Once used as stables for elephants by the King of Mahikavati (present-day Mahim), Matunga is one of the older neighbourhoods of Mumbai that's characterised by the whiff of filter coffee, snippets of Tamil, and freshly plucked flowers. It gets its name from "Matanga", the Sanskrit word for “elephant”; and was one of the first well-planned localities of Mumbai. Despite its changing topography, Matunga's flower market is a reference point for many in the city, especially during Ganesh Chaturthi. You'll see some of the largest flower garlands and the largest Ganesh pandals here, which are known to be decorated a little hatke.
Matunga is predominantly a TamBrahm neighbourhood, so it's a great place to get romba South Indian supplies; and of course, South Indian fare at Udipis that were set up aeons ago but still function with the same gusto. But as the Dadar Parsi Colony also extends into Matunga, the area also has Irani cafes, killer chaat and pav bhaji. And, it is home to some of Mumbai's leading education institutes.
While it's obviously Mumbai's best pocket to grab a steaming hot kaapi and exquisite sarees, read on for a (hopefully) great list of things to do in Matunga.