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The Gateway of India (Mumbai)

India / Maharashtra / Mumbai
 arch, monument, landmark, gateway, heritage, tourist attraction, triumphal arch

The Gateway of India (Marathi: भारताचे प्रवेशद्वार) is a monument in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. Located on the waterfront in Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai, the Gateway is a basalt arch 26 metres (85 ft) high. It was a crude jetty used by fisher folks and was later renovated and used as a landing place for British governors and other distinguished personages. In earlier times, the Gateway was the monument that visitors arriving by boat would have first seen in the city of Bombay.

The writings on the Gateway of India which reads "Erected to commemorate the landing in India of their Imperial Majesties King George V and Queen Mary on the Second of December MCMXI"
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai, prior to the Delhi Durbar, in December 1911. However, they only got to see a cardboard model of the structure since the construction did not begin till 1915.[12] The foundation stone was laid on 31 March 1911, by the governor of Bombay Sir George Sydenham Clarke, with the final design of George Wittet sanctioned on 31 March 1913. The gateway was built from yellow basalt and concrete.[13] Between 1915 and 1919, work proceeded at Apollo Bundar (Port) to reclaim the land on which the gateway and the new sea wall would be built. The foundations were completed in 1920, and construction was finished in 1924.[14] The gateway was opened on 4 December 1924, by the viceroy, the Earl of Reading.[6]

The last British troops to leave India following the country's independence, the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the gateway on their way out in a ceremony on 28 February 1948, signalling the end of British rule.[6][15]

Design and structure[edit]
The Scottish architect George Wittet combined the elements of the Roman triumphal arch and the 16th-century architecture of Gujarat.[16] Its design is a combination of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles; the arch is of Muslim style while the decorations are of Hindu style.[17] The gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete.[12] The stone was locally obtained, and the perforated screens were brought from Gwalior.[18] The gateway faces out to Mumbai Harbour from the tip of Apollo Bunder.[19]

The central dome is 48 feet (15 metres) in diameter and 83 feet (25 metres) above the ground at its highest point.[20] The whole harbour front was realigned in order to come in line with a planned esplanade which would sweep down to the centre of the town. On each side of the arch, there are large halls that can hold 600 people.[12] The cost of the construction was ₹2 million (US$30,000), borne mainly by the Imperial Government of India. Due to a paucity of funds, the approach road was never built, and so the gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.[6][20]

Significance[edit]
It is the place where the viceroys and governors used to land upon their arrival in India. Though built as a welcome to King George V for his visit of 1911, then an event of grand significance for British India and the British empire, today serves as a "monumental memento" of British colonial rule over India.[11] Built right next to the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel,[21] for British arriving for the first time to India, the gateway was a symbol of the "power and majesty" of the British empire.[3]


Seen here is the crowd, which includes international and local tourists, local photographers with the monument at the background
Opposite the gateway stands the statue of Shivaji, the king who used guerilla warfare to establish the Maratha empire in the Sahyadri mountain range in the 17th century,[22] as a symbol of Maratha "pride and courage".[23] The statue was unveiled on 26 January 1961 on the occasion of India's Republic Day.[24][25] The other statue in the area is that of Swami Vivekananda.[26]

There are five jetties at the gateway.[27] The first jetty is exclusive to the Atomic Research Centre, the second and third are used for commercial ferry operations, the fourth is closed and the fifth is exclusive to the Royal Bombay Yacht Club.


Gateway of India thronged by tourists
After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, there has been a proposal to close all these jetties and replace them with two newer ones to be built near the Bombay Presidency Radio Club nearby.[28] The second and third jetties are the starting point for tours of Elephanta Caves, which is a 50-minute boat ride away by ferry.[21][29] Other routes from the Gateway include ferry rides to Alibaug and Mandwa; these ferries are said to carry passengers above their certified capacity due to their popularity.[30]

The Gateway of India is a major tourist destination and a popular gathering spot for locals, street vendors and photographers.[19] In 2012, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation moved the "Elephanta Festival of music and dance" from its original location at Elephanta Caves (where it had been celebrated for 23 years) to the Gateway due to the increased capacity offered by the venue. The Gateway can host 2,000 to 2,500 people, whereas Elephanta Caves could host only 700 to 800 people.[31][32]

A bomb planted in a taxi exploded near the gateway in the 2003.[9] The gateway was also the site of a major bomb-blast in August 2003 and was the disembarkation point of the terrorists participating in the November 2008 terror attacks when four gunmen attacked the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.[33] Public movement in certain areas was restricted after the 2008 attacks.[34]
Its design is a combination of both Hindu and Muslim architectural styles, the arch is in Muslim style while the decorations are in Hindu style. The Gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. The stone was locally obtained, and the perforated screens were brought from Gwalior.

The central dome is 15 meters (49 ft) in diameter and is 26 meters (85 ft) above ground at its highest point. The whole harbor front was realigned in order to come in line with a planned esplanade which would sweep down to the center of the town. The cost of the construction was Rs. 21 lakhs (2,100,000), borne mainly by the Government of India. For lack of funds, the approach road was never built, and so the Gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   18°55'19"N   72°50'4"E

Comments

  • behappy_99gmail.com (guest)
    its nice place ,plz visit here and enjoy
  • uday jadhav (guest)
    AAMACHEE MUMBAI MARATHI MUMBAI JAY MAHARASHTRA
  • Hasan (guest)
    Head of india in buiseness location and tourist point
  • RK MENON (guest)
    The Gateway of India is the first thing visitors arriving by sea to MUMBAI would see of the city. The Gateway is 26 metres high and was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary , and it was through this gate the last British troops passed as they left India.This is a arch: beautiful work of great skill and one should take time and efforts to admire the intense detailing gone in constructing the monument. PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS.BIRD DROPPING DESTROY THE MONUMENT.
  • nirmal2008
    I have visited this monument a million times.It is a wonderful masterpiece of Mumbai.
  • hu (guest)
    once there was a big bomb blast..........40 people died on the spot, so BE CAREFUL
  • hamza52
    please dont frighten any one if u will frighten so no one will come here
  • Shantanu (guest)
    mOhan krishna from hyderabad wants to be here!!! can any one help..please call him on 9908148111
  • suresh (guest)
    very good place
  • sobersailor
    Any one visiting Mumbai, must see this place, it is a very nice place, I have seen the place many times when ever my ship was docked in Mumbai,
  • sobersailor
    I am adding very old picture of Gate Wayof India. This is picture of Haile Selassie Reception in 1956.
  • abhimanyupandey
    Mumbai sab ki jaan
  • ALOKKAMINI (guest)
    VERY NICE PLACE FOR MUMBAI
  • Husain (guest)
    Cool and breathspace for all MUMBAIKARS. We need to maintain our city Mumbai neat and clean so that there will be a huge flow of tourists and they will also praise & admire by our so called city "MUMBAI". Have a nice reading
  • navneetgupta
    Must place to visit in Mumbai
  • Vinay Patil - 9869034169 (guest)
    The best monument of Mumbai
  • sampat mundhe (guest)
    verry cool and silent place
  • jInGaLaLaHoOhOo5543 (guest)
    mumbayi suna gatway of indiya hawes susi dareu shiman dustui elepantha cavas vider mene jeti.(Mumbai's Gateway of India has such a beautiful scenery which is at the side of Elephanta Caves to which we can go through mini boats.) [ZULU LANGUAGE].
  • Pankajdixit
    Ethech ahe MUMBAI chi shan...!!!!! THE GATE WAY of INDIA
  • anuj98pandeyyahoo.com (guest)
    this gateway had seen many people dying by terrorist attack on 26/11 and also seen his neighborhood monument[Taj Hotel] been blasted
  • Show all comments
This article was last modified 9 years ago