Gateway of India
The Gateway of India is the finest British colonial legacy at Mumbai in Maharashtra. It was built to commemorate the royal visit of George V and Queen Mary in 1911. At that time Delhi was chosen as the capital of the British Empire in India. The imitative Roman triumphal arch stands facing the sea. But the construction was completed in 1924.
The Gateway of India is an excellent example of the Indo-Saracenic architecture in India. It also gives a glimpse of the Indian ceremonial architecture as it is modelled in honey-coloured basalt on 16th-century Gujarat work.
This great gateway lies at the south-eastern point of Mumbai’s fort. It consists of an archway with halls on each side. The huge halls are capable of seating 600 people.
The last British troops marched out through this gate when India became independent in 1947. It is now used mainly as the embarking point for ferries to Elephanta.
