Top Rated Attractions in Mumbai

Housed in the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre is equipped with the latest stagecraft and engineering, which includes 33 fly bars. Besides the striking auditorium, which can seat 1109 people, the facility also has a museum, three conference rooms and large foyer spaces. From Indian epics and classical music and dance performances to western operas and ballets, this venue has played host to a variety of cultural events.

Also famously known as the Queen's Necklace (a romanticized perception of the streetlights), Marine Drive was built in 1920 on reclaimed land from the back bay. The 3.6-kilometer-long (2.2 miles) sweeping curve runs along the shoreline of the Arabian Sea from Nariman Point. It takes one past Mumbai's most renowned landmarks like the N.C.P.A, Marine Plaza, Pizza By The Bay, InterContinental Marine Drive, Wankhede Stadium, and Art Deco buildings till you reach Taraporewala Aquarium, Bachelors Juice House, the Gothic Wilson College, Chowpatty Beach to the foot of Malabar Hill. A favorite spot among joggers and dog walkers, most prefer enjoying the views with a cup of roadside tea.

Prithvi Theatre, started by the late actor Prithviraj Kapoor, is the venue for theatrical performances with social themes. Four generations of the Kapoor family have contributed in a big way to the Hindi film world as actors, producers and directors, and the theater has played a huge role in reviving regional, especially Hindi plays. Theater and film festivals, retrospectives, discussions and book readings are constantly organized in this charming complex.

Located on the southern tip of the Marine Drive promenade, the National Center for Performing Arts popularly called as NCPA, is Mumbai's premier socio-cultural center. Set up for the preservation and promotion of classical, traditional and contemporary performing and visual arts, this multi-faceted facility has theaters, art galleries, reading and listening libraries and a music research lab among other things. Plays, concerts, dance performances, film screenings, book readings, seminars, workshops and much more are held at NCPA throughout the year. Check their website for upcoming events.

Formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, is one of the city's prominent landmarks situated between the historic areas of Colaba and Fort. Completed in 1914 to commemorate the first visit of King George V to India, the museum was, however, open to the public only in 1922. Designed by George Wittet and John Begg, who also have the G.P.O. (1913) and the Gateway of India (1924) to their credit, this Mumbai museum stands tall and proud. Crowned by a gleaming white dome, the visage of the museum bears stunning semblances of Islamic, Maratha and Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture. Complete with arcs, wood finishings and a glorious central pavilion, the museum houses extensive collections spanning the fields of art, culture, history, architecture and archaeology among many others. A brilliant amalgam of history, architecture and culture, the museum harbours artifacts, textiles, paintings, sculptures, portraits, weaponry and rare treasures from the Indus Valley Civilization to the contemporary period.

The Wankhede Stadium at Churchgate needs no introduction, at least not for fans of Cricket. Owned by the Mumbai Cricket Association, the Wankhede Stadium was built in 1975 and has since been the prime venue for matches. Boasting an "official" seating capacity of 45,000, the crowds pack the Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant stands, bleachers named after stalwarts of Indian cricket. A match at the Wankhede Stadium shouldn't be missed, purely for the atmosphere if not anything else. The stadium lacks a concession stand, so it's best to tuck in at Pizzeria, Croissants, Samrat, Gaylords or 210°C, fast food eateries located just around the corner. On second thoughts, you might as well use their washroom facilities too.