Mumbai facts: 13 Facts about Mumbai that’ll make you proud!

1. India’s first ever train ran between Mumbai and Thane

On 16 April 1853, India’s first train commenced its operation. Mumbai Locals are the busiest railways in the world and carry about 2.2 billion passengers every year. Mumbai also has the most obsolete electric rail chain in India, which was installed in 1925.

2. Mumbai was the first one to start a bus service in India

It was on 15 July 1926, that the first ever bus service in India was started. The first route was ridden between Afghan Church and Crawford Market.

3. World’s most expensive house is in Mumbai

Antilia, Mukesh Ambani’s 27-story skyscraper is cited as the world’s most expensive house, valued at almost $1 billion. The business tycoon moved into the 400,000 square feet mansion in 2012 with his wife and three children.

4. The Bandra-Worli Sea Link is made up of cement and steel wire equal to the girth of the earth

Officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, it has a length of around 5.6 kms. It was made with 90,000 tonnes of cement and steel wire equal to the earth’s girth.

5. We all know that it was called Bombay earlier, but you know why?

When the city was in the hands of the Portuguese, they saw it was a natural water bay. Hence, they called it ‘Bom Bahia’, which is the Portuguese term for ‘good bay’. Later, Bombay was given to the British as dowry when a Portuguese princess married an English prince. They renamed the city Bombay. And that’s how the city got its name!

6. Mumbai was once an archipelago of 7 islands

Although now connected, the islands that formed ‘Bombay’ are Isle of Bombay, Colaba, Old Woman’s Island (Little Colaba), Mahim, Mazagaon, Parel and Worli. It took over 5 centuries to unite them together to form an emotion called ‘Bombay’. These were famous fishing centres and some of these communities are still active.

7. Mumbai was renamed after a local temple deity

Mumbadevi, the patron goddess of the fishing community inspired the name ‘Mumbai’. ‘Mumba’ is the name of the goddess and ‘ai’ is mother. The Mumbadevi temple is situated in Bhuleshwar.

8. Mumbai has a coastline of about 150 kilometres

Not many people know about its vast coastline. Right from Marine Drive to Aksa Beach, Mumbai has huge coastline. Marine Drive is beautifully embellished with the ‘queen’s necklace’.

9. Mumbai is one of the most helpful cities of India

According to a lot of travellers, Mumbai has shown helpful attitude many times over. It has endured a lot of pain through terror attacks and natural calamities, but even in those hard times, it has not failed to lend a helping hand.

10. The Mumbai-Pune railway line was built by a woman

It was in 1863 that the Mumbai-Pune railway line was built by Alice Tredwell, wife of Solomon Tredwell.

11. Mumbai is the birthplace of the author of The Jungle Book

Rudyard Kipling, the Nobel Laureate who wrote The Jungle Book was born on 30 December 1865 in Mumbai. Kipling’s birth home still stands on the campus of the J J School of Art in Bombay which was used as the Dean’s residence for many years.

12. India’s 1st car owner lived in Mumbai

The first person to own a car in India was the great Sir Jamshetji Tata, the founder of the Tata empire. It was in 1901 that any India brought a car.

13. There is only 1.1 square metres of open space for people living in Mumbai

This is not news! Mumbai is so densely populated that finding an empty space is next to impossible. Mumbai is one of the busiest, cramped and highly populated cities of the world. It is highly vulnerable to traffic.