Mumbai Harbour (also
English; Bombay Harbour or Front Bay,
Marathi''Mumba'ī bandar''), is a natural deep-water
harbour
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
in the southern portion of the
Ulhas River estuary. The narrower, northern part of the estuary is called
Thana Creek
Thane Creek (or Thana Creek) is an inlet in the shoreline of the Arabian Sea that isolates the city of Mumbai (Bombay) from the Konkan region of the Indian mainland. It comprises the area between Mumbra Retibunder and the Mankhurd-Vashi Bridge ...
. The harbour opens to the
Arabian Sea to the south. The historical island of
Elephanta is one of the six islands that lie in the harbour.
''Front Bay'' is the official name of the harbour, so named because the city started as a tiny settlement facing the harbour. The waterbody behind the original settlement, forming an arc between the former Colaba island and Bombay island, up to the Malabar Hill promontory or peninsula, was similarly called
Back Bay.
Front Bay is home to the
Mumbai Port, which lies in the south section of the western edge of the harbour.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port and
Navi Mumbai lie to the east on the Konkan mainland, and the city of
Mumbai lies to the west on
Salsette Island. The
Gateway of India
The Gateway of India is an arch-monument built in the early 20th century in the city of Mumbai (Bombay), India. It was erected to commemorate the landing of King-Emperor George V, the first British monarch to visit India, in December 1911 at ...
with its jetty for Elephanta is the most important
tourist destination, followed by the maritime Museum.
Islands
There are six islands in the Mumbai Harbour.
''
Butcher Island
Butcher Island (Jawahar Dweep) is an island off the coast of Mumbai, India. It has an oil terminal used by the port authorities to offload it from oil tankers. The crude oil is stored in oil containers on the island. From there they are piped t ...
'', also known as ''Jawahar Dweep'', is used as an oil terminal by the Mumbai Port. It has jetties for tankers and various other infrastructure for offloading crude oil and for loading refined petroleum products. The island is restricted to port employees, and not open to the public.
''
Cross Island'' is a small, uninhabited islet just off the coast of the Dockyard Road. Though the remains of old fortifications are visible, the island itself is restricted to the public.
''Gharapuri Island'', also known as ''
Elephanta Island'', is the best known of the islands in Mumbai Harbour. The
Elephanta Caves located on the island are a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The group of five larger caves have intricate
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
religious rock sculptures. Two smaller caves have
Buddhist religious sculptures. The carvings date back to between 5th and 8th centuries.
''
Middle Ground Coastal Battery'' is a small islet in the
Thane creek. It features an antique coastal gun battery of the Indian Navy. The guns salute Indian naval vessels returning from deployments when they enter the harbour.
''
Oyster Rock
Oyster Rock is an island in the Mumbai Harbour, Mumbai, India. It is heavily fortified, and owned by the Indian Navy. For a short while, the islet was used as a naval museum.
Every time when the Admiral of The Fleet sails out or in with the Nav ...
'' is a small group of rock outcroppings in the harbour. The area has restricted access since it is used for naval exercises.
Salsette Island is the large island on which the cities of Mumbai and Thane are located. It is separated from the
Konkan mainland by the
Vasai creek and the
Ulhas river. Mumbai was originally a distinct island from Thane, but reclamation of land has long since merged the islands.
Powai Lake,
Tulsi Lake and
Vihar Lake are the largest lakes on the island.
Mumbai Port
Mumbai Port (MbPT) lies midway () on the western shore of Mumbai Harbour.
The port was the pre-eminent commercial port of India in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is known as the ''gateway to India'', and has been a primary factor in the emergence of Mumbai as the commercial capital of India.
Ecology
Mangrove swamps line much of the northwestern and eastern shores of the harbour, and provide a rich habitat for wildlife, including thousands of migrating birds such as
flamingoes
Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean) ...
.
Pollution
Due to immense population pressures from the Mumbai metropolitan region and the extremely busy maritime trade, the Harbour is considered to be heavily polluted.
This includes reports of heavy metals flux found in the creeks adjacent to the harbour with the harbour acting as a sink for most of the pollutants.
See also
*
Sunk Rock Lighthouse
Sunk Rock Lighthouse is one of three lighthouses in the Mumbai Harbour off the coast of Mumbai, India. The tower is mounted on a stone pier and painted in a red and yellow checkerboard pattern, with the lantern and gallery painted white. Swimm ...
References
External links
Mumbai Port Trust
{{Authority control
Estuaries of Mumbai
Ports and harbours of Maharashtra
Transport in Mumbai