Mumbai, known until a few decades ago as Bombay, is India’s second-largest city and a major cultural center. It is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the Marathi people who live here are proud of their heritage. The Maratha Confederacy was one of the more powerful states in India before the arrival of the British. The empire’s foundations were laid by Chhatrapati Shivaji, for whom several important landmarks in the city have been named or renamed.
I arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport late in the evening of May 15, and caught an Uber to my hotel. The next day, I visited a museum known during British rule as the Prince of Wales Museum. Today it’s named after – you guessed it – Chhatrapati Shivaji. 
It contains a variety of artifacts from various periods in India’s history, with the collection of the wealthy Tata family forming the bulk of the objects on display. Their collection also included Europeam, Chinese, and Japanese art, and the museum has some of the only displays of such material in India. They’re best-known, however, for Indian material, including this enormous carved elephant tusk.
Down the road from the museum is the Gateway to India, built to commemorate the arrival of George V and Queen Mary. They landed in India at this location, on their way to Delhi to be crowned Emperor and Empress of India. Though previous coronation ceremonies (called the Delhi Durbar) had been held, they were not attended by the sovereign. The 1911 durbar would be the last, as Edward VII abdicated, and George VI would never visit India. The monument to the visit of George V remains one of Mumbai’s top tourist attractions.
I departed Mumbai by train – 22 hours to Delhi. I was only able to book sleeper class, which is how most Indians travel long distances. The cars have no air conditioning, and outside temperatures reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. It wasn’t a pleasant trip, but it got me to my destination.
