Bringing much joy to the tourists, services of the iconic Matheran-Neral mini toy train resumed after a short break in the monsoon season. The train, with a history of over 150 years covers around 20 kilometres of journey, offering people a scenic route through the small hill station. Swapnil Nila, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CRPO) of Central Railways said that the train was stopped on June 8th because of the monsoon season and was started on November 6. The train reportedly transports 600-700 passengers on average every day. This toy train starts from Neral and ends at Matheran and takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete. The elevation starts from 40 meters above sea level and then steadily climbs to 850 meters at Matheran. The train usually runs twice from Neral to Matheran from Monday to Friday and offers six shuttle services from Aman Lodge to Matheran.
08 November,2024 06:31 PM IST
Raksha Bandhan 2024 is here to seal the bond of love between brothers and sisters. But do you know which Indian community helps shape this festival like no other? India’s Patwa community is known for their intricate thread work and it is the same art that has resulted in Rakhi making for generations. For the rakhi makers of the Patwa community, Rakhi making is their identity. While for others the festival of Raksha Bandhan is a one-day festive affair, for these artisans from the Patwa community, Rakhi making is their bread and butter which keeps them engaged 365 days a year. Mid-day’s Katyayani Kapoor met a few rakhi makers from the Patwa community at Mumbai’s Bhuleshwar. Take a look.
17 August,2024 11:38 AM IST
With the ever-increasing popularity of Yoga, there has been an exponential surge in yoga institutes across the world. But the legendary place from where the Yoga training started institutionally is nestled in the quiet by-lanes of Mumbai’s Santacruz and still continues to serve the purpose of teaching the ‘Real Yog’. In this episode of ‘Inside Access’ with Katyayani Kapoor, enter the World’s Oldest Yoga Institute In Mumbai - The Yoga Institute. With the vision of making Yoga accessible to the common man, it was founded in 1918 by Shri Yogendra, and continues to spread the light of knowledge through its extensive ecosystem. What is it like to be inside the world’s oldest yoga institute? Take this video tour.
20 July,2024 09:34 PM IST
Did you know, that the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Colaba is even older than the Gateway of India? Have you ever wondered, why is the Elephanta Caves called so? This World Heritage Day 2024, get ready to explore Mumbai’s heritage like never before. The Colaba area of Mumbai holds a treasure of history with remarkable monuments and structures that narrate the tale of Mumbai’s glorious past. Among them, Mumbai’s Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel stand as majestic landmarks bridging Mumbai’s modern present to its hair-raising history. In this series of Mid-day Xplore, Mid-day's journalist Katyayani Kapoor explores Gateway of India and Taj Mahal Palace Hotel with the founder of Mumbai Heritage Tours - Pranav Damle who gives a peek into the untold and rare history of South Mumbai's remarkable heritage honouring the heritage of Mumbai this World Heritage Day.
17 April,2024 09:00 PM IST
Ram Navami 2024 is here and this brings us to a time when devotees of Shri Ram flock to the temples to offer prayers to their beloved deity. Join in the festivities as we visit Mumbai’s most iconic Ram Mandir that inspired the name of Ram Mandir railway station. From its majestic entrance adorned with intricate carvings to the serene sanctum housing the divine idols of Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman, every corner of Ram Mandir echoes with sacred energy and reverence. Between the chaos and traffic of Mumbai’s Goregaon, this temple is an spiritual oasis. this Ramnavami, embark on a spiritual odyssey to Mumbai's beloved Ram Mandir.
16 April,2024 06:00 PM IST
Maha Shivratri 2024 is here for all the Shiva devotees to soak in the divinity of Lord Shiva. While there are numerous Shiva temples in Mumbai for devotees to soak in the religious fervour, Tungareshwar Mandir - dedicated to Lord Shiva is a different experience altogether. Situated on the Tungareshwar Hill, the way to the temple is through the Tungareshwar forest which was declared a wildlife sanctuary in the year 2003. The way to the temple is through a small trek which is said to take around ½ an hour to reach the temple through the forest. How can you reach there and what awaits you at the top of the Tungareshwar hill? As India celebrates Mahashivratri 2024, here’s everything you need to know about the Tungareshwar temple.
07 March,2024 08:19 PM IST
Maha Shivratri 2024 is here and this brings us to one of the biggest festivals in India devoted to Lord Shiva. There are many Jyotirlingas in India that are considered different manifestations of Shiva. While none of the Jyotirlingas happens to be in Mumbai, two ancient temples within the Mumbai city carry tales of miracles, faith and Shiva’s grace. During Shivratri, Shiva devotees flock to these temples just to catch a glimpse of their beloved Lord Shiva. The Babulnath temple in Mumbai located in Mumbai near Girgaon Chowpatty situated at a little hill is one of those temples. Just a few km away from the Babulnath temple, lies the legendary Walkeshwar temple. The story of the Walkeshwar temple is as endearing as that of the beautiful Banganga Tank next to it. What is the story behind these legendary temples and what’s inside? On the occasion of the Mahashivratri, as you do your Shivratri puja vidhi to worship Lord Shiva, don’t you miss out on visiting these Shiva temples in Mumbai.
06 March,2024 08:38 PM IST
There has been a significant upgrade in Mumbai’s infrastructure in the recent times and a brand new RO-RO ferry survive is the latest addition. A new Vasai-Bhayandar Ro-Ro ferry service will be running on a regular basis from 21st February between Vasai and Bhayandar that is going to cut down the commute time between the two destinations to 15 minutes. This is the second RoRo service in the MMR. The first one operates on the Ferry Wharf and Mandwa route. The newly-inaugurated service will ply eight times a day. The vessel can carry 100 passengers and 33 four-wheelers in one go. Here’s everything you need to know about the service.
20 February,2024 07:40 PM IST
It’s time for Christmas 2023! People around the world wait for this time of the year when their beloved Santa Claus showers them with gifts and joy. Willy Black of Khotachiwadi has played Santa for years in Mumbai’s beloved tourist hotspot Khotachiwadi! But since the last few years, his spirit has been dampened and Khotachiwadi doesn't see his Santa spirit anymore. The reason? One of Mumbai’s most famous tourist hotspots - Khotachiwadi is paying the price for being a heritage marvel. Tourists have been trespassing on residents' households and incidents of theft and accidents have pretty common in once-a-quiet village. Once Willy’s songs attracted crowds from far and wide and he welcomed guests with open arms to a display of his cherished belongings! But today, Willy keeps his doors shut for all that he has got in return is damage to his property! The greatest Christmas present for this Santa of Khotachiwadi would be to see his Khotachiwadi as peaceful, safe and serene as it used to be!
25 December,2023 11:14 AM IST
Mumbai’s 100-year-old Laburnum road houses one of the most important pieces of our Indian history - Mani Bhavan. This quiet little building in Mumbai had been the residence of Mahatma Gandhi from 1917 to 1934 and is now converted into a Gandhi Memorial. This Gandhi Jayanti 2023, come with us as we explore Gandhiji’s home in Mumbai - the iconic Mani Bhavan.
29 September,2023 07:00 PM ISTADVERTISEMENT
