Explore The Changing Faces Of Mumbai In This Stunning Travel Book

In the second of Wundor Editions’ city guide series, you are led beyond the immediately visible, deep into the arteries of Mumbai. Part-directory, part-cultural history, part-photography book, this new guide is a comprehensive exploration of one of the world’s most populated cities, offering a flavour of the different aspects that make up this multi-faceted metropolis. Below is a sample chapter – People – where you can meet residents of Mumbai and find out what it is that draws them to this city.

‘The city offers sanctuary by night, before becoming a vibrant colour palette of all life’s hues by day. The sea gleams with hundreds of little suns reflecting off the tops of its modest waves, children run out of school pell-mell with their bright plastic slippers and their uniforms in disarray. Vendors move across the metropolis, making sure that all the cogs in this old machine are well-oiled, their saris and dhotis bright in the midday sun.’ —Ambarin Afsar

People

Boman | © Ambarin Afsar
‘Bombay is home. Bombay is where the heart is. It is a place that I have embraced for so long that one doesn’t know who is holding whom anymore.’—Boman

‘Mumbai is about freedom about the ability to choose who I want to be, when I want to be.’—Bilquees

‘I manage to find work here. I am able to send some money home and make a life for me and my family. While I prefer my village, I can’t stay there for too long when I go back, and I yearn to return to the city.’—Ashok

‘Mumbai is the sea. I love coming to the beach and playing with my brothers.’—Nissa

‘This city is like a hot glass of tea, and a crumbly caramel pudding. It melts in your mouth and fills it with a burning sweetness.’—Dinoo

‘Bombay is a place for conversation, for forging new friendships and enjoying the old ones.’—Sheila

‘All our friends live here. All our lives are centred around here. We can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world. Jaisi bhi hai, apni Mumbai hai. (Whatever it is like, Mumbai is our city.)’—Mohammad and Shakeel

‘This is such a crowded city, it’s crazy, but still it has a heart, where all the goodness is hidden and, sometimes, you can catch a glimpse of it.’—Shalu

‘Mumbai is good for business, if you have the know-how. And also mischief! It is really a city about money.’—Afzal

‘We wait all year to bring our travelling fair to Mumbai. It is a magical city.’—Aakash
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Wundor City Guide Mumbai
ed. Matthew Smith
Wundor Editions | 236pp | £20

About the author

Matthew Janney

UK Books Editor

Part-British part-Georgian, Matthew lived in Russia, Georgia, France and Denmark before joining Culture Trip as the UK books editor. In this role he covers the London literary scene as well as promoting literature in translation from around the world. Having studied French and Russian at Oxford University, Matthew has a particular interest in these two literary worlds, and completed his Master's thesis on the Russian works of Vladimir Nabokov. Before Culture Trip, Matthew worked for The Calvert Journal.