The Gateway of India is an arch-monument built in the early 20th century in the city of
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...
(Bombay), India. It was erected to commemorate the landing of
King-Emperor George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Q ...
, the first British monarch to visit India, in December 1911 at Strand Road near
Wellington Fountain
Wellington Fountain is a listed heritage structure in front of Maharashtra Police Headquarters at Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Chowk in Fort, Mumbai, which is part of Mumbai's Victorian ensemble that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was erect ...
.
The foundation stone was laid in March 1913 for a monument built in the
Indo-Islamic style, inspiring by elements of 16th-century Gujarati architecture. The final design of the monument by architect
George Wittet
George Wittet (1878-1926) was a Scottish architect who worked mostly in Mumbai, India.
Biography
George Wittet was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland in 1878. He studied architecture with a Mr. Heiton of Perth, Scotland, and worked in Edinburgh ...
was sanctioned only in 1914, and construction was completed in 1924. The structure is a
memorial arch made of
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...
, which is high, with an architectural resemblance to a
triumphial arch as well as
Gujarati architecture of the time.
After its construction the Gateway was used as a symbolic ceremonial entrance to India for important colonial personnel. The Gateway is also the monument from where the last British troops left India in 1948, following Indian independence. It is located on the waterfront at an angle, opposite the
Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel and overlooks the
Arabian Sea. 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
or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
, nickname =
, observedby = Jews
, begins = 25 Kislev
, ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
, celebrations = Lighting candles each nigh ...
celebrations, with the lighting of the
menorah
Menorah may refer to:
* Jewish candelabra:
** Temple menorah, a seven-lamp candelabrum used in the ancient Tabernacle in the desert, the Temple in Jerusalem, and synagogues
** Hanukkah menorah or ''hanukkiyah'', a nine-lamp candelabrum used on the ...
, since 2003. There are five jetties located at the Gateway, of which two are used for commercial ferry operations.
The Gateway was the site of a
terror attack in August 2003, when there was a bomb blast in a taxi parked in front of it. Access to the gateway was restricted after people congregated at its premises following the
2008 Mumbai terror attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks (also referred to as 26/11, pronounced "twenty six eleven") were a series of Terrorism, terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist organisation from P ...
, in which the Taj Hotel opposite the gateway and other locations in its vicinity were targeted.
In March 2019, the Maharashtra state government proposed a four-step plan to develop the location for the convenience of tourists, following a direction issued by the state governor in February 2019.
History and significance
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the arrival of George V,
Emperor of India and Mary of Teck, Empress consort, in India at Apollo Bunder, Mumbai (Bombay) on 2 December 1911 prior to the
Delhi Durbar of 1911; it was the first visit of a British monarch to India. However, they only got to see a cardboard model of the monument, as construction did not begin until 1915. The foundation stone for the Gateway was laid on 31 March 1913 by then Governor of Bombay,
Sir George Sydenham Clarke with the final design of
George Wittet
George Wittet (1878-1926) was a Scottish architect who worked mostly in Mumbai, India.
Biography
George Wittet was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland in 1878. He studied architecture with a Mr. Heiton of Perth, Scotland, and worked in Edinburgh ...
for the Gateway sanctioned in August 1914. Before the Gateway's construction, Apollo Bunder used to serve a native fishing ground. Between 1915 and 1919 work continued at the Apollo Bunder to reclaim the land on which the Gateway was to be built, along with the construction of a sea wall.
Gammon India had undertaken construction work for the gateway. Its foundations were completed in 1920 while construction was finished in 1924. The Gateway was opened to the public on 4 December 1924 by then Viceroy,
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading. Following Indian independence, the last British troops to leave India, the First Battalion of the
Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the Gateway with a 21-gun salute, as part of a ceremony on 28 February 1948, signalling the end of the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Q ...
.
N. Kamala, professor at
Jawaharlal Nehru University, refers to the Gateway as a "jewel in the crown" and a "symbol of conquest and colonisation". The monument commemorates the legacy of British colonial rule, namely the first visit of a British monarch to India and its use as an entry point for prominent colonial personnel into British India. Today the Gateway is synonymous with the city of Mumbai.
Since its construction, the gateway has remained amongst the first structures visible to visitors arriving in Bombay by the sea.
Since 2003, the Gateway has been the location for the local Jewish community to light the menorah for Hanukkah celebrations every year.
This ritual was started by
Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg of the chabad in Mumbai (located in
Nariman House).
It also became a site for prayers following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which targeted, amongst others, Nariman House. Rabbi Holtzberg lost his life in the 2008 terror attacks.
Design and architecture
The Gateway's arch has a height of with its central dome being in diameter. The monument is built of yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. The stones were sourced locally while the perforated screens were brought in from
Gwalior
Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the ...
. The monument faces towards the Mumbai Harbour. There are four turrets on the structure of the gateway, and there are steps constructed behind the arch of the Gateway which lead to the Arabian Sea.
The monument features intricate stone
latticework
__NOTOC__
Latticework is an openwork framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, typically wood or metal. The design is created by crossing the strips to form a grid or weave.
Latticework may be functional &n ...
(also known as the ''
jali'' work). The Scottish architect,
George Wittet
George Wittet (1878-1926) was a Scottish architect who worked mostly in Mumbai, India.
Biography
George Wittet was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland in 1878. He studied architecture with a Mr. Heiton of Perth, Scotland, and worked in Edinburgh ...
combined indigenous architectural elements with elements of 16th-century
architecture of Gujarat. The harbour front was realigned in order to make an esplanade, which would sweep down to the centre of the town. On each side of the arch, there are large halls with the capacity to hold 600 people. The cost of the construction was , borne by the then government. Due to a paucity of funds, the approach road was never built. Hence, the Gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.
In February 2019,
Seagate Technology and
CyArk embarked on a mission to digitally record and preserve the Gateway, by digital scanning and archiving of the monument.
The images and data collected will be used to make photo-real three dimensional models. This is a part of CyArk's international programme for digitally preserving heritage monuments.
It involves aerial surveys conducted with terrestrial laser scanning (
LiDAR), drones, and
photogrammetry
Photogrammetry is the science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant ima ...
exercises. The drawings and three-dimensional models will inform any future reconstruction works.
Location and jetties
The Gateway stands at an angle, opposite to the
Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, which was built in 1903. In the grounds of the gateway, opposite the monument, stands the statue of
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
, the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
warrior-hero who fought against the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
to establish the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
in the 17th century. The statue was unveiled on 26 January 1961 on the occasion of India's
Republic Day. It replaced a bronze statue of King-Emperor George V which stood at its place. In 2016, ''
Mid-Day'' reported that the George V statue is kept locked in a tin shed belonging to the
Public Works Department, behind
Elphinstone College
Elphinstone College is one of the constituent colleges of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, a state cluster university. Established in 1823, it is one of the oldest colleges in Mumbai. It played a major role in shaping and developing the edu ...
, in
Fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, Mumbai.
The George V statue was sculpted by G. K. Mhatre, who has over 300 sculptures to his credit in India.
Hemant Pathare, Mhatre's great-grandson and Sandeep Dahisarkar, a historian, researcher, and academician, have made efforts to relocate the George V statue to a museum, the latter of whom has reasserted the statue as ''
swadeshi'' art.
The other statue in the locality of the gateway is that of
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intro ...
, an Indian monk who is credited as a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies such as
Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, ...
and
Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-conscio ...
to the west, and with bringing
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...
to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century.
There are five jetties located around the monument. The first jetty is exclusive to the
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, while the second and third are used for commercial ferry operations, the fourth one is closed, and the fifth is exclusive to the
Royal Bombay Yacht Club. The second and third jetties are the starting point for tourists to reach the
Elephanta Caves, which are fifty minutes away by boat from the monument. Other routes from the gateway include ferry rides to
Rewas,
Mandwa, and
Alibaug, while cruises also operate from the gateway.
[ These ferries reportedly carry an overload of daily passengers.] The Mumbai Port Trust licenses vessels to use the gateway while the Maharashtra Maritime Board issues fitness certificates to them.
Tourism and development
The Gateway is amongst the prime tourist attractions in Mumbai. The Gateway is a protected monument in Maharashtra under the aegis of the Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...
(ASI). It is a regular gathering place for locals, street vendors, and photographers. In 2012, the 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.
By 2012, the Bombay Municipal Corporation
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC; IAST: ), also known as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. It is India
India, officially the Republic ...
increased the plaza area around the Gateway for pedestrians by restoring the area at a cost of 5 crores. It involved the cutting down of trees, reducing the garden area, replacing toilets, and closing the car park. The redevelopment led to a dispute between the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and the Urban Design Research Institute, and the government was criticised for poor project implementation which critics alleged had failed to conform to the original plans.
In January 2014, Philips Lighting India, in association with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, undertook the expenditure of 2 crores to illuminate the gateway, by installing an LED lighting system with sixteen million shades. Philips used products from its Philips Color Kinetics and LED street lighting, and did not receive any branding for the illumination project in which 132 light points were created, which were reportedly sixty-percent more energy efficient than the old lighting system. In August 2014, the state Directorate of Archaeology and Museums had proposed conservation of the Gateway by the ASI, after noting deterioration caused by saline deposits from the sea. An estimate of costs was to be prepared and approved by the ASI. The last such conservation had been undertaken twenty years earlier. An independent study had earlier been conducted at the Gateway, between June 2001 and May 2002, aimed at informing future conservation of the monument understanding the degree of colour changes of stones owing to seasonal weather conditions and saturated colour of minerals. The study found the stones of the monument to appear darker during monsoon than during other seasons while the colour change in the inner portions of the monument rises with variations of seasonal humidity and temperature, given they do not face the sea, rainwater, or sunlight. It concluded with the finding that the alteration degree and overall colour change in the inner portions are higher than those in the outer portions of the monument.
In 2015, the Maharashtra Maritime Board and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority approved a proposal to construct a passenger jetty near Apollo Bunder and a promenade between the Gateway and the Bombay Presidency Radio Club. The project was aimed at reducing crowding at the Gateway by closing all its jetties and refocusing the location solely as a tourist attraction.
The Gateway has interested companies and corporate houses such as the Tata Group, the RPG Group, and the JSW Group, who have expressed their wish to maintain the Gateway and enhance its facilities. This happened after the state government identified 371 heritage sites under its Maharashtra Vaibhav State Protected Monuments Adoption Scheme (MVSPMAS). Under this scheme, companies and corporates can adopt heritage monuments and give out funds for their maintenance, to satisfy their corporate social responsibility. The scheme also provides sponsors with the opportunity to generate revenue by selling their rights to feature the heritage monuments in commercials and advertisements. Other revenue-generating opportunities include the sale of entry tickets to the site and charging for the use of facilities.
In February 2019, the Maharashtra state government initiated a plan to restore, clean, and beautify the monument. A project plan was to be prepared in a month. The state governor, C. Vidyasagar Rao, directed the Bombay Municipal Corporation commissioner and architects to submit a project plan in a month on measures to be taken for the purpose. In the same month, chemical conservation was proposed by the state archaeology department noting blackening of and algae on stones and surface cracks. Structural stability audit had last been conducted eight years earlier with plant growth on the monument removed annually. In March 2019 the state government agreed on a four-stage plan to manage tourists visiting the site. This involved the physical conservation of the monument, the installation of a sound-and-light show, the relocation of the anchorage around the monument and a streamlined, ticketed entry system. The plan followed UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
guidance for protected heritage sites and took into account the views of interested parties, including the Directorate of Museums and Archaeology, which has the monument within its purview; the Mumbai Port Trust, which is entrusted with the land; and the Bombay Municipal Corporation, which controls the location. The task of coming up with a suitable management plan was delegated to architects.
In August 2019, Snapchat extended its Landmarker features to the Gateway by which users can superimpose augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory Modality (human–computer interaction), modalities, including visual, Hearing, auditory, hap ...
experiences on top of their pictures of the Gateway.
Events and incidents
The Gateway was the location of a terror attack on 25 August 2003, when there was a bomb blast in front of it. The force of the explosion, from a bomb in a taxi parked near the Taj Mahal Hotel, reportedly threw bystanders into the sea. On 13 August 2005, a mentally unstable man stabbed two young girls from Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a States and territories of India, state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It ...
at the gateway premises. On New Year's Eve, 2007 a woman was groped by a mob at the gateway.
Following the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks (also referred to as 26/11, pronounced "twenty six eleven") were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist organisation from Pakistan, c ...
, which targeted the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel opposite to the Gateway, among other locations, crowds of people including news television reporters and cameramen congregated at the Gateway premises. Subsequently, public access to the area around was restricted. Fearing further attacks on the Gateway and on the Elephanta caves, the state government proposed the closure of all of the jetties at the Gateway and their replacement with two new piers, to be built near the Bombay Presidency Radio Club. In response to the terror attacks, a solidarity march was held at the Gateway premises on 3 December 2008.
In February 2019, protests were organised at the premises in the wake of the Pulwama attack
The 2019 Pulwama attack occurred on 14 February 2019, when a convoy of vehicles carrying Indian security personnel on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethapora in the Pulwama district ...
. In January 2020, the Gateway became a site of spontaneous protests that commenced overnight, under the name of "Occupy Gateway", in the aftermath of the attack on Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Protestors were later relocated from the Gateway premises to Azad Maidan in Mumbai to ease the movement of traffic and people.
In the media
The Mumbai-based video game '' Mumbai Gullies'' is expected to feature the Gateway of India in its fictional map.
Several films, such as ''Bhai Bhai'' (1956), ''Gateway of India'' (1957), ''Shararat'' (1959), '' Hum Hindustani'' (1960), ''Mr. X in Bombay
''Mr. X in Bombay'', directed by Pradyuman Bhardwaj, is a 1964 Indian science fiction romantic comedy film starring Kishore Kumar, Kumkum and Madan Puri.
Plot
Shobha lives a wealthy lifestyle with her scientist dad Prof. Mathur, who is now ...
'' (1964), ''Aansoo aur Muskaan'' (1970) and ''Don'' (1978) have been shot at the Gateway of India.
Gallery
File:The Apollo Bunder- the Gate of India.jpg, Apollo Bunder, in 1905, with the location where the Gateway stands today
File:Gateway of india a.jpg, Pigeons on the Gateway grounds
File:Gateway of India aerial view.jpg, Aerial view of the Gateway, with its erstwhile gardened esplanade
File:India Mumbai Victor Grigas 2011-7.jpg, '' Jali'' work on the arches
File:Gateway of India - 11 (Friar's Balsam Flickr).jpg, Floral motifs, as seen on the Gateway
File:Gateway of India - turret.jpg, Close-up of a turret
File:Gateway of india's look in evening.jpg, The Gateway, lit up in the evening
File:Arch of Gateway of India.jpg, Internal view of the dome, with ''muqarnas
Muqarnas ( ar, مقرنص; fa, مقرنس), also known in Iranian architecture as Ahoopāy ( fa, آهوپای) and in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe, is a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture. It is the archetypal form of ...
'' designs
File:Beating Retreat and Tattoo ceremony at Gateway of India, 2018 (9).jpg, Beating the Retreat and Tattoo Ceremony at the Gateway, on Navy Day in 2018
File:Gateway of India , Hotel Taj and ,Oberoi Hotels , Mumbai, Mahrashtra, India.jpg, The Gateway, as seen with the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel
File:A photographer advertising his sevices at the Gateway of India (18566738741).jpg, Photographer offering services, in the vicinity
Footnotes
References
Notes and news reports
Books and journals
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External links
Interactive 360° imagery of the gateway
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Gateway of India - Secret World
{{Portalbar, India, Architecture
Stone buildings
Buildings and structures completed in 1924
Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture
Gates in India
Triumphal arches in India
Monuments and memorials in Mumbai
Mary of Teck
George V
Tourist attractions in Mumbai