India - Mumbai

The Gateway of India is a monument built during the British Raj in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. It is located on the waterfront in the Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai and overlooks the Arabian Sea.The structure is a basalt arch, 26 metres (85 feet) high. It lies at the end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg at the water's edge in Mumbai Harbour. It was a crude jetty used by the fishing community which was later renovated and used as a landing place for British governors and other prominent people. In earlier times, it would have been the first structure that visitors arriving by boat in Mumbai would have seen. The Gateway has also been referred to as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai, and is the city's top tourist attraction.
The structure was erected to commemorate the landing of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder, when they visited India in 1911. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. The final design of George Wittet was sanctioned in 1914 and the construction of the monument was completed in 1924. The Gateway was later the ceremonial entrance to India for Viceroys and the new Governors of Bombay. It served to allow entry and access to India.
The monument has faced three terror attacks from the beginning of the 21st century; twice in 2003 and it was also the disembarkation point in 2008 when four gunmen attacked the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is a five-star hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, next to the Gateway of India.
Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this hotel is considered the flagship property of the group and contains 560 rooms and 44 suites. There are some 1,500 staff including 35 butlers. From a historical and architectural point of view, the two buildings that make up the hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower are two distinct buildings, built at different times and in different architectural designs.
The hotel, which many claim offers the highest level of service in India, has hosted many notable guests, from presidents to captains of industry and stars of show business.
On 26 November 2008, in a series of attacks in Mumbai, the hotel (as well as the Oberoi) was attacked by Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist group, during which material damage occurred, including the destruction of the hotel's roof in the hours following.Hostages were taken during the attacks, and at least 167 people were killed, including many foreigners. The casualties were mostly Indian citizens, although westerners carrying foreign passports were singled out. Indian commandos killed the gunmen barricaded in the hotel to end the three-day battle. At least 31 died at the Taj. Approximately 450 people were staying in the Taj Mahal Palace and Hotel at the time of the seizure.

Mumbai ( also known as Bombay) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, second most populous metropolitan area in India, and the fifth most populous city in the world, with an estimated city population of 18.4 million and metropolitan area population of 20.7 million as of 2011.Along with the urban areas, including the cities of Navi Mumbai, Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, it is one of the most populous urban regions in the world. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. In 2009, Mumbai was named an alpha world city. It is also the wealthiest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West or Central Asia.

Dhobi Ghat  is a well known open air laundromat in Mumbai, India. The washers, locally known as Dhobis, work in the open to wash the clothes from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals.
There are rows of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Called the world's largest outdoor laundry, Dhobi Ghat is a very popular attraction among foreign tourists.
The word Dhobi Ghat is used all over India to refer to any place where many washers are present.
It is located next to Mahalaxmi railway station on the Western Railway's Saat Rasta roundabout. It can be easily seen from flyover bridge of Mahalaxmi station.

Mani Bhavan, located at # 19, Laburnum Road in the Gamdevi precinct of downtown Mumbai, acted as the focal point of Gandhi's political activities in Mumbai between 1917 and 1934. The mansion belonged to Revashankar Jagjeevan Jhaveri and the Mani family prior to that, Gandhi's friend and host in Mumbai during this period.
It was from Mani Bhavan that Gandhi initiated the Non-Cooperation, Satyagraha, Swadeshi, Khadi and Khilafat movements. In 1955, the building was taken over by the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi in order to maintain it as a memorial to Gandhi, to his frequent stays, and to the political activities he initiated from there. The two-storeyed structure standing on the Laburnum Road is the city's pride. The building, which is about 30 minutes drive from Taj hotel, was Gandhi's Mumbai headquarters for about 17 years - from 1917-1934. Gandhi's association with the charkha (Hindi for Spinning Wheel) began in 1917, while he was staying at Mani Bhavan.

Letter to Hitler.....

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama tour Gandhi's room at the Mani Bhavan not to mention the Sixpack family.

The Leopold Cafe is a large and popular restaurant and bar on Colaba Causeway, in the Colaba area of Mumbai, India, located across from the Colaba Police station. It was one of the first sites attacked during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Founded in 1871 by Iranis, it first started out as a wholesale oil store and over the years has variously been a restaurant, store and pharmacy. 

The cafe was an early site of gunfire and grenade explosions during the 2008 Mumbai attacks by terrorists. The restaurant was extensively damaged during the attacks. Gunmen sprayed the restaurant with bullets and there were blood stains on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers. Sourav Mishra, a Reuters reporter and one of the first media witnesses of the attack, suffered severe bullet injuries. The cafe reopened four days after the attack,but was reclosed by the police as a safety measure after two hours because of the unexpected size of crowds gathering there.

MUMBAI DAILY LIFE