Mumbai (Bombay)
Mumbai is formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai ranks among the most populous cities in the world in terms of population, with population of approximately 14 million and along with the neighbouring urban areas, which includes cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it is counted as one of the largest urban regions of the world. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. As of 2009, Mumbai was named an Alpha world city.The seven islands that came to constitute Bombay were home to communities of fishing colonies. For centuries, the islands came under the control of successive kingdoms and indigenous empires before being ceded to Portuguese settlers and subsequently to the British East India Company. Bombay as the capital. It was renamed Mumbai in 1995.
Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5% of India’s GDP, Mumbai is home to important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India and the corporate headquarters of numerous Indian companies and multinational corporations. The city also houses India’s Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood.
Goa
Goa is India’s smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast.
Panaji is the state’s capital, while Vasco da Gama is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese, who first landed in the early 16th century as merchants, and conquered it soon thereafter. The Portuguese overseas territory existed for about 450 years, until it was annexed by India in 1961.
Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.
Kochi (Cochin)
Kochi, formerly known as Cochin, is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city is one of the principal seaports of the country and is located in the district of Ernakulam, about 220 kilometres north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram. It has an estimated population of 600,000, with an extended metropolitan population of about 1.5 million, making it the largest urban agglomeration and the second largest city in Kerala after the capital.
In 1102 CE, Kochi became the seat of the Kingdom of Cochin, a princely state which traces its lineage to the Kulasekhara empire. Heralded as the Queen of Arabian Sea, Kochi was an important spice trading centre on the Arabian Sea coast since the 14th century. Ancient travellers and tradesmen referred to Kochi in their writings, variously alluding to it as Cocym, Cochym, Cochin, and Cochi. Occupied by the Portuguese in 1503, Kochi was the site of the first European colonial settlement in India. It remained the capital of Portuguese India until 1530, when they opted for Goa as their capital. The city was later occupied by the Dutch, the Mysore and the British.
Kochi entered a period of economic growth after 2000, leading to a spurt in the city’s development. A growing centre of shipping industries, international trade, tourism and information technology, Kochi is the commercial hub of Kerala, and one of the fastest growing second-tier metros in India.
Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) city is the capital of one of the most beautiful states in India, Kerala. It is situated on the southern tip of Malabar coast in Peninsular India. ‘Thiru-anantha-puram’ means the town of the sacred snake-god Ananthan. It stretches along the shores of the Arabian sea for a distance of 78 kms and an area of 2192 sq kms. Trivandrum, is famous for its enchanting tourist spots including internationally renowned beaches like Kovalam, historic monuments with Gothic architecture, lakes and backwaters, unexplored mountain ranges etc. The city enjoys a notable position in the tourist map of India.
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari or the Cape Comorin, the southern most tip of peninsular India is sprawled over an area of 1672 sq. km, occupying 1.29% of the total extent of Tamil Nadu. Kanyakumari is also known as Kanniyakumari in Tamil Language. It is the confluence point of three oceans – the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Apart from this, it is also a vital Hindu pilgrim center, renowned for its exotic sunrises and sunsets over the horizon. One of the unique features of Kanyakumari is the multicolored sand found on its beach.
