Navi Mumbai is a planned township of Mumbai which is located off the west coast of Maharashtra. The city is situated across two districts namely Thane and Raigad. The city serves as an entry point for Mumbai. The plan and the design for this city were made to accommodate the increase in population of Mumbai. As a result a twin city ‘Navi Mumbai’ meaning New Mumbai was made in 1972. The Board recommended that the new metro-centre or Navi Mumbai as it is now called, be developed to accommodate a population of 21 lacs. Navi Mumbai is home to various educational institutions offering courses in several streams including engineering, medical sciences, interior designing, and hotel management. It is a perfect holiday destination for tourists as the city offers its guests several mesmerizing views such as Rain Tree Marg, Khargar, Central Park, etc.
Places To Visit
Pandavkada Falls
The 107m, high waterfall appears to pierce the rock on which it falls. While being in Navi Mumbai a visit to Pandavkada Falls is a must. The place has been named after the Pandavas of the Hindu Mythology who took bath under this waterfall during their period of exile.
Central Park
A perfect spot for viewing the magical botanical garden. People often visit this place to relax or jog or to enjoy the sublime beauty of nature. This park spread across 80 hectares boasts of vegetation so rich that it soothes ones senses and gives a person a much needed break.
Nerul
Referred to as ‘the Queen’ of Navi Mumbai, Nerul is famous for his hillocks apart from it being a residential centre of the town. It is the also the biggest and the most populated nodule of the city. It has several cafes, pizza shops, cake chops and others.
Sports
The DY Patil Sports Stadium is a football and a cricket stadium at D. Y. Patil campus, Nerul, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The stadium has all the facilities of an international football and a cricket stadium.
The stadium was officially inaugurated on 4 March 2008, and was the home ground for IPL team Mumbai Indians. It hosted 3 IPL matches for the Mumbai Indians and has also hosted the 2008 Indian Premier League Final.
In 2014 it was announced that DY Patil Stadium will be the home ground of the ISL franchise Mumbai City FC. All Mumbai City FC home matches were played in DY Patil stadium. The stadium also hosted the Final of Hero ISL 2014 which was played between between Atlético de Kolkata and Kerala Blasters FC .The stadium which is one of the proposed stadiums which will host 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup and has been picked over Cooperage Ground.
The capacity of 55,000 makes it the ninth largest cricket ground in India and to make sure each spectator has a comfortable and clear viewing experience, the entire ground has bucket seats and cantilever roofs that eliminate the need for columns. It is the largest sports venue by capacity in Mumbai.
The stadium also has other facilities including 9 tennis hard courts, 4 indoor badminton courts and an Olympic sized swimming pool. A unique feature of the stadium is the cantilever roof which eliminates the need for any supports thus providing the spectators with an unobstructed view of the match from any place within the stand.
A walk down Navi Mumbai’s Khau Gallis
Here’s a lowdown on some of the best streets to indulge the foodie in you…
Variety at its best at Vashi station – Vashi is famous for vada pavs which is a famous street dish of the city. Apart from vada pavs one can also find dishes from egg bhurjee to biryani, ‘designer’ dosas to fruit salads, one can find everything here. The shops also have have sit-n-eat facilities which serves as an ideal place for the street commuters.
Sanpada station kiosks – The Sanpada station kiosks are specialists in serving a famous north Indian dish known as ‘Litti” The other street favourites which can be found here are pav bhaji, dosa, frankie etc.
Lip-smacking pani puri vendors – The city has several pani puri vendors. However, there are these four that are extremely popular. Two of them are in Sector-17 and 10 in Vashi. The one in Sector-17 is known for the yummy mix of wet boondi, sprouts and potato filling for the pani puri, while the latter for his spice. The one near Nerul station also attracts crowds because of his churmur, which is a snack prepared with pani puri sans the pani. Lastly, the one at Seawoods is known for his innovativeness, he serves the masala puri with a special filling and tops it with cheese and sev.
Open food court in Kharghar – Momos are the most famous food items which is served here, one can also enjoy a variety of other treats like chowmein, stuffed parathas, egg sandwiches and customised dosas.
Lebanese and Mughlai platter in Nerul – Stalls here serve brilliant mix of Lebanese and Mughlai specialties at rock bottom rates. From college students to office goers as well as walkers, lots of people stop at this junction to grab a bite of a Shawarma or a baida roti along with a host of kebabs and pita bread sandwiches stuffed with grilled chicken, lamb or beef and topped with yummy seasonings and cheese. Another popular fare offered by this vendor is the bheja-kheema roll, with added veggies.