Cities and Religious Diversity: Touring Faiths in Mumbai

Mumbai is a city of many faiths where religious conviction and secularism go hand in hand. People here are a mix of Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Christians, Jains and Buddhists. Although Mumbaikars are ‘always busy’ they still make sure that they devote time to their religious practices and places of worship. This experience will showcase the religious diversity of Mumbai. We will start the tour with the Kolis, the fisherfolk who were the original inhabitants of Mumbai, and who gave the city its name. We will drive to Colaba to see the Parsis. Mumbai would not be the same without its Zoroastrian inhabitants. Not only would the flavour of the city become bland, much of its history would also be lost without them.

We will see St. Thomas Cathedral, one of the oldest Anglican Churches in Mumbai, with an active Christian community that is very much a part of the city.Two Jewish communities, the Baghdadi Jews and the Bene-Israel have been associated with the city in the past and have given the city many of its important landmarks. We will take you to one of the oldest synagogues in Mumbai. Mumbai has a large Muslim population, including Bohras, Khojas, Memons and several other communities. We will walk/drive through the by-lanes of Mohammed Ali Road for a glimpse of their lives. And, for a look at the large Hindu community, we will take you to see the Banganga water tank and the Walkeshwar temple, two of the oldest religious monuments in Mumbai.