India- More than the Taj Mahal
MUMBAI
Mumbai, India (formerly known as Bombay) is a sprawling metropolis and the industrial/financial capital and the principal port and gateway of India. It is the fastest growing, most affluent city, with Norman Point, the centre of most activities, rapidly becoming a mini Manhattan. This palm-fridge shore of the Arabian Sea was the British Empire’s entrance to its proudest Crown Jewel.
Mumbai is the nerve centre of India’s commerce and economy. Throbbing, vibrant and exciting. An indispensable destination for businessmen, tourists and holiday makers. There is something for everyone.
Attractions other than the Taj Mahal
- Gateway of India- The most important and unique landmark of the city. Completed in 1924, this monument was constructed to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary. The Elephant Caves are located very close to the Gateway of India, and tourists can travel on motor boats to reach the Elephant Islands.
- Prince of Wales Museum – Currently named Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. A museum housing many interesting artifacts, it the premier art and history museum of India.
- Hanging Gardens– Located on seaside Marine Drive, also known as abhinav Gardens. These terraced gardens are perched at the top of Malabar Hill. They provide sunset views over the Arabian Sea and feature numerous hedges carved into the shapes of animals.
- Church Gate station– Great location to watch the “dabba-wallahs”, members of the the Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association. Every day 4,000 workers deliver fresh, home-cooked food from 100,000 suburban kitchen to downtown offices.
- Mani Bhavan- Gandhiâ’s base between 1918 and 1934. It is now a permanent museum and memorial to the Mahatma.
- Dhoti Gnats – An area to take a Photo stop and view traditional laundrymen at work.
- Victoria Terminus- A UNESCO World Heritage Site and historic railway station.
GOA
Former Portugese colony of Goa is one of India’s most famous destinations for tourists, known for its wide expanses of beaches. In old Goa, once a thriving and prosperous city, exist some of the finest churches in the country. Goa with its tangled twisted streets, plazas and ochre villas of the old city is a wealth of exceptionally impressive churches and convents.
Explore Goa
- Se Cathedral- Built in the sixteenth century, the convent and Church of St. Francis of Assisi with its gilded, carved woodwork and old murals date back to the early 1500s. One remaining tower containing the “Golden Bel”, which rang during the Inquisition to announce public torure and burning of suspected heretics.
- Royal Orchid Beach Resort- is set of 5 acres of lush beach front gardens, making this an ideal spot for a relaxing getaway.
- Basilica of Bom Jesus- Explore this fine example of Jesuit architecture, and perhaps the richest of the churches, with its heavily decorated yet admirably proportioned interior. Known for its relics, worshipers and the simple curious view the body of Saint Francis Xavier (d. 1562), which lies partially exposed in a dazzling silver casket. Its surrounding chapel, constructed of marble and jasper, was a gift of one of the last Medicis.
- Church of St. Cajetan- Modeled on St. Peter’s in Rome, its neo classical facade, with twin towers flanking the great dome, disguises an interior that is pure, unrestrained baroque. Hidden beneath the Church is a crypt where the embalmed bodies of Portuguese governors were kept in lead coffins before they were shipped back to Lisbon. Forgotten for a time, the last batch was removed only in 1992.
- Palolem Beach- Noted as one of the top beaches in Asia, this unspoiled crescent shaped mile long beach consists of rocks jutting out in to the sea. Located in Palolem situated in Canaconaa in southern Goa. The beach is featured as the Goan residence of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) in the film The Bourne Supremacy (2004).
