India GOInteresting facts about Mumbai
Mumbai is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, on the Konkan coast of western India, facing the Arabian Sea. It is a city, not a state, and it is made up of two districts, Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban. Its official English name was Bombay until 1995. Below: where exactly it is, where the name comes from, and the things the city is known for.
Mumbai is in the state of Maharashtra (West India).
billionaires95Modern India at full volume: Art Deco seafronts, colonial Gothic, Bollywood, and street food and nightlife on every corner. Sunset promenades, island temples and markets that never sleep, in the city that shows you where India is heading.
Where Mumbai is
The city began as an archipelago of seven islands, joined over centuries into one landmass. Today it sits on a narrow peninsula of Salsette Island, with the Arabian Sea to the west, Thane Creek to the east and Vasai Creek to the north. The two districts cover about 603 km². The wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region, about 4,355 km², takes in Thane and Navi Mumbai across the creek, where the city's second airport now is. The 2011 census counted about 12.4 million people in the city itself and about 18.4 million in the metropolitan region.
Why Bombay became Mumbai
The official English name changed from Bombay to Mumbai in November 1995. Mumbai is the Marathi name, taken from Mumba Devi, the patron goddess of the Koli, the fishing community who lived on the islands long before the city. Her temple still stands in the bazaar quarter; more on Mumba Devi Temple. The Koli are still here too, in fishing villages such as Worli Koliwada.
What Mumbai is famous for
Seven things the city is known for.
- India's financial capital — The Bombay Stock Exchange was founded in 1875; two decades earlier brokers traded under a banyan in front of the Town Hall, where Horniman Circle is now.
- Bollywood — The city is the centre of the Hindi film industry, one of the most prolific in the world. The state-run studios of Film City sit at the edge of the Aarey forest.
- Gothic and Art Deco — Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a UNESCO site, and the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles around the Oval Maidan were inscribed in 2018. The Art Deco of Marine Drive is described as the second-largest ensemble in the world after Miami. More on UNESCO sites in Mumbai.
- The dabbawalas — Since the 1890s they have carried home-cooked lunches to offices, routing them by a painted code of colours, letters and numbers instead of written addresses.
- The world's largest Parsi community — Mumbai has the largest Parsi population in the world, and with it Irani cafes and Parsi cooking found nowhere else on this scale.
- Street food — Vada pav, the city's own sandwich, pav bhaji and the chaat of Chowpatty. More on what to eat in Mumbai.
- Leopards in the city — A camera-trap count found 54 leopards in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Aarey and Tungareshwar, almost unique for a city of this size.
Languages
Marathi is the state language; Hindi, English, Urdu and Gujarati are also widely spoken. English is enough in tourist places. More on languages in Mumbai.
Born in Bombay
Rudyard Kipling was born in the city and called it 'Mother of Cities to me, for I was born in her gate' in his poem To the City of Bombay.
FAQ
Mumbai is in which state?
Maharashtra. Mumbai is the state capital.
Is Mumbai a state or a city?
A city. It is the capital of Maharashtra and is divided into two districts, Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban.
Which district is Mumbai under?
Mumbai is two districts of its own: Mumbai City, the old island city in the south, and Mumbai Suburban to the north.
Why was Bombay renamed Mumbai?
In 1995 the official English name was changed to the Marathi one, which comes from Mumba Devi, the goddess of the Koli fishing community.
How many people live in Mumbai?
The 2011 census counted about 12.4 million in the city and about 18.4 million in the metropolitan region.
What is Mumbai famous for?
Finance and the stock exchange, Bollywood, the Gateway of India and Marine Drive, Victorian Gothic and Art Deco architecture, the dabbawalas and street food such as vada pav.
Sources (1)
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
The full catalogue, hidden spots and districts on the map, plus “nearby” mode.
Open in India GO