Aamchi Mumbai

Day 1

Morning

Arriving at Mumbai

• Arrival at Mumbai CSM International Airport

• Hotel transfer, room allocation, rest, catch up sleep & jet lag

Afternoon

• Rest & Lunch

• Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) is the financial capital of India and capital of the State of Maharashtra in India. It’s one of the most populous city in India with an estimated population of 12.5 million

Evening

• Malla Khamb & Rangoli demonstration

Malla Khamb is a traditional sport of Maharashtra wherein the name is combination of two words, Malla that is a wrestler and Khamb means a Vertical Pole. In this sport the practitioners perform various Yog similar postures on a Standing Vertical Wooden Pole that is polished with oil. 

Rangoli is an art form that originates from the Indian subcontinent, in which patterns are created on the floor using materials such as powdered limestone, dry rice flour, coloured sand, quartz powder, flower petals and coloured rocks. It is an everyday practice in many Hindu households; however, making it is mostly reserved for festivals and other important celebrations.

Night

• Halt at Mumbai & dinner at the property

Day 2

Morning

• Breakfast at the property and then set out for Mumbai Heritage Walk 1

SIC to :-

Siddhi Vinayak Temple

Worship of Lord Ganesh (Ganesh Poojan) and acquiring his blessings is an essence of any good deed as per Hindu religion. So we start this tour with visiting the famous Siddhi Vinayak temple at Prabha Devi.

Mahalakshmi Temple

Mahalaxmi Temple is one of the most famous temples of the city of Mumbai. The temple was built in 1831 by Dhakji Dadaji (1760–1846), a Hindu merchant. The Mahalaxmi temple contains images of the Tridevi goddesses Mahakali (Goddess of time and destroyer of demons), Mahalakshmi (Goddess of wealth and prosperity) and Mahasaraswati (Goddess of learning and knowledge)

Haji Ali Dargah

This is a sufi mosque and dargah, and the monument of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, that is located on an islet off the coast of Worli in southern Mumbai. It's an exquisite example of Indo-Islamic architecture, associated with legends about doomed lovers, the dargah contains the tomb of Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. Bukhari was a Sufi saint and a wealthy merchant hailing from Bukhara, in present-day Uzbekistan. Bukhari travelled around the world in the early to mid 15th century and eventually settled in present-day Mumbai. The Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431 in his memory.

Gateway of India Miniature Model

Then we visit a little gem of Mumbai’s heritage tucked away in the by lane of South Mumbai’s Gam Devi area. This is 6 feet mini replica of Mumbai’s iconic Gateway of India. This miniature structure is a reference model of the grand structure of Gateway of India at Apollo Bunder.

Mumba Devi temple

The present name of the city Mumbai is derived from the Goddess Mumba devi. The goddess Mumba was patron of the Marathi speaking fisherman community known as Koli in local language who were the original inhabitants of the Seven Islands of Mumbai a.k.a. Bombay. This temple is an important landmark located in Bhuleshwar area in South Mumbai, within heart of the steel and clothing markets

Mulji Jetha Market

The Mulji Jetha market in Mumbai is the largest textile market in Asia. It is a hundred and thirty-six years old market and located in area known as Kalbadevi. It was built by a few families of a Bhatia community in Kathiawad and Saurashtra of Gujrat state and started trading in textile eventually. There are approximately 954 textile wholesale outlets under one roof. It is most unusual in its planning and spreads out into street-like aisles that are covered with a roof. It has some of the old, charming skylights that only a few buildings in Mumbai today.

Afternoon

• Lunch having vegetarian Gujrati cuisine

Evening

• Mumbai Heritage Walk 1 continued

Crawford Market

Crawford Market (officially Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai) is one of South Mumbai's most famous markets. The building was completed in 1869 in the memory of Mumbai’s first Municipal Commissioner Arthur Crawford. The market was later renamed to honour Indian social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. It was the main wholesale market for fruits in Mumbai until March 1996, when the wholesale traders were relocated to New Mumbai. The market was designed by British architect William Emerson, and represented an early effort to blend Victorian Gothic architecture with indigenous elements.

Sir J. J. School of Arts

The Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Art (Sir J. J. School of Art) is the oldest art institution in Mumbai, India and is affiliated with the University of Mumbai The School founded in March 1857, was named after Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy, a businessman and philanthropist who donated Rs. 100,000 for its endowment. The School's first class was in drawing, and began on 2 March 1857. In 1866, management of the school was taken over by the Government of India. 

Rudyard Kipling’s birthplace

Rudyard Kipling was born on 30 December 1865 in Bombay in the Bombay Presidency of British India, to Alice Kipling and John Lockwood Kipling. His father was appointed as professor at Sir J.J. School of Arts in 1865 & later became it’s first dean.

Kipling's birth home on the campus of the J. J. School of Art in Bombay was for many years used as the dean's residence and what Kipling wrote of Bombay (Mumbai) is : 

Mother of Cities to me,

For I was born in her gate,

Between the palms and the sea,

Where the world-end steamers wait.

Victoria Terminus (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus)

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, previously known as Victoria Terminus (VT), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai.

This famous landmark which has become a symbol of the city, was built as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway.

The railway station was built to replace the Bori Bunder railway station, in the Bori Bunder area of Bombay, a prominent port and warehouse area known for its imports and exports. Since Bombay became a major port city at the time, a bigger station was built to meet its demands, and was named Victoria Terminus, after the then reigning Empress of India, Queen Victoria.

The terminus was designed by a British architectural engineer Frederick William Stevens from an initial design by Axel Haig, in an exuberant Italian Gothic style. Its construction began in 1878 and was completed in 1887, the year marking 50 years of Queen Victoria's rule.

General Post Office (GPO)

The General Post Office, Mumbai, is the central post office of the city of Mumbai, India. The post office handles most of the city's inbound and outbound mail and parcels. Situated in the vicinity of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Mumbai General Post Office (GPO) is a paradigm of Indo-Saracenic architecture.

The GPO was designed by British architect John Begg, a consultant architect to the British government. Begg designed the structure in 1902, and construction began on 1 September 1904. Black basalt, with a dressing of yellow Kurla stone and white stones are the predominant materials used for this beautiful building

Bruhanmumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC) Building 

The Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai, located in South Mumbai, is also known as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Building, or BMC building for short.

As the name suggests, the V-shaped building houses the civic body that governs the city of Mumbai, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. It is said to be the largest civic organisation in India as well as in Asia covering an area of 434 km2 (167.6 sq mi.

On 9 December 1884, the foundation stone for the new building of the Bombay Municipal Corporation was laid opposite to Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus), by the Viceroy of the time, Lord Ripon.

Return to Hotel by Mumbai’s famous local train

Night

• Halt at Mumbai & dinner at the property

Day 3

Morning

• Breakfast at the property

• SIC to Lonavala (110 Kms covered in approx. 3 hours)

Karla Caves

The Karla Caves, are a complex of ancient Buddhist Indian rock-cut caves at Karla near Lonavala, Maharashtra. The shrines were developed over the period – from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE. The oldest of the cave shrines is believed to date back to 160 BCE, having arisen near a major ancient trade route, running eastward from the Arabian Sea into the Deccan.

The main cave, called the Great Chaitya cave, features a large, intricately carved chaitya, or prayer hall, dating back to 50-70 CE & an excellent example of wooden architecture, with a vaulted horseshoe ceiling.

Bhaja Caves

Bhaja Caves are a group of 22 rock-cut caves dating back to the 2nd century BC located on an important ancient trade route running from the Arabian Sea eastward into the Deccan Plateau (the division between North India and South India). These caves belong to the Early Buddhist schools in Maharashtra.[2] The caves have a number of stupas, one of their significant features. The most prominent excavation is its chaityagriha (prayer hall), a good example of the early development of this form from wooden architecture, with a vaulted horseshoe ceiling.

Afternoon

• Lunch at Karla SIC to Kamshet

Bedse Caves

Bedse Caves are a group of Buddhist rock-cut monuments situated in Maval taluka, Pune District, Maharashtra, India. The history of the caves can be traced back to the 1st century BCE. There are two main caves. The best known cave is the Chaitya (prayer hall) with a comparatively large stupa, the other cave is the monastery or vihara. They are marked by a profusion of decorative gavaksha or chaitya arch motifs.

Evening

• Tea & Snacks at Kamshet

• SIC to Vadgaon 

Captain James Stuart tomb

The tomb belongs to Captain James Stewart, who was the first commanding officer of the British forces in the Battle of Wadgaon during the First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782). Captain James Stewart led the British forces and was killed at Karla in January 1779.

Night

• Halt at Lonavala with dinner at the property Stroll at Lonavala local market for shopping of Chikki, Fudge & Namkeen.

Day 4

• Breakfast at the property

• SIC to Lohagad

Lohagad Fort

Lohagad is one of the many hill forts of Maharashtra state in India. Situated close to the hill station Lonavala, the fort rises to an elevation of 1,033 m (3,389 ft) above sea level. 

The initial construction of the fort is attributed to the Lohtamia dynasty, who ruled the region during the 10th century CE (a.k.a. AD). The fort is connected to the neighbouring Visapur fort by a small ridge.

Visapur Fort

Fort is located in Pune district, at an elevation of 1084 meters above sea level. It is built on the same plateau as Lohagad fort.

This fort was built during 1713-1720 CE by Balaji Vishwanath, the first Peshwa or Prime Minister of the Maratha Empire. Visapur fort was built much later than Lohagad but the histories of the two forts are closely linked.

Afternoon

• Lunch at Lonavala

• SIC to Mumbai

Evening

• Leisure & Rest

Night

• Halt at Mumbai & dinner at the property

Day 5

Morning

• Breakfast at the property and then set out for Mumbai Heritage Walk 2

SIC to :-

Flora Fountain (Piccadilly of Mumbai)

Flora Fountain is a Fountain located is an ornamentally sculpted architectural heritage monument located at the southern end of the historic Dadabhai Naoroji Road, at the Fort business district in the heart of South Mumbai. 

Flora Fountain, built in 1864, depicts the Roman goddess Flora. This monument at the junction of major roads and surrounded by gothic structured buildings resembles to London's famous Piccadilly area.

Rajabai Tower (Big Ben of India)

This 250ft (85m) clock tower stands as a "Big Ben" of India for past 146 years. 

This is on Unesco's list of world heritage sites.

Rajabai was the name of the lady whose son Seth Premchand Jain donated for the total cost of construction on the condition that the tower would be named after his mother Rajabai.

This Clock Tower was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, an English architect and he modelled it on Big Ben in London.

The tower was built in a fusion of Venetian and Gothic styles using locally available buff coloured Kurla stone. The tower has one of the best stained glass windows in the city.

Afternoon

• Lunch at South Mumbai Restaurant

Prince Of Wales Museum (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay)

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly named the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is a museum in Mumbai which documents the history of India from prehistoric to modern times.

It was founded during British rule of India in the early years of the 20th century to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales (later George V, king of the United Kingdom and emperor of India). It is located in the heart of South Mumbai near the Gateway of India. The museum was renamed in 1998 after Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Kingdom.

The foundation stone was laid by the Prince of Wales on 11 November 1905 and the museum was formally named "Prince of Wales Museum of Western India". Architect George Wittet designed the Museum building who had also worked on the design of the General Post Office later designed Mumbai's most famous landmarks, the Gateway of India.

Evening

• Gateway of India

The Gateway of India is an arch-monument completed in 1924 on the waterfront of Mumbai (Bombay), India. It was erected to commemorate the landing of George V for his coronation as the Emperor of India in December 1911. King George was the first British monarch to visit India.

The foundation stone was laid in March 1913 for a monument built in the Indo-Islamic style which was designed by architect George Wittet and construction was completed in 1924. The structure is a memorial arch made of basalt, which is 26 metres (85 feet) high, with an architectural resemblance to a triumphial arch.

Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves are a collection of cave temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. These caves have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are on an island named Elephanta Island near Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

The Elephanta Caves contain rock-cut stone sculptures, mostly in high relief, that show syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist ideas and iconography. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. The carvings narrate Hindu legends, with the large monolithic 5.45 metres (17.9 ft) Trimurti Sadashiva (three-faced Shiva), Nataraja (Lord of dance) and Yogishvara (Lord of Yogis) being the most celebrated. 

(Visit to Elephanta caves would be managed in compliance with local authority’s guidelines on weather conditions to sail in the open sea.)

Night

• Halt at Mumbai

Day 6

Morning

• Breakfast at the property

• Travel to Seva Vivek Kendra, Virar, Palghar district

• SIC to Virar in Palghar district (90 minutes)

Visit to Seva Vivek Kendra, a non profit, voluntary organization working for the training, financial upliftment & empowerment of underprivileged tribal community women in the adjacent Palghar district of Mumbai.

Morning session will commence with overview of the organization’s motives, campus visit, community projects they are handling etc.

Afternoon

• Lunch at Seva Vivek

• Training on how to make a bamboo handicraft artefact. This training will be supported by Seva Vivek trainers and master handicraft artist.

Evening

• Tea & Snacks

• Finishing the Bamboo artefact followed by leisure time in the swimming pool and Seva Vivek campus

Night

• Dinner at Seva Vivek and Night Halt at Seva Vivek Virar campus

Day 7

Morning

• Breakfast at Seva Vivek Virar

• Participate in Seva Vivek early morning activities like milking the cow or plucking vegetables or Indian breakfast prep.

• SIC to Lalbaug Ganesh Galli 

Afternoon

• Lunch in South Mumbai

• Visit to multiple Ganesh festival pandals starting with Ganesh Galli and followed with other famous 5 or 6 locations in the vicinity

Evening

• Tea & snacks

• Leisure, Shopping around

Night

• Night halt at the property

Day 8

Morning

• Breakfast at the property

• Check out hotel and get ready for London flight