//
The Dharavi slum is a breathtaking, overwhelming experience at the heart of this part of Mumbai, with a massive recycling industry, ultra-dense housing, and both poverty and wealth existing in close proximity. Seeing the slum firsthand is safer and easier under the auspices of a professional guide such as Fahim Vora, based in Dharavi. It is slowly being redeveloped into 10 towers in a so-called smart city by the Adani Group with completion of rehousing expected by 2038. Progress has been slow but construction is well ahead.
Dharavi is a residential area in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It has often been considered one of the world's largest slums. It has an area of just over 2.39 square kilometres and a population of about 1,000,000. With a population density of over 418,410/km2 (1,083,677/sq mi), it is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
A small forested area with various species of butterflies.
शीवचा किल्ला Sīvcā Killā
In 1543, the Portuguese took possession of the islands of Bombay by force, naming one of them Sião after Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The Portuguese gave the Jesuit priests sole ownership of some of these islands. The Jesuits then built a chapel atop a conical hillock. The present-day fort was built by the British Governor of Bombay Gerard Aungier atop the hillock. Sion was then the boundary between British-held Parel Island and Portuguese-held Salsette Island and the castle marked the northeast boundary of their possession. The fort was built between 1669 and 1677. The fort is dilapidated and a collection of broken stone steps, scattered walls, and ruins overrun by trees and ground cover. The fort wall has a small room on top. A series of pathways lead to it. The fort offers a panoramic view, overlooking the salt pans in Thane Creek. However, vandalism and apathy have taken a toll on the structure.
सेंट मायकल चर्च Seṇṭ Māykal Carc; Mahim Church
Marubai Gaondevi Temple
Around the 1700s this area was called Marubai Tekdi Gaon, which is said was shortened to MaTunGa (Matunga). Marubai is the traditional Gaondevi (village Goddess) of Matunga whose small temple existed under a peepal tree at King's Circle.
A very special and tranquil church. This is probably the most prominent landmark in this district.
माहीम किल्ला Māhīm Killā
Strategically located in Mahim Bay, the fort overlooks Worli to the south, Bandra to the north, and Mahim to the east. The origins of the fort are unclear, but it occupies a strategic location that has been frequently contested. The fort is in disrepair, suffering from administrative neglect, encroachment of slums, and exposure to tidal erosion. Large boulders are strewn on the sand and crevices as high as 3 metres (15 feet) are visible.