Mumbai

In 1668, the British East India Company leased the seven islands that became Mumbai for just £10 a year, less than the price of a sandwich today.

At the time, it was an undeveloped group of island fishing communities called Bombay, home to the Koli people who made their living from the Arabian Sea. No one imagined this humid patch of coastline would grow into India’s financial and film capital.

By the 18th century, British engineers were reshaping the land itself. Through a massive series of reclamation projects, they joined the seven islands into a single stretch of land.

Fort Bombay rose near what is now South Mumbai, defended by cannons and filled with traders and soldiers. The city’s fortunes exploded in the 1860s when the American Civil War disrupted U.S. cotton exports, sending British mills scrambling for new suppliers.

Bombay’s merchants filled that gap, and the city’s first cotton mills turned it into India’s industrial hub. The iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, then Victoria Terminus, was completed in 1887 as a Gothic monument to the empire’s wealth and India’s labor.

Mumbai became a flashpoint in India’s independence movement. In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi stood at Gowalia Tank Maidan, now August Kranti Maidan, to launch the Quit India Movement. Crowds of protestors filled the streets demanding the British leave India for good.

Just six years later, the last British troops marched through the Gateway of India and sailed home. After independence, Mumbai swelled with migrants chasing factory work and movie stardom, setting the stage for Bollywood and the city’s legendary energy.

Modern Mumbai has faced its share of tragedy, from the 1993 bombings to the 2008 terrorist attacks, but the city always bounces back.

Visitors can start at the Gateway of India, built in 1924 to honor King George V’s visit. Then, hop a ferry to Elephanta Island to see cave temples carved more than 1,400 years ago.

Stroll the bazaars of Colaba, grab a spicy vada pav from a street cart, or catch a Bollywood shoot in Film City. End your day with a sunset walk along Marine Drive.

Sources:

Royal Charter of 27 March 1668 – Wikipedia

Gateway of India – Britannica

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus – UNESCO

Quit India Movement – Britannica

Mumbai attacks 2008 – Britannica