The financial capital of India where people land up on excessively crowded streets jammed stations and tourist places with extraordinary dreams of their own is the city of ‘Mumbai’. While we may know of its metropolitan looks, with soothing seaside beaches, here are some hidden and lesser-known places in Mumbai:
1.Sassoon Docks.
This oldest dock open for the common public in a city like Mumbai has to be quite a scene. Built-in 1875 on reclaimed land, it was owned by the mercantile company David Sassoon & Company. The company was directed by Albert Abdullah David Sassoon (1818–1896). The Sassoon Docks were the first commercial wet dock in western India and helped establish the cotton trade. The Sassoon factories that produced silk and cotton goods in Bombay, also furnished employment for a large amount of native labour. This dock was built in 1875 and accomplishes to give a sensation of the extended fish catching and fish markets of the area (source - Wikipedia). In 2017, street art transformed this fishing dock, Sassoon, into an exhibition space. Thirty artists from around the world gave the bustling 142-year-old Sassoon Dock, a colourful makeover as part of the ‘St+art Urban Art Festival’. The exhibition opened to the public on 11 November 2017.
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2. Pandavkada Falls
This tiny region settles in Khargar in Navi Mumbai and guarantees to be a wonderful sight, particularly in the monsoon season when the waterfall is in all its glory. The nearby Buddhist caves and Khargar Hills also prove to be good attractions in this region. Pandavkada is said to have derived its name from the Pandavas, who had once visited the place and took bath below the falls when they were exiled in the forests as per Hindu traditional legends. And within Pandav Kada is a big tunnel from where Pandavas had come, that's why it is known as pandavkada. So, if you are ever planning to trip in monsoon season, ‘Pandavkada’ is perfect for you. But Pandavkada waterfalls and its surroundings are a restricted area, as there is no adequate infrastructure to ensure the safety of tourists. Many accidental deaths have reported in this area. In 2019, Hindustan Times published a piece of news that three women drowned, and one was feared dead in a stream near Pandavkada waterfalls. There are many such cases related to this place. These incidents highlighted the dangers of travelling in a waterfall region during the monsoon. The waterfalls witness high footfall during the rains, and people enter restricted areas despite warnings from authorities.
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3. Banaganga Tank
This particular water tank from Malabar Hills, Mumbai, dates back to 1120 AD and has quite a mythological history behind its origin. It is believed that this was the point where Lord Rama felt thirsty and his brother Laxmana shot an arrow (a Bann) into the ground to give way for this influent of the holy Ganga River, hence the name Banaganga. The area around Banganga Tank gradually developed as a pilgrimage place, and numerous temples, Dharamshala (religious rest houses) came up (source- Time of India). Some of the earliest settlers were Gaud Saraswat Brahmins. One of them, who was a minister in the court of the ruling Hindu Silhara dynasty, constructed the existing tank and adjacent Walkeshwar temple in 1127. The 135 meters long and 10-meter deep structure of the tank was built over the spring, which continues to provide a flowing freshwater. Today, the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Temple Trust still owns and manages the tank and temple. Intense development of Malabar Hill began in the 1960s. Yet, it wasn't until after the Great Fire of Bombay in 1803, which eradicated much of the Fort district, that this dense jungle with tigers, certainly began to be populated. The devastating fire forced the British to expand the city out from its centre and drove residents to build houses around Malabar Hill. The joining together of the seven Bombay islands was mostly completed in the first half of the 19th century, which connected to this place with Mumbai. Bangarang is among the places visited often by the artists and filmmakers mostly.
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4. Sewri Mangrove Park
This place houses a variety of birds and fishes. Sewri mudflats are an important habitat for several migratory birds including Flamingos, which annually arrive at Sewri jetty, near Sewri Mangrove Park. This area has been declared as Important Bird Area (IBA). Seven species of mangroves have been identified in this area. It is one of Mumbai’s popular tourist attractions for many years. It was declared a protected area by the Bombay Port Trust on January 15, 1996. Even after so many efforts to save to beautiful site, thousands of Mangrove have died for many reasons. Due to the parking of oil tankers, the soil of many areas of this park is ruined. Naturalists and bird lovers, who have been regularly making rounds to Sewri Jetty for bird watching, demand that after successfully stopping parking of tankers on the road leading towards the jetty, authorities should now initiate the restoration of mangroves by taking up mangrove plantation in the area. This diverse place seems to exist in spite of the oil spills and the mudflats, but for how long it’s hard to say. But before it vanishes, it must be visited to witness the 15 acres of mangroves that line up between Sewri and Trombay.
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5. Colaba Causeway
Colaba Causeway is a cultural square come open shopping market for the tourists and locals alike. The overly enthusiastic sellers and their extensive display right there on the footpath in the open is the most common site of this place. Today, it is termed as the 'Culture Square' of Mumbai. The architecture of the area is highlighted by buildings like National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Regal Cinema, Prince of Wales Museum (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum) and Cusrow Baug. This area is also a centre of several art galleries, which makes this area a natural destination for the artist community. Cafe Mondegar and Cafe Leopold were founded by Iranians in 1871. Other visitors' attractions in the Colaba Causeway are historical structures like Church of St. John the Evangelist (Afghan Church) in the nearby Navy Nagar, built by the British to commemorate the dead of the disastrous First Afghan War of 1838. (source- wikipedia)
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6. Gilbert Hill
66 million years ago when the world was persecuted with volcanoes which witnessed the extinction of the dinosaurs and the Mesozoic Era. While that doesn’t sound like much of a happy ending, something magical did happen. The Earth squeezed out three mammoth pieces of black basalt from its core at three locations across the world. The Devil’s Postpile in California, The Devil’s Tower in Wyoming and ‘The Gilbert Hill’ in Andheri, Mumbai (source- Mumbai Mirror). This black basalt rock has been classified as a Grade II heritage structure. A flight of 180 steps take you to the top of the hill which gives you panoramic views of Suburban Mumbai. This rock was a lot more visible two decades ago. Reaching an incredible height of 200 ft., this structure of rock houses with two temples on top of it. It is relatively striking for the geologists and tourists. This place is worth a visit, yet very less amount of people know the greatness of Gilbert Hill. What was a huge piece of rock at that time, is now shadowed by various buildings instead.
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7. Vasai/Bassein Fort
This enormous fort preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India for its importance in the national context. Just 70 kilometres away from present-day Mumbai, tucked away in the suburb of Vasai, lies a city from the 16th Century. The Bassein or Vasai Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1536 and is spread over 110 acres of land. This was the commercial, political and military base of the Portuguese in the North West coast of India for nearly 300 years. Surrounded on three sides by the sea and only accessible by land on one side, Vasai Fort proved tough to conquer. A very high and strong wall on the land side and a large fleet defending the fort from seaside made this fort almost invincible. Home to many artisans, within this broad fort, was a whole township. There was a citadel, a church & chapel, a hospital, a granary, a college, a library, a town hall, a coin mint and a buzzing market place. This fort was built by and served the Portuguese in quite a few ways, but now its remnants are rumoured to house certain paranormal creatures and activities at night and it is defamed by such rumours.
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8. Maharashtra Nature Park Society
Maharashtra Nature Park Society is in Dharavi, one of the most populated areas of the city, yet it has the ability to drive you to the bliss nature offers. It is basically a children's park with diverse flora and fauna. It's a good idea to visit such peaceful places with your little ones. They do have a nature tour walk which is more suitable for kids older than 6. They arrange a tour for your kids just to see the nature park. There is also a nursery inside the Park where people can purchase reasonably priced saplings. it is also a must-visit for all age groups. It's a good idea to visit such peaceful places with family and friends.
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9. Sion Fort
The Sion Fort is a fort in Sion, Mumbai. It was built under the regime of the English East India Company, between 1669 and 1677. When it was built, the fort marked the boundary between British-held Parel island and the Portuguese held Salsette Island that lay to the north across the creek. It was notified in 1925 as a Grade I Heritage structure. The outer walls are all ruined and insides contain one lone cannon that reminds you of this place’s history, but still, the place has retained a certain charm of itself over the years. Again, this is a place that once proudly served the British to preserve their right over the land but now lies in a neglected state. Confirming a wonderful time to the visitors, this fort offers some of the most remarkable panoramic views of the city.
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10. Kanhoji Angre Island
This tiny island stretched across the Mumbai harbour was earlier known as Khanderi Island and cherishes the remains of a fort built by the Portuguese. In 1679, Khanderi was occupied by the forces of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja, to keep a check on the Siddis at Murud-Janjira fort and was the site of many battles between Shivaji Maharaja's forces and the navy of Siddi. In 1813, Admiral Manaji Angre handed over the fort to Peshve in return of the support given against Baburao. The fort was subsequently ceded in 1818 to the forces of the British East India Company at Bombay as part of the Peshwa territory. In 1998, Khanderi island was renamed as Kanhoji Angre Island in honour of the Admiral Kanhoji Angre. Most of the fort is still intact, with the most prominent structure being a lighthouse built by the British in June 1867 and the two-storey building upon which the lighthouse is located. The lighthouse is 22 feet high and can be seen from up to 13 km away. The elegance of this place is in the cannons, the surrounding sea and the perfect placement of a fully functional lighthouse.
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11. Mahakali Caves
The Mahakali Caves are the remains of one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries of Mumbai. This monastery is located in the eastern suburb of Andheri in the city of Mumbai. It has many carvings and the proficiency of Buddha and Buddhist mythologies, which makes it a charming place to visit. The monument consists of two groups of rock-cut caves, 4 caves more to the north-west and 15 caves more to the south-east. Most caves are viharas and cells for monks, but Cave 9 of the south-eastern group is chaitya. Caves in the north-west have been created mainly in the 4th - 5th century, while the south-eastern group is older. The monument contains also rock-cut cisterns and remnants of other structures. These caves also go by the name Kondivite Caves. It is located near the junction between the Jogeshwari-Vikroli link road. The road that connects these monuments to Andheri Kurla road is named Mahakali Caves Road after it. (source- Wikipedia)
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12. Elephanta Island
Elephanta Island which is also called Gharapuri Island or Pory Island is one of a number of islands in Mumbai Harbour, east of Mumbai. Known in ancient times as Gharapuri, the name Elephanta island was given by 16th-century Portuguese explorers, after seeing a basalt sculpture of an elephant found near the entrance. They decided to take it home but ended up dropping it into the sea because their chains were not strong enough. Later, this sculpture was moved to the Victoria gardens and then the Victoria and Albert Museum (now Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum) in Mumbai, by the British. On Elephanta Island, There are two separate sets of cave temples, five Hindu caves and two Buddhist caves. Records indicating the creators of the cave temples were destroyed over time (source -Wikipedia). The Great Cave is the most well known among the caves, is said to have been a place of Hindu worship until the 1500s. The cave faces the ocean and is more than 5,000 sq ft in floor space. It is enriched with pillars, grand sculptures, and wall carvings portraying tales from Hindu mythology with notable similarity to the Shiva temple at the Ellora caves. Another six-meter high Trimurthi sculpture, which features three faces of Lord Shiva, is the most prominent structure in the cave. Carvings on either side of the Trimurthi depict other manifestations of Shiva. While all the other caves are in relatively much poorer conditions, caves 2 and 3 can be easily accessed, south of the Great Cave. You can see traces of the sculptures that used to exist. Another structure worth seeing is the Sitabai Temple, a large prayer hall located near the great cave. Though in ruins, the walls are decorated with detailed sculptures.
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