Gateway of India

The Gateway was put up to commemorate the visit of George V and Queen Mary in 1911, though the arch itself was only completed in 1924, long after they had come and gone; they saw a temporary cardboard version. It stands twenty-six metres high in yellow basalt on the Colaba waterfront, in an Indo-Saracenic style mixing Gujarati and Islamic detail, facing the harbour. In February 1948 the last British troops in India marched through it to board ship, which gave the arch a second meaning it was never designed for. Boats to Elephanta Island leave from the jetty behind it.

History

The Gateway was built to commemorate the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder on 2 December 1911, the first visit of a British monarch to India, though they saw only a cardboard model. The Governor of Bombay laid the foundation stone on 31 March 1913, George Wittet's design was approved in August 1914, the land was reclaimed between 1915 and 1919, and the arch was finished in 1924 and opened on 4 December 1924; after Indian independence, the last British troops to leave India passed through it (Wikipedia, Gateway of India).

Highlights

• The basalt arch - twenty-six metres of yellow stone on the waterfront.
• The harbour - boats, the Taj hotel opposite and ships in the bay.
• The Elephanta jetty - departures for the island caves behind the arch.
• The crowds - one of Mumbai's busiest public spaces at all hours.

When to go

November to February for dry mild weather; the monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain and rough water that suspends the Elephanta boats. Early morning is the only quiet time.

What to expect

Security screening is in place and queues form. The area is extremely crowded with hawkers and photographers. The sea here is dirty and the harbour view industrial.

Nearby

Elephanta Island is an hour by boat; Colaba Causeway lies behind.

Key facts