Capital of Maharashtra, India
About Mumbai
Mumbai, also known as Bombay, is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial capital of India. Located on the Konkan coast along the west coast of India, it has a deep natural harbour. As per the 2011 Census of India, it is the most populous city in India, with an population of almost 12.5 million, while the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, which is among the most populous metropolitan areas in the world, had a population of over 20 million. The city forms part of the Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts and is administered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which was established in 1888.
Etymology
The name Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई) originated from Mumbā or Mahā-Ambā, the name of the patron Hindu goddess (Kula Devata) Mumbadevi of the native Koli community, and from ā'ī, meaning "mother" in Marathi. By some accounts, the Koli community of Kathiawar and Central Gujarat introduced their deity Mumba from Kathiawar, where her worship continues to this day. The oldest known names for the city are Kakamuchee and Galajunkja; these are sometimes still used. Portuguese writer Gaspar Correia recorded the name "Bombaim" after 1512 in his Lendas da Índia (Legends of India).Yule & Burnell 1996, p. 102 Some Anglophone authors have suggested this came from a supposed Galician–Portuguese phrase bom baim, "good little bay", with no scientific basis. …
History
Mumbai is built on what was originally an archipelago of seven islands: Isle of Bombay, Parel, Mazagaon, Mahim, Colaba, Worli, and Old Woman's Island (also known as Little Colaba). Pleistocene sediments near Kandivali suggest that the islands were inhabited since the South Asian Stone Age. In the 3rd century BCE, the islands became part of the Maurya Empire under Ashoka, followed by the Satavahana dynasty in the 2nd century BCE. The Koli fishing community populated the region during the beginning of the Common Era. The Mahakali Caves in Andheri were cut out between the 1st century BCE and the 6th century CE, while the Kanheri Caves in Borivali, excavated in the 1st century CE, became an important centre of Buddhism in Western India. In the 2nd century, Greek geographer Ptolemy referred to the islands as Heptanesia (Ancient Greek: A cluster of seven islands). …
Geography
Mumbai is spread over an area of 603 km2 (233 sq mi), and is divided into two districts–Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban. The suburban district occupies 446 km2 (172 sq mi) and is divided into three tehsils–Andheri, Borivali, and Kurla. The city district-region located to the south is referred to as South Mumbai or "Island City", and occupies an area of 157 km2 (61 sq mi). The Mumbai Metropolitan Region includes portions of Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts in addition to Greater Mumbai, and covers an area of 4,355 km2 (1,681 sq mi). Mumbai is on a narrow peninsula located on the Salsette Island, which is bound by the Arabian Sea to the west, Thane Creek to the east, and Vasai Creek to the north. It lies at the mouth of the Ulhas River on the western coast of India, in the Konkan region. It shares the Salsette Island, with the Thane district. …
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