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As per a report in Business Standard, Air Deccan is planning to offer ultra low rates for tickets from Delhi to Mumbai. The lowest prices are proposed to be in the region of Rs. 500/-

This could be the mother of all price wars. Deccan Aviation, India’s first no-frills carrier, will offer tickets for as little as Rs 500 on the Delhi-Mumbai route once it starts flying on this sector later in the month.

“We will be offering various price bands and the lowest ticket price in this sector will be Rs 500,� said GR Gopinath, deputy chairman, Deccan Aviation, speaking at a two-day symposium on low-cost airlines in New Delhi today.

The Delhi-Mumbai operations are expected to start between July 16 and July 23.

At Rs 500, a Delhi-Mumbai ticket would be less than 10 per cent of the existing economy airfare of Rs 6,445 and very close to the Rs 421 second-class Delhi-Mumbai railway ticket.

In other sectors, Air Deccan’s services are about 50 per cent lower than the normal full-service operator, though in no sector does it offer tickets at less than Rs 990.

According to aviation experts, since Air Deccan will offer only 25 per cent of the seats for Rs 500 and scale up the price of the remaining seats, the average per seat realisation will come to around 50 per cent of the realisation for a full-service airline. The world over, low cost carriers operate at about half the costs of a full-service airline.

More: business-standard.com

MUMBAI, The financial capital of INDIA is one of the loveliest cities to stay in. Apart from the wonderful beaches it can boasts about, it also provides with the innumerable places one can spend time at, be it water parks like the one at Water kingdom in Esselworld or Surya Water Park or regular amusement park at Essel world or Fantasy land. Then there are malls which give indoor entertainment & multi-screen theatres which along with the normal ones cater to the different needs of mumbaites. Apart from all these there are lovely gardens like Kamla Nehru Park at walkeshwar, Joggers Park at bandra & vile parle & Bhakiti Park at chunnabhati which are the best way to kick of exhaustion. The sea faces like the ones at worli bandstand & bandra bandstand are truly the lover’s paradise as they create a perfect romantic evening one would dream of, whether it’s a layman or a rich person. A beautiful evening spent on the lovely Marine drive is so enchanting where one can have the experience of seeing the sun coolly sliding in the arms of sea. And as the night falls the entire driveway comes to life as the street lights get illuminated. No wonder it is called The Queens Necklace, as it would appear if seen from the sky.

Mumbai also satisfies the thirst of adventure by providing an opportunity of water sports at chowpatty beach. Though shut down for a while hope it will be back in action very soon. Then there is the option of river rafting at karjat other than the normal trekking activities carried on. Shopping an addiction which no one can stay away from immaterial of the age is given big importance. Whether it’s branded outfit or casual wear they allure shoppers irrespective their bank balances. No wonder like the big shopping malls even the casual places like Fashion Street at churchgate, linking road at bandra & Lokhandwala at andheri are considered to be the right place to hunt for, which in true sense are shopper’s paradise. Speaking of Mumbai- the first thought that comes to mind is of food. As this is the place where all types of cuisines with their authentic & Indian converted tastes are available. the taste in either case so mouth watering that there is a minimum of half an hour waiting to get a table at any restaurant on Sundays. Though one does have the option of eating at hawkers whose tastes at times can challenge the best of restaurants. Of course one should have the heart of ignoring the unhygienic surroundings & mumbaities do have a huge heart when it comes to eating. Probably this is the reason of hotel business flourishing in Mumbai.

Talking of business reminds of the opportunities Mumbai provides for business & job that people from all around the globe come & settle down. As NASDAQ is to world The BSE is to India where one has the bright to chance to prosperity. When in Mumbai one can certainly not forget the cool Bollywood which provides entertainment not just to Indians but to national’s world wide. The craze for Bollywood allures people from everywhere to this extent that people keep waiting entire day outside some stars bungalow like Amitabh Bachchan at juhu scheme just to have one glance of their favorite star. Seeing a film star is still considered an achievement for tourists who can see them anywhere at juhu sheme, bandra or Lokhandwala where 90% of stars are located or the next best place to see them is at the discotheques which attracts crowd till they cannot stand anymore. The night life in Mumbai is equally attracting like day. Mumbai can also boasts about few hill stations which are within just 4-5 hrs drive. The red soil carpet at Matheran gives people a chance to live in pollution free atmosphere as vehicles are banned there. Then there is Khandala & Lonaval which is just 2 hrs away thanks to the expressway & Panchgani & Mahabaleshwar which is Mumbai’s answer to Shimla for students studying in hostels. So much to do & so much to see that maximum amount spent in Mumbai might still be less for covering it totally & then there are mumbaities whose warmth in hearts is worth living with.

Mumbai is the commercial Capital of India. The island city of Mumbai is situated off the west coast of India, south of the tropic of Cancer. Because of a wide bay between the city and the mainland, Mumbai has been a natural harbour and trading centre. Many large business houses have their corporate offices in this city. Mumbai is also the prime centre for the film industry.

The city was called Bombay for much of the last four hundred years and the name is often said to come from the Portuguese phrase “bom baia” meaning good bay. The original name Mumbai is attributed to the local goddess Mumbadevi. The name of the city was changed to Mumbai by an act of the parliament in 1997.
History
The city of Bombay originally consisted of seven islands, namely Colaba, Mazagaon, Old Woman’s Island, Wadala, Mahim, Parel, and Matunga-Sion. The history of this group of islands located on the west coast of India goes way back to the stone ages. Stone age implements have been found at several sites in these islands. The coastal regions, and presumably the islands were the home of the Koli fisher folk in the distant past.

In third century BC, these islands were part of the Magadhan empire under Emperor Ashoka. After his death, the islands changed hands from one king to another for two thousand years. They belonged to the Silhara dynasty till the middle of the 13th century. The oldest structures in the archipelago, the caves at Elephanta, and part of the Walkeshwar temple complex, probably date from this time. Modern sources identify a 13th century Raja Bhimdev who had his capital in Mahikawati, present-day Mahim, and Prabhadevi. Presumably the first merchants and agriculturists settled in Mumbai at this time. In 1343 the island of Salsette, and eventually the whole archipelago, went to the Sultan of Gujarat. The mosque in Mahim is the only nostalgia from this period.

In 1508 Francis Almeida and his men sailed into the harbour of these islands, which they called Bom Baia (the Good Bay). Bahadur Shah of Gujarat was forced to cede the main islands to the Portuguese in 1534. The Portuguese built forts and a few chapels for the converted fishermen. The St. Andrew’s church in Bandra dates from this period. In 1662 Mumbai came in pocession of Charles II as part of the dowry of his wife Catherine of Braganza. In 1668 Charles leased Mumbai to the East India Company at an annual rental of ten Pounds Sterling.

The British decided to develop these islands into a city and a centre of commerce. They have started factories in many places and many commercial treaties were signed with local rulers. In the four hundred years since then, the city has grown by a series of land reclamations, which now link the original islands into one mass. The British lured skilled workers and traders to move to this British holding. The opportunities for business attracted many Gujarati communities. The population of Bombay was estimated to have risen from 10,000 in 1661 to 60,000 in 1675.

Through the 18th century British power and influence grew at the expense of the local rulers. The shipbuilding industry was shifted to Bombay from Surat. Artisans from Gujarat like goldsmiths, ironsmiths and weavers moved to the islands. Following the 1817 British victory over the Marathas, the British embarked upon reclamations and large scale engineering works in Bombay. The vellard at Breach Candy (1784) and the construction of the Mahim Causeway (1845) are the milestones of this period in which the seven islands were merged into one landmass. In 1853, a 35km long railway was built between Thana and Bombay, the first in India. Four years later, in 1854, the first cotton mill was founded in Bombay.

Following the first war of Independence in 1857, Bombay was reverted to the British crown. With the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, exports, especially cotton, from Bombay became a major part of the colonial economy. The construction of Imperial Bombay continued well into the 20th century. Some of the landmarks from this period are the Gateway of India, the General Post Office, the Town Hall (now the Asiatic Library) and the Prince of Wales Museum.

The freedom movement reached a high pitch and with many campaigns in the following years, the end of the British imperial rule in India was foretold by the Quit India declaration on August 8, 1942. India became a free country on August 15, 1947. Bombay became the capital of State of Bombay. When State of Bombay was renamed Maharastra, Mumbai retained its position.

Mumbai is best to visit from October to March when the climate is pleasant. Throughout the year the maximum temparature is almost steady(29oC ~ 33oC). The minimum temparature will be between 16oC and 26oC. The Monsoons are during June - Sept. Mumbai has one international terminal and one domestic terminal to handle the air traffic. 40 percent of the air traffic to India is handled by Mumbai airport.

Relevent travel guidance can be obtained from Government of India Tourist office at 123, Maharshi Karve Road, Opposite Church gate Railway Station or from MTDC Head Office, 9th floor, Express towers, Nariman Point. MTDC tourist information counters are located at international and domestic airports, railway stations and bus terminals. Most of the star hotels also provide tourist information for their inmates.