India’s
western gateway is Mumbai,
with a major international airport and harbour. The
city’s rise from the dowry of a Portuguese queen to the
country’s foremost sea port, commercial centre and
producer of films has been nothing short of meteoric.Mumbai’s
Gothic architecture is embodied in the Gateway of India,
Bombay High Court, Old Secretariat, University Buildings
and Victoria Terminus. Open spaces in this crowded city
include Chowpatty Beach, Juhu Beach and Sanjay Gandhi
National Park, the latter a fine wildlife park at
Borivili. Bombay is the country’s premier cultural
centre. Jehangir Art Gallery attracts regular art
exhibitions; Prithvi Theatre is well known for its
theatrical performances, and the National Centre for
Performing Arts periodically hosts Indian and
international concerts of music and dance. The city’s
shopping embraces informal fashion and accessories at
Colaba Causeway, antiques – and clever reproductions of
antiques – at Chor Bazar, gold and diamond jewellery at
Jhaveri Bazar, high fashion at Kemps Corner, Bhulabhai
Desai Road and the airconditioned shopping plaza at The
Oberoi.
Bombay
(Mumbai)
Gateway
to India & capital of Maharashtra, Bombay was once a
cluster of seven islands called Heptanasia by Plotemy in
AD 150. The word Mumbai (locally called) however, is
derived from Mumba Devi or Maha Amba Aai, the patron
goddess of the kolis or fisherfolk, who have been its
original inhabitants.
Altitude
: Sea level.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max 33.3,
Min 22.7; Winter- Max 29.5, Min- 19.4.
Rainfall : 212 cms (June to September).
Season : Throughout the year.
COMMUNICATION
AND TRANSPORT:
- Air
: Bombay's International Airport is at Sahar (30 kms)
and Domestic Airport at Santacruz, 26 km. Most of the
International Airlines, Indian Airlines Vayudoot &
many other private airlines touch Bombay and connect
it with the major cities of India and the world.
- Rail:
Bombay is the headquarters for both western &
Central Railways. Regular train services connect
Bombay with all major towns and cities in India.
- Road:
Bombay is connected by good motorable road to Pune 163
km, Nasik 185 km, Mahabaleshwar 239 km, Shirdi 307 km,
Aurangabad 392 km, Vadodara 432 km, Ahmedabad 545 kms,
Panaji 597 kms, Hyderabad 711 kms, Bangalore 998 kms.
- Local
Transport: Metered black & yellow top
taxies, Auto rickshaws, B.E.S.T. city buses, Electric
trains are available.
- Tourist
Taxis & Coaches: AC & Non-AC Coaches,
Mini-Coaches, Luxury & Ordinary Cars can be hired
from bus operators & Car operators. For Approved
List contact Government Tourist Offices.
CONDUCTED
TOURS
City
Tour:
Places Covered Timmings Fare & Starts from
Reservation/Operators
Gateway of India 09.00 hrs Luxury Coach M.T.D.C Office
Jain Temple, to Rs.55/- Tel: 2026713/
Hanging Gardens, 13.00 hrs 2027762/2027784.
Kamla Nehru Park, and M.T.D.C Office,
Mani Bhawan, 14.00 hrs C.D.O Hutments,
Aquarium, Prince to Madam Cama Road, of Wales Museum.
18.00 hrs (Opp. LIC Office)
Nariman Point,(Except on Mondays) Bombay-21.
Suburban
Tour:
Observation Point, 09.15 hrs Semi Luxury
Kanheri Caves, to Coach Rs.90/-
National Park, 18.15 hrs
*Lion Safari Park, M.T.D.C. Office, (Closed on Mondays),
C.D.O. Hutments, Juhu Beach and Madam Cama Road, Hare Rama
Hare Krishna Temple. (Opp. LIC Office)
Elephanta
Tours: (Subject to weather conditions)
Launches leave Luxury Launch (with guide) Gateway
Elephanta Jal every hour from 0900 Rs.50 (adult), 30
(child) Vahatuk Sahakari hrs to 1415 hrs. Ordinary Launch
Sanstha Maryadit, (returns after (without guide) Apollo
Bunder. every 4 hours) Rs.35 (adult), 20 (child)
Bombay-39. Tel: 2026364/2023585.
Note:
Ordinary launches suspended during monsoons.
Outstation
Tour:
Aurangabad- Departs Rs.2405/- M.T.D.C
-Ajanta- 2100 hrs. (lodging & boarding at Tel:
2026713/ 7762/
-Ellora. Returns Ajanta Ambassador Hotel) 7784. 4th day
Rs.1465/- 0730 hrs. (lodging & boarding at
Aurangabad Ashok), Rs.770/- (lodging at Holiday Camp.
without food) Rs.152/- one way fare. Nashik-Shirdi Dep.
8.00 p.m Rs. 247/- (On Wednesday) Returns next day (to
& fro transport) at 10.00 p.m Rs.347/- (with
accomodation) (On Saturday) Dep. 2.00 p.m Returns next day
at 10.00 p.m
Others
Tours
M.T.D.C. operates luxury bus services from Maharashtra
Tourist Office, Nariman Point to Ganpatipule (9 p.m, 11
hrs, Rs.175); Panchgani (6 a.m, 9 hrs, Rs.175) &
Nashik (6 am, 6 hrs, Rs.125); Mahableshwar via Mahad (7
am, 7 hrs, Rs.160). Tickets for the above tours are
available at the Govt.of India Tourist Office, 123, M.
Karve Road, Churchgate, Bombay- 400 020.
PLACES
OF INTEREST
Afghan
Church (4.5 kms), Chowpatty Beach (4 kms), Gateway Of
India (2.4 kms), Haji Ali Tomb (2.4 kms), Headquarters of
Western Railway, High Court, Hutatma Chowk or Flora
Fountain, (1 km), Kamala Nehru Park (5.6kms), Crawford
Market (2 kms), Malabar Hill (5.6 kms), Mahalakshimi (7.2
kms), Municipal Corporation Building (12 kms), Marine
Drive, Hanging Garden (6 kms), Race Course (7 kms),
Rajabai Towers & Bombay University (1 km), Raudat
Tehra Mosque & Mausoleum (3 kms), Town Hall (2 kms),
Victoria Terminus (1 km), Weaver's Service Centre (2.4
kms), Nehru Planetarium [Daily show except Mondays at 3
p.m & 6 p.m (Eng) 4.30 p.m (Hindi), Saturdays &
Sundays 3 p.m & 6.30 p.m (Eng), 4.30 p.m (Hindi) 1.30
p.m (Marathi), Charges Rs.10 (adult), Rs.4.50 (child),
Tel: 4920510; Taraporewala Acquarium (3.2 kms),
Timing: 1100-2000 hrs except Mondays. Fees Rs.2.50
(adult), Rs.1.00 (child); Jijamata Udyan Tel: 8725799.
Mani
Bhavan (Gandhi Memorial) Tel : 3677864, 3.6 kms.
It houses a pictirial gallery and a library of books by
and on Mahatma Gandhi.
Timings: 0930-1800 hrs. Entry Fee: Rs.3.50.
Nehru
Science Centre Tel: 4932667, 8 kms.
The museum has permanent gallery called light and sight
and a children's science park. There are also antique
exhibits like railway engine, tramcar, supersonic
aerolpane & steam lorry. Timings: 1200-1900 hrs.
(Except Mondays)
Prince Of
Wales Museum Tel: 24484/4519, 2 kms.
It is famous for its collection of miniature
paintings.Timings: 1015-1800 hrs. (Except Mondays). Entry
Fee: Rs.4 (Free on Tuesdays).
Dr. Bhau
Daji Lad Museum. Tel: 3077121, 5.6 kms.
Timmings (Except Wed.): Mon. to Sat. 1030-1730 hrs,
0830-1645 hrs on Sundays.
Entry Fee: Re.0.50 (Adult); Re.0.25 (Child).
EXCURSIONS
Aarey
Milk Colony (35 kms), Timing: 0900-1200 hrs; Ambarnath (74
kms); Bassein Fort (77 kms); Elephanta Caves (9 kms);
Gorai Beach (59 kms); Juhu Beach (21 kms); Kanheri Caves
(42 kms); Ghodbunder (43.2 kms); Karla Caves (100 km);
Karnala Bird Sanctuary (61 kms), Madh, Marve & Manori
Beaches (45, 38.4 & 40 kms respectively); Powai Lake
(26.6 kms); Vihar Lake (28.6 kms); Tansa Lake (10.3 kms));
Tulsi Lake (32 kms); Uran Sea Side Resort (74 kms);
Vaitarna Dam (122 kms); Vajreshwari (88 kms); Versova
Beach (29 kms); National Park & Lion Safari Park (35
kms), Vehicle charges per trip Rs.15 (Adult), Rs.7.50
(child).
TOURIST
INFORMATION
Government
of India Tourist Office, 123 M.Karve Road, Churchgate,
Bombay-400 020. Tel: 293144-5.
Government of India Tourist Office Counter, Domestic
Airport, Tel: 6149200, 6116466 Extn. 278, 279 (Timing 0700
hrs till the last flight)
Government
of India Tourist Office Counter, International Airport,
Tel: 6325331, 6366700 Extn. 3253/3608 (round the clock)
Maharashtra
Tourism Development Corporation, CDO Hutments, Madam Cama
Road, Nariman Point, Tel: 2026713, 2027762.
India
Tourism Development Corporation, Nirmal Building, 11th
Floor, Nariman Point, Tel: 2023343, 2026079.
Bombay (Mumbai) Links
Pune
(Poona)
Located
in Sahyadri hills near the west coast of India, Pune is a
fascinating city with a healthy climate all year around.
Known until not so long ago as Poona, the city was the
capital of the powerful Maratha empire and is closely
associated with the great warrior king Shivaji. Today,
Pune is distinctly divided into the spacious cantonment
and the crowded old city, where locali-ties have been
named after days in the week.
Altitude:
598 mtrs.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max 40, Min
26; Winter- Max 29, Min 19.
Rainfall: 70 cms(June to September).
Season: Throughout the year.
TRANSPORT
AND COMMUNICATION
- Air:
Vayudoot Services, East-West Airlines and Continental
Aviation connect Pune with Bombay.
Fare : Bombay-Pune Rs.528/- (Vayudoot) Rs.820/-
(East-West & Continental)
- Rail
: Pune is linked by rail with Bangalore, Bombay,
Delhi, Jammu-Tawi, Kanya Kumari, Madras, Nagpur,
Secunderabad (Hyderabad), Trivandrum, Vasco-da-Gama
(Goa) etc.
Fare : Calcutta-Pune Rs.1291/- (AC-2A), Rs.1082/- (I),
Rs.318/- (II).
- Road
: Pune is connected by bus services to Bombay (170
kms), Shirdi (195 kms)
- Nasik
(202 kms), Aurangabad (226 kms), Sholapur, Nagpur,
Bangalore etc.
- Taxi
services : Taxis ply between Bombay and Pune
regularly on seat basis from
- Dadar
T.T. Fare : Rs.150/- per seat.
CONDUCTED
TOURS
Places
Covered Timings Fare Operator
Shaniwar Wada, Kasturba Smarak, 0800-1100 Rs.50/- M.T.D.C
Kelkar Museum, Shindes Chattri, & Pune Railway Station
Tribal Museum, Tilak Smarak, 1500-1800 Rs.50/- Pune
Municipal Transport
Saras Baug, Pataleshwar Caves, (daily) Pune Railway
Station Bund Garden.
PLACES
OF INTEREST
Shaniwar
Wada, Saras Baug, Parvati Hill, Raja Kelkar Museum,
Shinde's Chhatri, Bund Garden, Kasturba Smarak (Inside
Agha Khan Palace) etc.
EXCURSIONS
Alandi-22
kms, Dehu-29 kms, Karla-55 kms, Purandhar-40 kms,
Sinhagad-25 kms, Panchgani-98 kms, Mahabaleshwar-120
kms, Shivneri Fort-94 kms, Bhima Shankar- 95 kms,
Ashtavinayak Temples at Theur-20 kms, Ranjangaon-50 km,
Morgaon-65 km, Madh-75 kms, Ojhar-75 kms, Pali-80 kms,
Lenyadri-90 kms & Siddhatek-95 kms, Lonavala-64 kms,
Bhatghar Dam-52 kms.
INFORMATION
CENTRE
Maharashtra
Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) Central Office
Bldg., Sassoon Hospital Road, Tel: 66697.
Aurangabad
- Ajanta & Ellora
Aurangabad,
400 km from Bombay, is linked by Indian Airlines flights.
Spectacular rock cut caves and cave paintings exist at two
nearby places, Ajanta and Ellora. The most notable feature
of these cave temples is that entire hillsides were cut
away with the artisan’s chisel to produce some of the
world’s most exquisite sculpture. Ellora’s 34 caves
are over 10 centuries old and represent elaborate
sculptures of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. The caves
at Ajanta date back to the 5th century and contain
paintings and sculptures of major events in the life of
the Buddha.
Aurangabad
is a convinent base for organising visits to the famous
rock-cut temples of Ajanta & Ellora. The town is named
after Aurangzeb, the last of the six great Mughal
Emperors, who built a mausoleum here for his wife.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Altitude:
513 metres.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max 39, Min
21.5; Winter- Max 31.3, Min 10.
Rainfall: 557 mms.
Best Season: Throughout the year.
STD Code : 02432 (0240 ?).
TRANSPORT
AND COMMUNICATION
- Air
: Aurangabad is connected by Indian Airlines flights
with Bombay, Delhi, Jaipur and Udiapur.
Fare: Calcutta-Bombay-Aurangabad
Rs.6155 (US$ 226). East-West & Continental Airways
also operate flights between Bombay and Aurangabad.
- Rail:
Aurangabad is directly connected by rail with Bombay,
Manmad, Nasik Road, Kalyan, Secunderabad (Hyderabad)
and with other cities via Manmad.
Fare (approx): Calcutta-Aurangabad Rs.2900 (AC-I),
Rs.1700 (AC-2A), Rs.1400 (I), Rs.400 (Sleeper).
- Road:
Aurangabad is well connected by good motorable road
with Ajanta 106 kms, Bombay 392 kms, Ellora 30 kms,
Nanded 272 kms, Nasik 221 kms, Pune 229 kms Shirdi 136
kms and other important cities.
CONDUCTED
TOUR
Maharashtra
Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (MTDC) and India
Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) conducts following
tours:
1) Ellora
& City Sightseeing (daily 0930-1730 hours) : Rs.100.
2) Ajanta Sightseeing (Daily 0800 to 1730 hours) : Rs.135.
3) Paithan Sightseeing (1400 to 2130 hours) : Rs.60. (1st
& 3rd Friday and 2nd & 4th Sunday)
PLACES
OF INTEREST
Aurangabad
Caves, State Archaeological Museum, Nehru Udyan,
History
Museum of Marathwada University, Bibi ka Maqbara,
Panchakki, Siddharth Udyan.
EXCURSIONS
Daulatabad
Fort (13 kms), Khuldabad (26 kms), Grishneshwar Temple (30
kms), Paithan (56 kms), Shirdi (136 kms), Pithalkhora
Caves (78 kms), Aundha Nagnath (203 kms), Ajanta (106
kms), Ellora (30 kms)
INFORMATION
CENTRES
1.Government
of India Tourist Office Krishna Vilas Station Road (West),
Tel: 24-817.
2.Government of India Tourist Counter, Chikalthana
Airport.
3.Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, MTDC
Holiday Resort, Station Road (East), Tel: 24-713.
Ajanta
The
thirty rock-hewn caves at ajanta which are cut into the
scrap of a cliff are Chaityas (Chapels) & Viharas
(Monastries). Most of these are carved so that a flood of
natural light pours into them at any given time of the
day. Both the facade & the inside of the chambers
faithfully reproduce the structural patterns known to
those ancient builders. On the walls are paintings, many
still glowing with their original colours. The outer walls
are covered with brilliantly executed sculpture. The caves
are not numbered in chronological order. Cave nos. 9,10,
12, 13 are the earliest belonging to Hinayana sect of
Buddhism. Cave no 1 to 8, 11 and 14 to 30 are of Mahayana
sect among these Mahayana Caves nos. 19, 26 & 30 are
the Chaityas and rest of them are Viharas. The most
notable of all these caves are 1,2,9,10,16,17,19 and 26,
here ancient Indian art attained the zenith of its
development and revealed a dynamic rhythm of life.
TRANSPORT
& COMMUNICATION
Air:
The nearest airport Aurangabad is 106 kms from Ajanata.
Fare: Calcutta-Bombay-Aurangabad Rs.6155 (US$ 226).
Rail: The nearest railhead Jalgaon is 60
kms from Ajanta, however Aurangabad (106 kms) is the most
convenient railhead.
Fare (approx): Calcutta-Jalgaon Rs.
Road: Ajanta is connected to all major
centres of the region by good roads.
Ellora
There are
24 caves at Ellora, carved between 7th & 11th century
AD. These cave temples represent 3 religious faiths.
Carved in sickle shaped hill, spread north to south in a
area of 3 kms, they were dug into the slope of a hill. Of
these 12 are Buddhists, 17 are Hindus and 5 are Jains. The
most remarkable of the carved shrines at Ellora is the
Kailasa Temple. It is 50 metres in length, 33 metres wide
& 30 metres high. The fantastic edifice has been
chiselled out by hand from single rock with
Gateway,Pavillion,Courtyard,Assembly
Hall,Vestibule,Sanctum and Tower-hall those out of the
same enormous rock.
TRANSPORT
& COMMUNICATION
- Air
: Nearest airport Aurangabad is 30 kms from Ellora.
- Rail:
Nearest railhead Aurangabad is 30 kms from Ellora.
- Road:
Bus services are available from Aurangabad.
SPECIAL
PERMISSIONS REQUIRED
Special
Permission from Archaelogical Survey of India needed for
use of Tripod & Artificial lights to take photographs
of Archaelogical monuments.However video shooting from the
exterior of the monuments is permitted by paying a nominal
fee.
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