The Gateway of India
Image of the gateway of India
The Gateway of India is an arch monument built during the 20th century in Mumbai, India. The monument was erected to commemorate the landing of King-Emperor George V and Queen-Empress Mary at Apollo Bunder on their visit to India in 1911. The Gateway of India is located on the waterfront at Apollo Bunder Wellington Pier was an important pier for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers and goods in the city of Bombay, India in the late 19th century. It is the location of the famed Gateway of India and the only passengers using it now are those who are taking the ferry to Elephanta Island. The area at the end of Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsle I was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati of his realm at Raigad. En.wikipedia.org Marg in South Mumbai and overlooks the Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Peninsula, on the southeast by the Laccadive Sea, on the southwest by the Somali Sea, and on the east by India.
The gateway of India Mumbai
Today, the monument is synonymous with the city
of Mumbai and is amongst its prime tourist attractions. The gateway is also a
gathering spot for locals, street vendors, and photographers soliciting
services. It holds significance for the local Jewish community as it has been
the spot for Hanukkah celebrations, with the lighting of the menorah, since 2003. There are five jetties located at the gateway,
of which two are used for commercial ferry operations.
Facts of The Gateway of India
1. The cost of the
construction was a sum of Rs. 21 lakh, borne mainly by the Government of India.
2. For lack of funds, the
approach road to the Gateway was never built. This is why it stands at an angle
to the road leading up to it.
3. Yellow basalt and
reinforced concrete are the materials used in constructing the Gateway.
4.Though it is built-in
Indo-Saracenic style there are certain elements that are derived from the
Muslim architectural styles of 16th century Gujarat and local styles of architecture
as well.
5. The diameter of the
central dome is 15 meters and it reaches a height of 26 meters above the ground.
6. The inauguration ceremony
took place on 4th December 1924. It was inaugurated by The Viceroy, Earl of
Reading.
7. The whole harbor front was
re-laid so that it would sweep down to the center of the town.
8. The Gateway has four
turrets and is designed with intricate latticework.
9. The last British troop
that left India after the independence was the first battalion of the Somerset
Light Infantry.
10. The most interesting fact
is that, the last ship of the Britisher’s set sail for England from Gateway of
India in Mumbai.
11. The steps on the backside
of Gateway of India lead to the waterfront where you can board the bots to
Elephanta caves
Location
The gateway stands at an angle, opposite to the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, which was built in 1903.
the architecture of the gateway of India.
The Gateway of India was designed by Scottish architect, George Wittet, and the construction work was carried out by Gammon India Limited, the only construction company in India boasting an ISO 9001: 1994 accredited certification in all fields of civil engineering at that time.
