My previous (and first) visit to Mumbai was in 2009, and I didn't see much of the city then because I was there for a work visit. This time I was staying in the area of ​​the old fort, within walking distance of the city's main attractions.

The street in front of the hotel has been dug up, and that applies to several parts of this area: a metro is being built. The more luxurious buildings, dating from the late 19th and early 20th century when Mumbai was flourishing, already can be found here. They belong to the university, banks or trading offices. The style with turrets and arches is known as Victorian Gothic.

This style continues in the official buildings around the Oval Maidan - a large field where cricket is now mainly played. Here lie the Supreme Court and several university buildings. You can only admire them from the street side, everywhere there is a guard who prevents you from entering. At the government buildings, these are also heavily armed. 

If you walk further towards the coastal promenade (Marine Drive), another style from the beginning of the 20th century takes over: Art Deco. I think that about 80% of the buildings in this area are Art Deco-ish, although it usually is limited to curved balconies and some other round shapes. Here too, the rule is: don't go inside anywhere! These are mostly apartment buildings.

One can walk quietly in this area, the sidewalks seem to have been renovated not too long ago. It is still not very clean and every now and then someone has taken their cow out onto the street. Few buildings really stand out, but I would choose the Eros cinema (pictured) as the most beautiful example of Art Deco in Mumbai.

A few streets further on is a grand example of yet another architectural style from the same period: Indo-Saracenic. This style was used by British colonial architects who wanted to give their buildings an oriental (Mogul, Indian) touch. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (better known as CSMVS) Museum has an onion-shaped dome as its main eye-catcher.

The entrance fee for foreigners is a bit high (700rs – 8.40 EUR), but I still wanted to see the building from the inside. They also have some stone sculptures in the collection that originate from Elephanta, where I was the day before. The central hall under the dome turns out to be the most beautiful part of the interior. The museum consists of fragmented collections of all sorts of things. The sculptures from Elephanta have serious damage. I actually liked the Mumbai gallery the most, which shows the history of the city and has a collection of old prints and photographs.