Portal:Maharashtra/Featured article

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mumbaī (Marathi: मुंबई), formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India, with an estimated population of about 13 million. Located on the west coast of Maharashtra, and along with its neighbouring suburbs, it forms the world's fifth most populous metropolitan area with a population of about 20 million. The city has a deep natural harbour and the port handles over half of India's passenger traffic and a significant amount of cargo.

Artefacts found near Kandivali, in northern Mumbai indicate that the islands on which Mumbai is built have been inhabited since the Stone Age. In the 3rd century BCE, the islands formed part of the Maurya Empire, ruled by the Buddhist emperor, Aşoka. The Hindu rulers of the Silhara Dynasty later governed the islands until 1343, when the kingdom of Gujarat annexed them. In 1534, the city passed to Portuguese control and later in the 17th century to British rulers, who headquartered there. Since independence, an economic boom has fuelled migration towards the city, causing it to overtake Calcutta as India's most populous city.

Today Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India, and houses important financial institutions, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. Mumbai has attracted migrants from all over India because of the immense business opportunities, and the relatively high standard of living, making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures. The city is home to India's Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood. Mumbai is also one of the rare cities to accommodate a national park, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits.