Mumbai (Bombay), India April 2018

City OverviewThough Mumbai can feel chaotic and crowded, there are

peaceful moments to be found here. Nibble a paper cone of bhelpuri while you stroll the sands of Chowpatty Beach. Then, take a short walk to Mani Bhavan, where Mahatma Gandhi once lived, strategized, and was ultimately arrested. The markets are spirited places to bargain for spices or souvenirs. Take a guided tour of Dharavi – made famous by "Slumdog Millionaire" – for an eye-opening glimpse into what Mumbai life is like for nearly a million people.

Your trip:You just arrived in Mumbai and you're so excited because you know that Mumbai is the home to the razzle-dazzle world of Bollywood—

2 India’s answer to Hollywood—rambunctious Mumbai (Bombay) is an utterly mind-bending assault on all the senses.

Check out the city you are in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KNdS9WRzyM

It is finally time for the thing you were looking forward to the most in Mumabi. You get to attend a bollywood dance show. ENJOY!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCKVUOmJ4qU

The next day, you are traveling to visit the Elephanta Cave and on your way, you notice all the cows walking around the city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSCKJ04gD48

You’ve made it to Elephanta Caves - Look through the pictures and at

the bottom, watch the video.

These rock-cut cave temples, estimated to date back to the 5th century, are located a kilometer from the ferry stop at the island. You can either walk or take a mini-train to the caves.

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Walk up to the caves | © Christian Haugen / Flickr

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Toy train to the caves | © VBzi /Flickr

There are two separate sets of cave temples – five Hindu caves and two Buddhist caves. Most of these caves are in ruins but the few structures that remain hint at the grandiosity that must have been. Records indicating the creators of the cave temples were destroyed over time.

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The Elephanta Caves | ©Ashwin Kumar/Flickr

The Great Cave, the most well known among the caves, is said to have been a place of Hindu worship until the 1500s. The cave faces the ocean, and is more than 5,000 sq ft in floor space. It is adorned with pillars, grand sculptures, and wall carvings depicting tales from Hindu mythology with a notable resemblance to the Shiva temple at the Ellora caves.

The six-meter-high Trimurthi sculpture, which features three faces of Lord Shiva, is the most prominent structure in the cave. Carvings on either side of the Trimurthi depict other manifestations of Shiva.

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Trimurthi| © Arian Zwegers /Flickr

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Elephanta caves | © Vyacheslav Argenberg /Flickr

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Elephanta caves | ©Baishampayan Ghose /Flickr

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Elephanta caves | © Isabell Schulz /Flickr

The cave also features other sculptures depicting stories from Shiva’s life. Prominent sculptures include those of Shiva’s wife Parvati and elephant-headed son Ganesha.

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Watch this video for a virtual tour of the Elephante Cave.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Najt-W57ks

Your trip isn’t over yet! You have one more day here and you’ve decided to relax on the Juhn Beach before heading back home to Texas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa-d2e_ZpmY

11 Unfortunately your vacation in India has come to an end. Please record your experience in this city in your travel journal. On the back page in your travel journal, this is for you to write about your overall experiences in India during this entire trip. You will have the opportunity to video blog this out! Extra credit will be given to students who volunteer for the video blog.

For more information about this city of Mumbai, click here:http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/mumbai-must-dos/To learn more about the unique culture and history of India, click here: http://online.culturegrams.com/kids/kids_country.php?cid=58&cn=India&ctid=3