"My City My Mumbai" ni3sgalave's Profile

They call it a city that never sleeps,
Dreams at large; everything in heaps
Buzzing all the time, different people different cons,
It got its roses and it got its thorns.

City of murmuring traffic and twinkling cars
The multi-millionaires, the movie stars.
We’ve got it all;
The vada-pav and the dance bars,

Crowded local trains, almost on time,
Spirit of its passengers always sublime
City where honesty is rewarded,
But bravery is crime.

Success and failure are in twilight,
City where changes happen overnight
You might be swept if caught off sight,
Got lucky, then you be on a flight

Multi-lingual, multi-religious,
City of unusual weather,
I wouldn’t be wrong; if I say,
It’s a city where country comes together,

Every city has its ups and downs and she is no different.
She gives me an identity and makes me proud.
City where I was born and city where I want to die,

My city! My Mumbai

Country-- India
Population About 15,000 Million
State Maharashtra Time Zone GMT/UTC plus 5.5 hour
Area 430.86Sq.km
Telephone Area Code 022
best time to visit October to March
Languages Marathi, Hindi, English, Gujarati

Climate
Temperate (Humid)
Summer - March to May (Max. temperature 34 o C)
Monsoons - June to September (Average Rainfall - 210 cms)
Winter - October to February (Min. temperature 16 o C)

Weights And Measures
India uses the metric system
100cm = 1meter, 1000 meters =1km, liquids are measured in litres and solids in kilograms.

Electricity
220volts/ 50 hertz is the frequency at which electricity is available.

Currency
One rupee=100 paise. Indian coins come in denominations of 25 and 50 paise and 1, 2 and 5 rupees. Notes are 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000

American Express, Diners Club, Mercard, MasterCard and Visa are accepted by large establishments, but it is still wise to carry Indian currency.

Language
A host of languages are spoken in India. English is widely spoken or understood except in rural areas.

Telephone
The Country Code for India is `91´. The City Code for Goa is `832´. Landline numbers in major cities like Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore & Chennai have eight digits whereas the numbers in smaller cities could have only 4-7 digits. All mobile numbers are 10 digit & begin with `9´.

Area Codes in India are referred to as STD codes. STD codes for some cities are:
Delhi - 11
Mumbai - 22
Kolkata - 33
Chennai - 44
Hyderabad - 40
Bangalore - 80

Dialing from Outside India -

Landline
International access code (`00´ or `+") followed by 91, then STD CODE followed by LANDLINE NO., eg. +91 22 XXXXXXXX (`22 is the STD CODE for Mumbai).

Mobile
International access code (`00´ or `+") followed by 91 and the 10-digit MOBILE NO., eg. +91 XXXXXXXXXX.

Dialing within India -

From Indian landline to Indian landline
Local call - LANDLINE NO.
Long distance call - 0 then STD CODE followed by LANDLINE NO

From Indian landline to Indian Mobile
Local call -10 digit MOBILE NO.
Long distance call - 0 followed by 10 digit MOBILE NO.

From Indian Mobile to Indian landline
Local or Long distance calls
0 followed by STD Code, followed by LANDLINE NO.

From Indian Mobile to Indian Mobile
Local Call - 10 digit MOBILE NO.
Long distance call - 0 followed by 10 digit MOBILE NO.

Dialing out from India to International numbers
The international access code when dialing out of India is "00" (or `+" when dialing from a mobile phone).

In India both GSM & CDMA (WLL) mobile systems are present. Please contact your mobile service providers to check their roaming partners & tariffs in India.

Road Info
Mumbai is well connected to all the cities of Maharashtra by bus. Intercity bus services are also very well serviced and feasible.

Bus Services The Public Bus Service (BEST) is run by a government organization "The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking". The main BEST Depot is in Colaba. It has a fleet of red single and double-decker buses. There are newly introduced air-conditioned buses as well. Mumbai's buses are good for traveling short distances in the city. Fares around South Mumbai are very cheap. Getting on a double-decker bus is a good, cheap way to have a look around Mumbai. Route numbers and destinations on the front of buses are written in Marathi; English signs are on the side.

Taxis & Auto Rickshaw Services
Mumbai's yellow and black taxis are a convenient way to travel around the city. A tariff card converting the meter reading into rupees fixes payment. A Taxi ride is the safest bet for a traveller based in South Mumbai. Cool Cabs, blue and air-conditioned taxis are also available. Auto-rickshaws are confined to the suburbs of the city. There are no Auto-rickshaws between Colaba/Mahim in the west and Colaba/Sion in the east.

All cabs and auto-rickshaws follow a separate midnight fare, which can be verified on a fare card. Insist on paying by the meter-you can pick up a fare card of your own from the local railway station or from any traffic junction.

Rail Info
Mumbai has trains connecting it to all the major cities of the country. Intercity trains in Mumbai are very good, and are the fastest and cheapest way to move around in Mumbai. Mumbai is virtually the only place in India where it's worth taking trains for travel within a city. There are fast trains every 10-12 minutes and slow trains, which stop at all stations every 3 minutes. Trains begin operating just after 4 a.m. and run until almost 1 a.m. The service is efficient and easy to navigate but woefully overcrowded. There are special 'ladies only' carriages as well as first class carriages. First class travel costs 10-15 times more than second on single fare.

The most useful service is the Western Railway operating from Churchgate heading north to stations such as Vile Parle (Domestic Airport), Andheri (International Airport & SEEPZ) and Goregaon (Bombay Exhibition Center).

Western Railway running between Churchgate and Virar.

Central Railway running between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (C.S.T) and Kasara/Karjat

Harbour Line running between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (C.S.T) and Panvel.

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is the busiest airport in India, with about 45 airlines operating around 300 flights a day. Currently, 12 million passengers and 150,000 tons of international cargo are handled each year.

Terminals
The complex is actually two commercial airports 4kms (2-1/2 miles) apart. The domestic airport (Terminal I) is at Santa Cruz , 26 km from the city. The international airport (Terminal II) is located at Sahar, 30 km (18 miles) north of the city. A courtesy shuttle service links the two. Travel time from the airport by taxi or car to the city is about an hour, but can take two hours at peak hours.

Terminal II-A is for international flights operated by Indian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Pakistan International Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines.

Terminal II-B is for international flights operated by foreign airlines handled by Air India, All Nippon Airways, Alymeda Democratic, Bangladesh Biman, Egypt Air, El Al, Ethiopian Airlines, Iran Air, Kenya Airways, Korean Airways, Royal Nepal Airlines, South Africa Airways, Syrian Arab Airlines and Yemen Airways.

Passport and Visa Requirements
You are advised to contact the Indian Embassy / High Commission / Consulate in your country in order to obtain a visa of entry. Please apply for your visa 02 to 03 months in advance. Your travel agent may also be able to help you. There is no provision of 'Visa on Arrival' in India and no fee is charged for immigration facilities at the airports. Foreign passengers should ensure that they are in possession of valid Indian Visa before they start their journey to India except nationals of Nepal and Bhutan who do not require visa to enter India and nationals of Maldives who do not require visa for entry in India for a period up to 90 days (a separate Visa regime exists for diplomatic/official passport holders).
The Consular Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for issuance of Indian visas to the foreign nationals for their visit for various purposes. This facility is granted through various Indian missions abroad. Visa fees are non-refundable and subject to change without notice. Authorities. The instruction and information given here is general in nature, however for specific information, you may contact the respective Indian Mission.

Visa Application Form
Visa application form is available at the Indian Mission in the country where the applicant resides. Visa form for nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh are generally different. All NRIs/PIOs, including children (who do not possess OCI or PIO card) need to apply for Visa in separate visa forms.

Procedure for obtaining Visa
Visas can be applied for in person or by post at the High Commission of India based in the country from where the candidate intends to depart for India. Specific visas are granted for a variety of purposes that are aforementioned.

Travel Visa application requirements
(a) Valid passport.
(b) Completed application form.
(Nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh must complete special application forms)
(c) Two passport-size photographs. (Nationals of Pakistan will require five)
(d) Visa fee
(e) Stamped self-addressed delivery envelope for postal applications.

Types of Visa
(a) Conference Visa
Conference Visas are issued for attending conferences / seminars / meetings in India. The letter of invitation is to be submitted along with the visa application. Delegates coming to attend conferences may combine tourism with attending conferences.

(b) Business Visa
Validity: One or more years with multiple-entry. A letter from the sponsoring organization indicating nature of business, probable duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited incorporating there in a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application.

(c) Tourist Visa
Validity: 6 months. The applicant is required to submit documents in proof of his financial standing. Tourists traveling in groups of not less than four members under the auspices of a recognized travel agency may be considered for grant of collective tourist visa.

Visa Fees (subject to change, kindly check with Indian mission in your country)
Visa with validity six months US$ 30
Visas with validity one year US$ 50
Visas with validity one to five years US$100

Processing time
Personal applications are processed the same day. Postal applications will take approximately two weeks.

Restricted and protected areas
Certain parts of the country have been designated protected or restricted areas that require special permits and in some cases prior government authorization which is easily obtained. Intent to visit a specific restricted region should be indicated when applying for a visa and a permit will be granted to visit that region only. Passengers are advised to check with Indian Tourism for updated information before departure. The following states are subject to some restrictions: Arunachul Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Islands, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim.

International Airports in India

Arrival & Departure
The airports at the major metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore are well-connected with international destinations and offer convenient onward connections to Goa.

Overall 12 Indian cities have international airports that are served by major airlines of the world.

Ahmedabad(AMD)
Amritsar(ATQ)
Bangaluru(BLR)
Chennai(MAA)
Delhi(DEL)
Goa GOI)
Guwahati GAU)
Hyderabad(HYD)
Kolkata CCU)
Kochi COK)
Mumbai(BOM)
Trivandrum TRV)

Smoking in public areas (eg. hotels, airports, restaurants) & transportation (eg. airlines, railways, cars & coaches) is a punishable offence.

Language
A host of languages are spoken in India. English is widely spoken or understood except in rural areas.

Food
Indian cuisine differs from region to region. The variety of food you get in India is unimaginable. For people in the north wheat is the staple, while it is rice in south India. Generally Indian food is spicy and hot. The waiters can be told to make it less spicy. Many restaurants serve Continental, Chinese, Thai, Spanish, French. Mexican, Italian, Lebanese, Mediterranean, and other cuisines. American fast food is very popular and outlets are present in most cities and towns. Tipping is optional but a common practice in India. The usual practice is leaving a 5-10% tip for the services provided.