Mumbai tour boom reveals startling diversity

India's second city is home to much more than finance and Bollywood movies

Mumbai tourism Getty.jpg

A nighttime scene along Mumbai's Mohammed Ali Road, a popular street food destination. A growing array of tours are being developed to highlight the city's diversity. © Getty Images

KALPANA SUNDER, Contributing writer

MUMBAI -- India's second-largest city and bustling financial capital, Mumbai attracts almost 6 million tourists a year, making it the 30th-most-visited location worldwide. It is also the second-most-visited city in India after Delhi, thanks to its cosmopolitan outlook, frenetic energy, street food culture and Bollywood film industry.

But there is more to Mumbai than the stereotypical picture of skyscrapers and slums, Portuguese history and the indigenous Koli fishing community. Recently, heritage enthusiasts and amateur historians have started offering unusual and offbeat tours that weave unknown narratives and engage visitors at a deeper level than tourist spots and monuments.

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