Gateway Of India

Two or three things in Mumbai offer immediate recall to the city: the sea view from Marine Drive, the kaali-peeli taxicabs, and the Gateway of India.

The giant, majestic four-pillared monument of yellow basalt's undoubtedly one of the pride and joys of the city. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, it utilises the best of Indian and Islamic architectural features, but with a British colonial flair, standing at a cool 26 metres in height. It's utter chaos, of course. You've got people scrambling to recreate pictures they've seen online, the ocean breeze blowing away wisps of hair covering balding men’s heads, and the magnificent Taj Mahal Palace Hotel standing right across the street, completing that iconic Mumbai postcard view.

The arch was envisioned as the 'grand entrance' to India, and as the inscription there declares, it was built to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary’s arrival. The foundation of the monument was laid on 31st March 1911, George Wittet’s design was sanctioned in 1914, and the construction was completed in 1924. Ironically, decades later, it became the place where the very last British troops marched out in 1948, going from being a symbol of their entry to being the site of their final exit.

There are five jetties near the Gateway of India. The first one is exclusive to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and not for public use, the second and third are public jetties to get to the Elephanta caves, the fourth is closed, and the fifth is reserved for the Royal Bombay Yacht Club.