5 Interesting Facts About Mumbai That You Didn’t Know

The sight of tempting Vada Pavs stacked with fresh Mirchi, 

The sizzle of butter on the heated Tawa with Pav Bhaji,

The taste of the flavors of pani puri as it bursts in your mouth,

The scent of garlic chutney in Misal Pav,

The feel of the cheese oozing out from the famous Bombay Club Sandwich…

Aamchi Mumbai is truly the city of dreams, the one city that can enrich all your senses in one go.

‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’ is a feeling, and ‘Aamchi Mumbai’ is an emotion that only Mumbaikars or people who have lived in Mumbai will understand. The city is always bustling with people, vehicles, and food stalls in every nook and corner. The time you spend in this city will always fall short for ticking off all the items on your bucket list for this place, as there’s just so much to do and so little time.

Here are some amazing facts about Mumbai that we’d bet you didn’t know about the most populous city in India.

#1. A seven-island mashup

Five centuries ago, the city or ‘Bombay’ was comprised of seven islands, namely Colaba, Little Colaba, Isle of Bombay, Mahim, Mazgaon, Parel, and Worli. These islands earlier had been an individual piece of land owned by empires before being captured over by the Portuguese. Charles II had won these islands as dowry and gave it on rent to the East India Company. The seven islands then merged with Trombay and Salsette to form the southern part of the city.

 

Also read: 9 Lip-Smacking Street Foods In Mumbai You Must Try

 

#2. A naming phenomenon

A culture fact about Mumbai would be that the patron goddess-Mumbadevi is the origin of the name of the city. In Marathi, the meaning of her name stands for ‘mother.’ Also, another theory to this would be the split up for the name. ‘Mumba’ is the name of the goddess, and ‘aai’ in Marathi stands for mother, which again adds up to the same meaning. Being the beautiful bay that Mumbai is, the Portuguese named it ‘Bombay.’

 

Also read: Apps That’ll Help You Settle In After Moving To A New City

 

#3. A buzz of the bus

While Mumbai’s lifeline depends on the local trains to get around the city, the city also relies on local transport to commute to work, educational institutes, and other places. Mumbai’s local train system is one of the largest in the country, offering commute options to different places over the city. Another interesting travel fact about Mumbai is the bus service. The bus service in the city was one of the first in the country to run successfully in the city.

 

#4. A Dabbawalla score

A system over a hundred years old, the dabbawalla’s are the best at what they do. Most office goers prefer home-cooked food, and the dabbawallas have derived the perfect solution. These 5000+ dabbawallas are usually split-up into 200 teams of 25 people each, as they manage everything from the pick-up to delivery by themselves. If you weren’t already impressed, Forbes awarded a six-sigma rating for quality assurance for the process. The dabbawallas not only made it big by delivering food all over the city, but they also won the hearts of countless in the city of Mumbai. Ghar ka khana, anyone?

 

#5. A flamingo bingo

Winters in Mumbai are indeed a blessing. Every year, up to 40,000 flamingos nest and feed in Mumbai’s southern Sewri area. The winters get even better as thousands of these beautiful pink birds flocks in thousands from Gujarat. You can find them tip-toeing around in the mudflats of Thane Creek. The Flamingos get their gorgeous pink hues from the algae they feed on in the mudflats. The flamingos in Mumbai might be the city’s best-kept secret after all!

If you’ve been thinking of relocating, you should consider Mumbai and experience the lifestyle of a Mumbaikar—happening, fast, and exciting as ever. RentoMojo can take care of the rest, from setting up your home and much more.

Chalo Mumbai!