Tracing ancient origins of city of dreams with folklore

Most historical accounts of Mumbai look at the city as a creation of the colonial era; an entrepot where railway lines from India's hinterland delivered goods to ships travelling to the west.

- Manoj Ramakrishnan

Most historical accounts of Mumbai look at the city as a creation of the colonial era; an entrepot where railway lines from India's hinterland delivered goods to ships travelling to the west. A new writing project on the city, however, plans to travel further back into Mumbai's history, using myths, legends, beliefs and folk tales to tell the story about the metropolis' ancient origins.

The initiative was launched in December, a month that marks the centennial of one of Mumbai's most iconic landmarks, the Gateway of India.