Bombay,
renamed Mumbai, could well be any other metropolitan city in the
world, with its skyscraper-filled skyline. However, that is where the
comparison ends, for the integral part of Mumbai lives and works at
sea level and at the street level- in its old crumbling homes flanking
lanes and even narrower bylanes. Like all big cities, Mumbai too shows
its seamy sides in the slums. It has the honour of having
Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia, in its folds. Jhuggis
(hutments) exist cheek-to-jowl with ivory towers. For its
teeming population, home in Mumbai could be along the railway tracks,
under bridges, in massive, unused pipes, nesting against the walls of
textile mills or in the plush highrises along the western front
the island.
By
Air The domestic airport at Santacruz, 26 km from the city centre,
is well served by all domestic airlines. connecting Mumbai with almost
all the major cities in the country. Sahar International Airport, 30
kms from the city centre is India's major International gateway and is
served by a host of International airlines.