Visitors come to Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) to experience its unique energy and heritage. A modern city with deep traditions, Mumbai offers extreme contrasts. The most obvious is the gap between the abject poverty experienced by many residents and the luxurious life led by India’s elite and the many visitors who stay in five star Mumbai hotels. Culturally, the traditional architecture and protected historical sites of Mumbai form a stark contrast with the modern office buildings and retail establishments such as shopping malls and trendy clubs.
One way to experience Mumbai’s cultural life is to schedule a trip to coincide with one of the city’s public festivals and celebrations. While many of these are religious in nature, the celebrations themselves tend to be social occasions that can be easily enjoyed by the public, including tourists.
Some of the more popular religious festivals include Diwali, Eid, Navratri, Christmas, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ramadan-Id, Maha Shivratri, Good Friday, Durga Puja, and Dusera. Janmashtami. celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Lord Krishna. Diwali or the Festival of Lights marks the start of the New Year and Ganesh Ghaturthi is a ten day celebration of Lord Ganesh.
Cultural festivals in Mumbai include the Kala Ghoda Festival featuring music, film, theater, and dance and the two-day music festival known as the Banganga Festival. The Mumbai Festival celebrates food, theater, sports, and fashion while the Elephanta Festival is held on the Elephanta Islands each February and attracts musicians and dancers from across India to this celebration of classical Indian art forms.
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