Bombay at a Glance

Area	603 sq. km.
Population	11, 914, 398 (2001)
Festivals	Ganesh Chaturthi (late August-early September), Navratri (October-November), Gokul Ashtami (mid-August), and Holi (mid-March)
Clothes	Cotton clothing is ideal for summers and light woolens are apt for winters.
Climate	October to March is the best time to visit.
Language	Marathi, English and Hindi
STD code	022

Bombay is one of the most popular destinations of western India. Bombay's very name conjures up a host of visions: of glamour and megastars who hold millions in thrall, of some of the largest and worst slums in the whole of Asia, of industrialists and business houses, of a multifarious futuristic lifestyle that is likely to become even more intense as the city moves closer and closer to becoming the world's second largest metro by the year 2015…. Bombay manifests a strong Western streak amidst the traditional Maharashtrian milieu. This is probably due to its being literally the Gateway of India, the point of arrival for most visitors from the West.