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.
