Parel is a bustling residential and commercial area in central Mumbai and is 2 km south Dadar. It is one of the seven islands that were joined together to form the city of Mumbai. Parel is about 9 km north of Colaba.
Parel derives its name after Parali Vaijanath Mahadev Temple, a Shiva shrine. Parel was under the Portuguese reign before the British wrested control in the 17th century. In the mid 19th century cotton mills proliferated in the region and Parel soon became a prominent industrial hub of Mumbai. Now most of the mills have been shut and the space is being recycled.
Parel Railway Station is situated on the CST – Dadar suburban rail route.
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is about 7 km to the north. Nearest major railhead is Dadar Central Railway Station, which is 2 km north. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station is around 8 km south.
