Weird things to do in Mumbai

Edited version of the list compiled by Zishaan Hayath (IITB 2005 alumnus)

  1. Get high on qawwali at Haji Ali
  2. Spot a celebrity at Juhu PVR
  3. Crane your neck to see the Bombay Stock Exchange building
  4. Spot a leopard in IIT Bombay campus. If you can't, then spot a girl
  5. Enjoy a play in Prithvi Theatre
  6. Enjoy the NCPA in a play or opera
  7. Haggle for non-antiques in Chor Bazaar
  8. Face the high tide on Worli seaface
  9. Bet money on race horses at the Royal Western India Turf Club, Mahalaxmi
  10. Dangle your feet, lean back on your palms and enjoy the sea from the Marine Drive promenade
  11. Go for a heritage walk in the Naval Dockyard (first Sunday every month, Indian nationals only)
  12. Explore the Sanjay Gandhi national park. A national park in city limits? Oh yeah!
  13. Soak in the Victoria Terminus
  14. Watch DDLJ at Maratha Mandir
  15. Party at Hard Rock Cafe and mourn for a minute the death of mills around Parel
  16. Jog on Juhu beach
  17. Sit on a tetropod at Nariman Point in midnight till police constables shoo you away
  18. Stand still on flyover bridge at Dadar station and watch the crowd whiz by you
  19. Ride the Victoria on Marine Drive
  20. Discover the city's Jewish connection at Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue
  21. Watch sunset over Aksa beach in Madh Island
  22. Discover the underbelly of Bombay in Dharavi
  23. Stay for a night at Taj Mahal Palace hotel. You definitely want to tick off this luxury address for the oh-I-stayed-there-for-a-while conversations, don't you?
  24. Catch the national madness of cricket in Oval Maidan
  25. Gaze at the Queen's Necklace from the Hanging Gardens at dusk
  26. Hunt for antique furniture (real or fake?) in Oshiwara
  27. Buy books from roadsides around Flora Fountain
  28. Envy the private palaces of Malabar Hill
  29. Party on a ferry in the Arabian Sea off Gateway of India
  30. Take a break from the city. Vasai offers the ramparts of Bassein fort, ruins of Portugese churches and East Indian food
  31. Trek in Sahayadris
  32. Say hello to the fauna at Byculla zoo
  33. Dare the red light district of Kamatipura
  34. Bow your head before city's famous deities: Mumbadevi, Mahalaxmi, Walkeshwar, Siddhivinayak, Iskcon
  35. Dine where Shahrukh Khans and Ness Wadias dine: Olive, Indigo
  36. Feel the sufi mysticism at dargahs of Haji Ali and Maqdoom Ali Mahimi
  37. Gape at famous residences: Shahrukh Khan's Mannat, Amitabh Bachhan's Jalsa
  38. Explore the Powai and Vihar lakes
  39. Visit the museums: Prince of Wales, Monetary, Modern Art, Mani Bhavan
  40. Admire the British era architecture in Fort: Churchgate station, Western Railway headquarters, High Court, General Post Office, Telegraph Office, Police Headquarters
  41. Learn about the rock-cut architecture: Elephanta, Kanheri, Mahakali and Karla caves
  42. Explore the churches: Gloria Church, Byculla, Portugese; Mt Mary Church, Bandra W, Portugese, 1640; St Michaels Church, Mahim, 1565, rebuilt 1973; St Thomas Cathedral, Flora Fountain, 1718; Wodehouse Church, Colaba, 20th century; Afghan Church, Navy Nagar, Colaba, 1858; Our Lady of Salvation Church, Dadar W, Portugese, 19th century; St John Baptist, Seepz, 1579; St Peter's Church, Bandra, 1852, rebuilt 1938; St Andrew's Church, Bandra, Portugese, 1575
  43. Check out an art exhibition: Jehangir Art Gallery, Fort; Tao Art Gallery, Worli; Piramal Art Gallery, Nariman Point
  44. Buy a vintage bollywood poster in Mini Market or Lamington Road
  45. Getaway to the beaches around Bombay: Alibag, Kashid, Murud, Nagaon
  46. Travel to places overnight: Goa, Ajanta Ellora, Mahabaleshwar, Pune, Khandala and Lonavala
  47. Discover the charm of marble tabletops, bentwood chairs and irani chai at Parsi cafes
  48. Catch behind the scenes action at a Bollywood studio
  49. Ride a vintage lift in a 100 year old building
  50. Travel in a local train. How about the Virar Fast?
  51. Ride a double decker bus. Isn't Bombay the only city where they still run them?
  52. If you have made it to a penthouse in Bombay, you might as well enjoy the view
  53. Drink cutting chai, eat vada pav
  54. Gorge on late night sandwiches in Juhu
  55. Sip some wine at an expensive seaside restaurant: Vie Lounge, Juhu; Dome, Intercontinental, Marine Drive; Aurus, Juhu; Salt Water Grill, Girgaum Chaupaati; Bayview Bar, Nariman Point
  56. Figure what all the fuss is about having a beer in Mondegar or Leopold
  57. Jack you car bonnet using a cold-drink bottle and eat kababs at Bade Miyan in Taj's back alley
  58. Eat at Amar Dhaba
  59. Walk the nostalgic streets of Kotachiwadi and pay a tribute to Anant Ashram - once the mecca of fine and authentic East Indian cuisine
  60. Smoke a hookah at roof-top restaurant Koyla in the Arab quarters of Colaba
  61. Indulge yourself with fruity flavors of Naturals ice cream. And if it's summer, try a cup of alfonso mangoes with malai ice cream
  62. Learn out the art of ordering tea in a streetside cafe. "Ek paani kum dena."
  63. Drink Kingfisher, Cobra or Zingaro in your neighborhood look-alike bar of Nightlovers
  64. Try the green chilli ice cream at Bachelorrs
  65. Swing to some live music as you enjoy your continental meal at Not Just Jazz By The Bay. Do pay attention to the witty hoarding outside as you leave the place
  66. Run the Bombay Marathon (Jan)
  67. Enjoy the Kala Ghoda arts festival (Feb)
  68. Cheer 'Mumbai Indians' in an IPL cricket match at Wankhede statdium (May-Jun)
  69. Get drenched to the bone while biking in the monsoons (Jul-Sep)
  70. Sing "Govinda aala re aala" as 40 feet high human pyramids take the prized matka (Aug-Sep)
  71. Get lost in the crowds of Ganesh Chaturthi (Sep)
  72. Watch thousands of pink flamingos in the mangroves at Sewri (Nov-May)
  73. Eat nihari, kababs and sweetmeats around Masjid on the eve of Eid (Ramzan)
  74. Run a 'free hug' campaign. This is Bombay, meri jaan!

Comments

Anonymous said…
oo you forgot one - the famous Khao Gali in Ghatkopar! ek baar to banta hai :P
Anonymous said…
u forgot khao gali (ghatkopar) in your list! ek baar to banta hai yaar.....malai gola, paneer schezwan dosa, cheese grilled sandwich et al.
Suyash Jain said…
amazing list yar.. kya enthu hai...:)
Anonymous said…
I'm so discouraged.. starting k 10 pts padhke hi.. I wonder.. do saal kiya hi kya hai mumbai mein aake :(
Suyash Jain said…
My count is 30 :) I am proud of it! Some are not my cup of tea but others are surely gonna increase the count.
Thanks for the list pappu :*
PD said…
You should now provide a link for "Like" underneath your posts similar to Facebook.
Kaustubh said…
bambai aana hai yaar :(
bmaps said…
Study whole night in "Abhyas Gulli" near poddar hospital, worli. (You should have cigarettes with you!)
Anonymous said…
Umm.. Shah Rukh Khan never comes to Indigo. But great list :) Enjoyed reading it