome the soul of King Mahbala. The festivals in India have a wide cultural range.
The official currency of India is the Indian Rupee (INR). If you're looking to transfer or spend money in India you can grab amazing Indian Rupee deals via Wise.com (GBP to INR).
Royal Bengal Tiger - The national animal of India and Bangladesh, the Royal Bengal Tiger, (Panthera tigris tigris) is the pride of Indian forests.
Hindi food? Despite having popular foods such as Khichdi, rice, biryani, daal, roti, and bhajiya, there is no food that has been declared to be the official National Dish of India.
The most widely spoken languages of this group are Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Rajasthani, Sindhi, Assamese (Asamiya), Maithili and Odia. You can learn some basic Hindi before you travel to India and really impress the locals!
The currency in India is the Indian Rupee (On bills ranging from INR 300 to INR 1000, you can tip around 7% to 10% of the bill amount. For example, a tip of INR 100 on an INR 1000 bill is a very good tip.).
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What is the time difference?
The GMT time difference is 5.5 hours