Mumbai

Mumbai is a major metropolitan and fastest moving, most affluent and industrialised city in India known as the business capital of India. It is the state capital of Maharashtra and the country's principal financial and communications centre. The city has the India's largest Stock Exchange which ranks as the third largest in the world. Mumbai is part of India's beautiful west coast, that runs down from Gujarat, through Mumbai to Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. The city has a natural harbour, which was developed by the British. It is one of the most busy ports of India, handling approximately 40 percent of India's maritime trade.

Mumbai (till recently known as 'Bombay'), derives its name from the local deity Mumba Devi, whose temple is still there. The Portuguese predecessors of the British preferred to think of the name as Bom Baim, the Good Bay. Mumbai is a group of seven islands which are today known as Colaba, Mahim, Mazgaon, Parel, Worli, Girgaun and Dongri. Large expanses of open sea have been filled in, and tidal swamps have been reclaimed for furthering the land area. These reclaimed areas include Churchgate and Nariman Point.