Mumbai, earlier known as Bombay, is the largest city in India and the capital of Maharashtra state. Mumbai was originally a conglomeration of 7 islands on the Konkan coastline which over time were joined to form the island city of Bombay. The island was in turn joined with the neighbouring island of Salsette to form Greater Bombay. The city has an estimated metropolitan population of 17 million (2005), making it one of the largest cities in the world. Mumbai is also one of India's largest port cities and looms large as the commercial capital of India. Mumbai's nature as the most eclectic and cosmopolitan Indian city is symbolised in the presence of Bollywood within the city, the centre of the globally-influential Hindi film and TV industries.

Mumbai derives its name from the local deity Mumba Devi, whose temple is still there. The Portuguese predecessors of the British preferred to think of the name as Bom Baim, the Good Bay. Mumbai is a group of seven islands which are today known as Colaba, Mahim, Mazgaon, Parel, Worli, Girgaun and Dongri. Large expanses of open sea have been filled in, and tidal swamps have been reclaimed for furthering the land area. These reclaimed areas include Churchgate and Nariman Point.

Mumbai has three main seasons - Summer, Monsoon and Winter (milder summer). November-February, winter time, is the best time to visit. March-May is the summer with another hot spell late September. June to September is the monsoon season when the city is lashed by heavy rain. The city gets flooded 2 or 3 times and normal life gets disrupted during this season. Climate is humid pretty much throughout the year because it is on the coast.