People and Culture in Mumbai

A resident of Mumbai is called a Mumbaikar, Mumbaiite or Bombayite. Many residents live close to major railway stations for easy access to their workplaces, as a significant amount of time is spent on daily commuting. Mumbai's appetizing foods and cuisines have been influenced by the rich but not too spicy styles of cooking from Maharashtra and surrounding Gujarat state. Some of the unique and famous palatable specialties include Dhan Sak, Khicheri, Bombli Batata Bhaji, Kamag Kakri, Solachi Kadhi, Min Vela Curry and Curried Bombay Duck.Local roadside fast food includes vada pav, panipuri, paav bhaji, and bhelpuri.
Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema – Dadasaheb Phalke laid the foundations with silent movies followed by Marathi talkies – and the oldest film broadcast here in the early 20th century. Mumbai also boasts of large number of cinemas, including the world's largest IMAX dome theatre,[49] which feature mainstream Bollywood, Marathi and Hollywood movies. Many film festivals are avidly attended throughout the year. Besides catering to cinephiles, the city has a thriving theatrical tradition in Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, English and other regional languages.


Chowpatty is one of the most famous beaches of Mumbai and a prime spot for Mumbai's roadside cuisine.
Contemporary art is well-represented in both government funded art spaces and private commercial galleries. The government-funded art galleries include The Jehangir Art Gallery and The National Gallery of Modern Art. Built in 1833, the Asiatic Society of Bombay is the oldest public library in the city. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly The Prince of Wales Museum) is a renowned museum in the heart of South Mumbai near the Gateway of India which houses rare and ancient exhibits of Indian history. Mumbai has a very popular zoo named Jijamata Udyaan which also harbours a garden within its boundaries. The city of Mumbai is home to many well known Indian poets.
Mumbai has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Elephanta Caves. The Western Railways is also planning to make a proposal to the UNESCO to include the Churchgate building in the list of World Heritage Sites. Popular places in the city are Nariman Point, Girgaum Chowpatti, Juhu Beach, and Marine Drive. Essel World is an international-style theme park and amusement centre situated close to Gorai Beach. Asia's largest theme water park, Water Kingdom, is also located in Mumbai.

Ganesh Chaturthi, a popular festival in Mumbai.
Mumbai residents celebrate Western and Indian festivals with great fanfare. Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Navratri, Good Friday, Dussera, Moharram, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja and Maha Shivratri are some of the popular festivals in the city. The Kala Ghoda Festival is an exhibition of a world of arts that encapsulates works of artistes in the fields of music, dance, theater, and films.[55] A week long fair known as Bandra Fair or Mount Mary Festival is celebrated by people of all faiths. The Banganga Festival is a two-day music festival, held annually in the month of January, which is organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) at the historic Banganga Tank in Mumbai. The Elephanta Festival which is celebrated every February on the Elephanta Islands, is dedicated to the classical Indian Dance and Music with artists from across the country arriving on the island.
Mumbai has sister city agreements with the following cities

Education In Mumbai

Schools in Mumbai are either "municipal schools" (run by the BMC) or private schools (run by trusts or individuals), which in some cases receive financial aid from the government. The schools are affiliated either with the Maharashtra State Board (MSBSHSE), the all-India Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) boards. Marathi or English is the usual language of instruction. The government run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only option for poorer residents who cannot afford the more expensive private schools. A majority of residents prefer private schools because of better infrastructure.
Under the 10+2+3/4 plan, students complete ten years of schooling, and then enroll for two years in Junior College, where they select one of three streams: arts, commerce or science. This is followed by either a general degree course in a chosen field of study, or a professional degree course, such as law, engineering, medicine etc. Most colleges in the city are affiliated with the University of Mumbai, one of the largest universities in the world in terms of the number of graduates. The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay which is India's premier engineering schools, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), VJTI (Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute), SNDT Women's University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences are the other universities in Mumbai. Mumbai is also home to Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), the esteemed business and management school in Asia[citation needed]. The oldest law school in India, Government Law College, is also in Mumbai.[citation needed] The Sir J. J. School of Art, is affiliated with the University of Mumbai, and offers degrees in fine art and sculpture. It won the Award of Distinction at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards in 2006.
Mumbai is home to two of India's important research institutions – The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Institute of Technology — Bombay and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The BARC operates CIRUS, a 40 MW nuclear research reactor at their facility in Trombay.

Sports

Cricket is the most popular sport in the city, and is usually played in the maidans (grounds) around the city. Gully cricket, a modified form of cricket, is played in the narrow by-lanes of the city. Mumbai is home to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). International cricket is widely watched, and the city comes to a virtual standstill on days when the Indian cricket team plays important matches. The Mumbai cricket team represents city in the Ranji Trophy, India's domestic cricketing circuit. The city is represented by Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, and by Mumbai Champs in the Indian Cricket League. The city has two international cricket stadiums, the Wankhede Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium. The Wankhede stadium is set to host the final of 2011 Cricket World Cup. Eminent cricketers from Mumbai include Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Hazare.
Football is the second most popular sport with the city. The Football World Cup is one of the most widely watched television events in Mumbai. India's national sport, field hockey, has gone into decline in the recent years, losing out in terms of popularity to cricket. Mumbai is home to the Maratha Warriors, one of the few teams competing for the Premier Hockey League (PHL) from Maharashtra. Chess is also a very popular indoor sport played in Mumbai. Other sports are mostly played in the numerous clubs and gymkhanas, and include tennis, squash, billiards, badminton, table tennis and golf. Mumbai also plays Rugby union, one of the few Indian cities to do so. Every February, Mumbai holds the Derby races in the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. In recent times Formula 1 (F1) racing has also become popular and the Force India F1 team unveiled its 2008 car in Mumbai. In March 2004, the Mumbai Grand Prix was held as part of the F1 powerboat world championship. Other sports such as volleyball and basketball are mostly popular in schools and colleges.
In 2004, the Mumbai Marathon, an annual marathon event, was established in a bid to bring the sport to the Indian public. Since 2006, Mumbai has also played host to the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open, an International Series tournament of the ATP Tour. Mcdowell's Derby is held in February at the Turf club in Mumbai.