Mumbai

An arch of 26 metres was raised to receive a visiting British king. The quay in front of it is where island boats depart.

An hour out by boat reaches temples cut into the rock. A three headed figure 6 metres tall emerges from the wall at the back.

Finished in 1888, it mixes gothic form with Indian ornament. Three million people still pass through it as a working station every day.

A curved road runs 3.6 kilometres along the sea. At night the lamps follow that curve and read like a string of beads.

Laundry is beaten in hundreds of stone pens in the open air. Seen from the bridge above, the drying cloth sorts itself into blocks of colour.

Leather, pottery and recycling workshops pack a tight area. A guide leads the walk and photography is mostly not allowed.

A white shrine sits where a causeway running into the sea comes to an end. A high tide covers the walkway and nothing moves until it drops again.

The market hall of 1869 carries relief work cut by a well known sculptor on its front. Fruit and spice are sold on separate floors.

A twelfth century stepped tank survives among the high towers. Temples ring the water and the place feels held out of time.

Museums and galleries occupy a quarter of stone buildings. In February the streets close and installations go up along them.

Formerly the Prince of Wales Museum, a domed building that opened in 1922. Under one roof it holds Indus Valley finds, Mughal miniatures and Himalayan Buddhist images. The front garden is generous, with shade for resting through a hot afternoon.

Over 100 Buddhist caves cut into rock from the 1st century BC on, deep inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the northern suburbs. The monks' rainwater cisterns and stone beds survive. The caves sit far from the park gate; ride the park bus or a taxi up.

Finished in 2009 on the Gorai shore, this golden pagoda copies the Shwedagon in Myanmar. The pillarless stone dome encloses a single meditation hall where thousands can sit together. Entry is free, and short guided meditations are offered.

A long stretch of sand in the western suburbs, ringed by film stars' bungalows. Strong currents and poor water mean few swim; people stroll and snack instead. At dusk pav bhaji and ice gola stalls line up at the beach entrance.

A seafront promenade in west Bandra that ends at a small Portuguese fort from 1640. From the fort you see the Bandra-Worli Sea Link striding across the water. Fans always cluster outside actor Shah Rukh Khan's bungalow along the way.

A Marian church on a Bandra hilltop; the current church went up in 1904. People of every faith come to make a wish, buying a wax model shaped like what they pray for. For a week after the September feast of Mary's birth a big fair fills the hill.

A Ganesh temple in Prabhadevi, first built in 1801. Tuesday belongs to Ganesh, and from dawn the line can mean hours of waiting. Politicians and film stars are known to come before big ventures.

Gandhi's base on visits to Bombay from 1917 to 1934, now a memorial. His room and spinning wheel remain behind glass. Upstairs, small dioramas walk through the events of his life.

The main road running south from the Gateway, its pavements carpeted with stalls of clothes, trinkets and curios. Leopold Cafe, open since 1871, stands midway along. Stall prices start high, so bargain from half.

Mumbai's oldest museum, founded in 1855, standing within the Byculla zoo grounds. Its gilded ceilings and cast-iron columns have been restored to full splendour. Clay figurines of old Bombay life are the highlight.

A broad lawn in south Mumbai where several cricket matches run side by side at weekends. Victorian Gothic landmarks like the Rajabai clock tower and High Court face Art Deco apartments across it. The two ensembles became a World Heritage Site together in 2018.

Where Marine Drive ends to the north, this beach receives Ganesh idols, immersed in the sea when the festival closes. That day processions and drums pack the beach. On ordinary evenings people buy bhel puri and kulfi from stalls and take in the breeze.

A pocket of Girgaon where East Indian Catholic families built wooden houses in the 19th century. Narrow paths curve between homes with timber verandahs and outside stairs. Families still occupy these houses, so walk softly and resist peering through doorways.

A Doric-columned building of 1833 whose broad stone steps are a favourite place to sit. The library inside is known for an early manuscript of Dante's Divine Comedy. Wedding shoots and film crews often take over the steps.