Mumbai (Bombay), India — City Information
City Facts
- Location
- Maharashtra State, India.
- Time Zone
- GMT + 5.5.
- Electricity
- 230 to 240 volts AC, 50Hz; round two- or three-pin plugs are used.
Cost of Living
| 1.00 GBP = 71.64 INR |
| 1.00 USD = 44.58 INR |
| 1.00 EUR = 62.95 INR |
| Currency conversion rates as of 19 July 2011 |
Special Events
India, with its many religions, has a multitude of religious festivals. The two most important in Mumbai are both Hindu - Ganesh and Diwali.
Mumbai Festival
Mid-January
Two weeks of celebrations to showcase the food, dance and culture of Mumbai.
Several venues around the city
Website: www.mumbaifestival.in
Kala Ghoda Festival
Late January/early February
Held in the Kala Ghoda area of south Mumbai, this nine-day arts festival is becoming increasingly popular and offers dance, music, theater, cinema, workshops, heritage walks and more.
Venues in Kala Ghoda
Website: www.kalaghodaassociation.com
Mumbai International Film Festival
February, held on even years
Screenings of over 100 films from over 40 countries with a specific focus on documentary, short and animation films.
In cinemas throughout the city
Website: www.miffindia.in
McDowell Indian Derby
First Sunday of February
First staged in 1942, this is one of the premier sporting events in the city and one of the biggest events on Mumbai's social calendar.
Mahalaxmi Racecourse
Holi
Late February/early March
Hindu festival of harvest and fertility when the streets are overrun with people bombarding each other (and stray tourists) with brightly colored powder and water.
Throughout the city
Independence Day
15 August
National holiday to celebrate India's independence from British rule.
Throughout the city.
Ganesh
August/September
Mumbai's biggest festival held in celebration of Ganesh, the elephant-headed deity and god of wisdom and prosperity. The festival's colorful climax involves thousands of people converging on the seashore to submerge their Ganesh statues in the sea.
Climaxes on Chowpatty Beach
Navratri
Early October
The nine-day Hindu 'Festival of Nine Lights' celebrates the goddess Durga with dances, song and worship.
Throughout the city
Diwali (Festival of Light)
October/November
The five-day 'Festival of Lights' is the most pan-Indian of Hindu festivals and is celebrated by giving gifts, lighting fireworks, and burning butter and oil lamps to lead Lord Rama home after his 14-year exile.
Throughout the city
Website: www.diwalifestival.org
